UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory

			Biosphere Reserve Information
			Venezuela DELTA DEL ORINOCO


	General Description		The Delta del Orinoco Biosphere Reserve (DOBR) was created by Decree Nº 1.633 of 05-06-1991 (Official Gazette Nº 34.812 of 3-10-1991) and encompass 1.125.000 ha including the protected areas, the buffer and transition areas, which represents circa 31% of Delta Amacuro State total surface. A great biological diversity characterizes the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the Delta del Orinoco. These ecosystems comprise a variable vegetation with more than 2.000 plants and a very rich terrestrial and aquatic fauna integrated for more than 151 mammals species, 464 bird species, 76 reptiles, 39 amphibians and 210 ichthyology species. Considerable amounts of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates inhabit this territory.
	Major ecosystem type		Tropical ombrophilos swamp forest
	Major habitats & land cover types		Main type of habitat: Swamp forest, Wetlands and marshes, Mangrove forest, Swamp Grasslands, Swamp shrubs, Swamp palms and Swamp scrubs.
	Location		P-1 61º 30’ 28’’, 09º 48’ 56’’ P-2 61º 26’ 46’’ 09º 42’ 56’’ P-3 61º 25’ 52’’ 09º 42’ 56’’ P-4 61º 13’ 16’’ 09º 36’ 16’’ P-5 60º 57’ 16’’ 09º 31’ 24’’ P-6 60º 55’ 52’’ 09º 29’ 08’’ P-7 60º 48’ 00’’ 09º 20’ 20’’ P-8 60º 45’ 44’’ 09º 16’ 44’’ P-9 60º 40’ 52’’ 09º 08’ 48’’ P-10 60º 37’ 00’’ 08º 57’ 04’’ P-11 60º 34’ 52’’ 08º 37’ 20’’ P-12 60º 59’ 32’’ 08º 38’ 40’’ P-13 61º 11’ 32’’ 08º 40’ 00’’ P-13A 61º 06’20’’ 08º 48’ 00’ P-14 08º 52’ 52’’ 61º 06’ 08’’ P-15 08º 55’ 28’’ 61º 09’ 12’’ P-16 08º 56’ 44’’ 61º 12’ 48’’ P-17 09º 00’ 16’’ 61º 16’ 44’’ P-18 09º 04’ 12’’ 61º26’ 56’’ P-19 09º 09’ 40’’ 61º 31’ 36’’ P-20 09º 10’ 24’’ 61º36’ 20’’ P-21 09º 13’12’’ 61º 42’ 52’’ P-22 09º 14’12’’ 61º 46’ 36’’ P-23 09º 31’ 44’’ 61º 36’ 04’’ P-24 09º 48’ 48’’ 61º34’ 36’’
	Area (hectares)
	Total		8,778
	Core area(s)		159.800
	Buffer zone(s)		184.600
	Transition area(s) when given		534.100
	Altitude (metres above sea level)
	Year designated		2009
	Administrative authorities		Ministry of Popular Power for the Environment

	Brief description		There is no other zoning different to the one proposed to the Man and the Biosphere UNESCO Program. The reserve adopted the structure formed by zones: Nucleus Zone, Buffer Zone and Terrestrial Transition. Since 2005, a program for daily monitoring of resources has been set up in the indigenous communities of the DOBR, encompassing six main areas: register of fishing products, register of agricultural-vegetal products, register of forestall products, register of capture and wildlife hunting, register of breeding animals and register of craftsmanship.
	*Specific variables...*
	Abiotic		Soil.
	Biodiversity		Biogeography, endemic species, fauna, fishes, flora, mammals, natural medicinal products, reptiles.
	Socio-economic		n.a.
	Integrated monitoring		n.a.

	Contact address		Jesús Manzanilla Ministerio de Ambiente Caracas Venezuela
	Telephone
	Fax
	E-mail		jmanzanilla@minamb.gob.ve

			n.a.

Last updated: 1/12/2011