|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
|
MANU |
|
|||
|
||||
| General Description | The Manu Biosphere Reserve and National Park is located in the provinces of Manu and Paucartambo , comprising lands on the eastern slopes of the Andes and in the Peruvian Amazons. There are three major landforms within the reserve, alluvial plains, hills and mountains. The alluvial plains are flat areas along the rivers where sediments may be deposited on a seasonal basis. The rugged mountainous landscape includes the eastern slopes of the Andes where the rivers Manu and ‘Madre de Dios’ have their sources. With a wide range of altitude, vegetation varies widely. However, the most widespread vegetation types are tropical lowland rainforest, tropical montane rainforest and Puna vegetation. The reserve is inhabited by at least four different native groups (12,000 inhabitants in 1999): the Machiguenga (or Yora), the Mascho-Piro, the Yaminahua and the Amahuaca. Mostly nomadic, they subsist on some form of rootcrop agriculture (manioc) along riverbanks and lakes, on hunting along watercourses and inside the forest, on fishing and on the collection of turtle eggs. Shifting cultivation is their basic agricultural practice. There are no towns in the reserve. Nevertheless there is some colonization pressure on the eastern boundary of the Park. Miners, peasant farmers or fishermen activities are developed along the Palatoa and Pinipini rivers. With 1,655 visitors in 1999, most of the tourist and research pressure is directed to the core areas. The Local Support Committee of the Manu Biosphere Reserve was created in 1987 to manage local problems and conflicts between national park authorities and local communities. A major project known as the ’Manu Project‘ was initiated develop the Manu Operational Plan for the official park administration in the areas of protection, resource management, training, and local land use planning. The primary objective of the reserve is to contribute to the long-term conservation of biodiversity, protecting its natural resources and the sustainable use of the area. | |||
| Major ecosystem type |
Mixed mountain and highland systems / Tropical humid forests |
|||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Cloud forest; alpine grasslands of the Andes; rainforest; humid forest; humid sub-tropical forest; very humid sub-tropical forest characterized by mahogany (Swietenia sp. and Cedrela sp.) and the palm Phytelephas macrocarpa; very humid low mountain forest; lakes and rivers; agroecosystems | |||
| Location | 11°17' to 13°11'S; 71°10' to 72°22'W | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 1,881,200 | |||
| Core area(s) | 1,532,806 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 257,000 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 91,394 | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | +290 to +4,000 | |||
| Year designated | 1977 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales (INRENA) | |||
| Last updated: 1/12/2011 |
|
