Manú National Park,
like the jaguar, puma, giant otter, and harpy
founded in 1973, is eagle within the park. The site contains three in
southwestern
main vegetation types: alpine grassland above
Peru and encom- 3,200m (puna); subtropical montane cloud passes 6,627 sq. forest above 1,800m (yunga); and the tropical mi
(17,162.95 lowland rainforest of the alluvial plain. There
sq. km). The site are an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 different includes
tropical vegetation species within the park. However,
mountain ranges and research indicated there are still many species vast tributary river val- yet to be identified. leys with gently sloping hills that lead to the
Shortly after its designation as a Nation-
Amazon Basin’s alluvial plains. Significant al Park, UNESCO established protections for landscape diversity exists due to a wide range the park, initially as a Protected Natural Area of altitudinal gradient (365-4,000m). These and later as a Biosphere Reserve encompasslandscapes include high Andean grasslands, ing an extended area. UNESCO Biosphere montane cloud forests, and lowland rainfor-
Reserve designates three main areas to con-
ests. The watershed of Rio Manú covers the serve natural and cultural resources: the core most sizable portion of the park, where the area where ecological and anthropological river travels through the low flood plains, cre-
research is conducted, and the buffer zone and
ating numerous oxbow lakes and white sand transition area where recreation, tourism, and bars. Manú is considered one of the most biologically diverse parks worldwide. It contains a diverse list of 200 mammal species, 800 bird species, 68 reptile species, 77 amphibian species, 500,000 arthropod species, 1,307 butterfly species, and several species of fish. There are also significant numbers of rare predators 13
education occurs. A decade later, the reserve was further recognized as a Natural World Heritage Site and is currently under the management of Peru’s National Protected Areas Agency (SERNANP). In addition to its global recognition as a protected area, the considerable success in protecting Manu’s biodiversity can be attributed to its limited accessibility and indigenous land management practices. Visitors travel on unpaved roads to reach the park’s border. Reaching the interior requires three additional days of travel by river. Four main indigenous groups remain within the park’s borders: the Machiguenga, the Mascho, the Yaminahua, and the Amahuaca. Despite protections, Manú National Park’s conservation faces considerable threats from natural resource exploitation (poaching, mining, logging, oil drilling) and the national highway network development.
