Manú National Park, Peru

Manú National Park,

founded in 1973, is in southwestern Peru and encompasses 6,627 sq. mi (17,162.95 sq. km). The site includes tropical mountain ranges and vast tributary river valleys with gently sloping hills that lead to the Amazon Basin’s alluvial plains. Significant landscape diversity exists due to a wide range of altitudinal gradient (365-4,000m). These landscapes include high Andean grasslands, montane cloud forests, and lowland rainforests. The watershed of Rio Manú covers the most sizable portion of the park, where the river travels through the low flood plains, creating numerous oxbow lakes and white sand 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 like the jaguar, puma, giant otter, and harpy eagle within the park. The site contains three main vegetation types: alpine grassland above 3,200m (puna); subtropical montane cloud forest above 1,800m (yunga); and the tropical lowland rainforest of the alluvial plain. There are an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 different vegetation species within the park. However, research indicated there are still many species yet to be identified. Shortly after its designation as a National Park, UNESCO established protections for the park, initially as a Protected Natural Area and later as a Biosphere Reserve encompassing an extended area. UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designates three main areas to conserve natural and cultural resources: the core area where ecological and anthropological research is conducted, and the buffer zone and transition area where recreation, tourism, and 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.