Manú
National Park

Manú
National Park
is a biosphere
reserve
located in Madre
de Dios
and Paucartambo, Cusco.
Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manú National
Park was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly
inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO
recognised it as a Reserve of Biosphere and in 1987 it was pronounced a
World
Heritage Site.
It is the largest National Park in Peru, covering an area of 15,328 km².
The Biosphere Reserve includes an additional 2,570 km², and a further 914 km²
are included in a "Cultural Zone" (which also is afforded a level of
protection), bringing the total area up to 18,811 km². The
park protects several ecological
zones
ranging from as low as 150 meters
above sea level
in parts of the Amazon
Basin
to Puna
grassland
at altitudes of 4200 meters. Because of this topographical range, it has one of
highest levels of biodiversity
of any park in the world. Overall, more than 15,000 species of plants are found
in Manú, and up to 250 varieties of trees have been found in a single hectare.
The reserve is a destination for birdwatchers from all over the world, as it is
home to over 1000 species of birds, more than the number of bird species found
in the United States and Canada combined.
Park
layout: The
park encompasses virtually the entire watershed
of the Manú
River,
from the sources of its tributaries
high in the Andes,
to its emptying into the Madre
de Dios River.
As the surrounding area is largely undeveloped,
the only direct access to the lowlands is by boat, up the Manú
River.
This singular entry point is easily patrolled by park guards. The road
Cusco-Paucartambo-Shintuya borders the southern section of the park and provides
access to high-Andean ecosystems, such as grasslands (Puna) and Montane forest
and scrub.
Park
administration: As
with all national parks in Peru, Manú is operated by INRENA,
the National Natural Resources Institute (Instituto Nacional de Recursos
Naturales).
Humans
in the park: Permanent
human habitation is restricted to several small communities of the Matsigenga
Amazonian tribal group, largely along the Manú river or one of its main
tributaries.
Several protected areas adjoining the park allow mixed use including tourism,
hunting,
logging,
and harvesting of other resources. These areas, notably downstream on the Manú
River, are included in the broader Manú biosphere reserve, but are not part of
the national park.
Visitors
within the national park include medical and educational professionals upon
invitation by the indigenous community, and researchers with permits from
INRENA. The Cocha
Cashu Biological Station,
under the guidance of renowned Duke
University
ecologist
John
Terborgh
is the largest and most established research site in the park, and is among the
most well-studied sites for biological and ecological research in the tropics.
The
Manu
Learning Centre
(MLC) lies within the Cultural Zone of the Manu
Biosphere Reserve
along the South-Eastern border with the Alto
Madre de Dios River.
The MLC facilitates research work within the disturbed 'buffer' zone of the park
where human impact is at its greatest.
Flora:
More
than 20,000 species. 40% of the park is Amazonian lowland tropical
rainforest,
including varzea,
oxbow lakes, Iriartea
palm swamps, and upland forest types.
Fauna:
Mammals = 159 species. Reptiles = 99 species. Amphibians = 140
species. Birds = 1000
species. Fish = 210
species. Insects
(numerous undescribed species not
included). Butterflies = 1307
species. Ants = 300
species. Dragonflies = 136
species. Beetles =
650 species.
The
main attraction for us was to visit the macaw
lick
ALL IN ALL A MAGICAL PLACE.
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