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Amazon
Rainforest - Peru
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The
Amazon rainforests of south eastern Peru is home to one of the world's
highest biodiversity concentrations and has a spectacular array
of flora and fauna species.
The Tambopata Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park is one of
the most biodiverse places on Earth. Records include over 700 species
of birds, 1200 species of butterfly, 90 species of mammals, 120
species of reptiles and amphibians and innumerable species of insect.
Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in areas visited by
Wasai tours and there are places where it is possible to see over
100 species in a day. We can arrange visits to all the main habitat
types found in the area: terra firma, varzea, secondary floodplain,
bamboo and aguaje forest as well as lakes, rivers, streams, ponds
and cultivated areas. We can take you to a number of parrot collpas
where many species of macaw, parrot and parakeet feed at clay licks
and also mammal collpas where animals such as tapir, deer and peccary
come to feed. The base for observation is Wasai Tambopata Jungle
Lodge and Research Centre which has over 20km of trails, overnight
accommodation away from here is in tents.
The Forest
The Amazonian region occupies a total area of more than 7.5 million
square kilometers, being part of the territory of nine countries:
Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Surinam, Guiana
and French Guiana, The Amazonia has 3,54 million square kilometers
of continuous forest-covered areas, the largest in the world. Paradoxically,
however, it is a soil with low fertility: 78% of it is acid and
difficult to use for agriculture. Biodiversity is also the largest
in the world: while there are 4 to 25 tree species per hectare in
North America, there are between 40 and 300 different tree species
in the Amazon forest. There are more than 5,000 species of trees.
The volume of rain in the Amazon river basin is truly amazing: more
than 15 trillion cubic meters per year. Of the overall rainfall,
48% evaporates, 52% flows to the rivers, and ultimately to the sea.
The rainforest ecosystem changes significantly this average: in
its environment, only 25% is evaporated and 25% goes to the rivers:
the major part is retained in the forest itself.
The Amazon forest may be considered a kind of "ecological filter"
for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, because the plants in
the forest absorb more CO2 than they release. Unfortunately, the
accelerated human occupation of the Amazonia is causing a series
of environmental problems, due to the amount of destruction of its
original ecosystem. It has been estimated that approximately 12,5%
of the original forest cover, or 500,000 km2, has been deforested
or burnt. Logging companies, miners in search of gold and other
valuable metals and agricultural occupation are the main culprits.
Although the destruction rates have decreased lately, it still continues
at a worrying pace.
The Fauna
The Amazon forest is extraordinarily rich in all forms of animal
life, from insects to mammals. A cubic meter of soil has 100 times
more insects and worms there than in the Northern hemisphere. The
gigantic volume of water and the mild temperatures make a kind of
fertile incubator, too: there are more than 3,000 fish species in
Amazon, representing 85% of all species living in South America,
and 15% of the species in the world. However, only 40% of these
species have been studied by scientists, and about 36 fish species
are economically exploited.
The region has many astounding records in terms of fauna. It has
more than 100 species of New World monkeys (the smallest one is
no larger than a fountain pen; the largest is comparable to a chimpanzee),
thousands of bird species, like the colorful macaws (guacamayos)
and toucans (tucanes) and dozens of exotic and interesting animals
such as capybaras (the largest rodent in the world), tree sloths,
alligators (caiman), the feared spotted jaguar (onça), turtles and
gigantic anacondas (yacumamma), which can reach up to 40 feet (12
meter long)
This region encompass a large area of undisturbed nature, the conservation
of this area is critical. As a locally owned and operated company,
we reinvest the money generated by our eco tourism operations back
into the local community. Furthermore, a significant portion of
our revenue goes to fund research, conservation, and social development
programs.
Tourism and research
Our Lodge and Research
Center, strategically located on the Tambopata River, offers an
intimate and comfortable forest experience close to a variety of
attractions such as oxbow lakes, waterfalls, "collpas"
and local communities. Its proximity to the National Park guarantees
opportunities to observe well protected wild fauna with little environment
impact. (animals of wasai)
We are specialists in the rainforests of Southeastern Peru. Our
expert guides and resident biologists will show you the region's
natural wonders and teach you about the different ecosystems. As
locals intimately familiar with the region, its surroundings, and
its inhabitants, we will take care of all of your travel needs.
We can arrange tours ranging from a week-long expedition into the
heart of the Tambopata - Candamo
National Park or to Manu National Park,
or an afternoon trip to beautiful Lake Sandoval to spending time
in the rainforest hosted by a local family.
Please explore our site, learn about us, our mission, our facilities,
our expedition offerings, our educational workshops, our Peru
Research Expeditions, and the beautiful Madre de Dios region.
The following pages describe opportunities for eco-tourists, scientists,
and educators. For more information, or to arrange lodging or an
expedition, please contact
us.
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