Tambopata - Candamo

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Tambopata - Candamo is a natural reserve in the Peruvian Amazon Basin. It is considered one of the places with a lot of biodiversity around the planet.

The authentic natural paradise is located between the regions of Madre de Dios and Puno.

Tambopata is the 40% of the reserve in the department of Madre de Dios.
Carabaya and Sandia are the 60% of the reserve in the department of Puno.^[1]

1 Geography
2 Population
- 2.1 Flora
- 2.2 Fauna
3 History
4 Economic Activities
5 References

[edit] Geography

It has a superficial extension of 1.478.942 hectares.

You can travel by boat (Tambopata River) or by car (Puerto Maldonado- Cuzco road - kilometer 30).^[2]

The Sandoval Lake is located in this area. There is also a circuit of canoeing which is considered one of the most exciting and beautiful circuit of Peru.

The protected area features eight life zones: subtropical humid forest, tropical humid forest, subtropical high-humidity forest, subtropical high-humidity foothills cloud forest, subtropical rainforest, tropical cloud forest foothills, subtropical lower foothills cloud forest and semi-flooded subtropical cloud forest.

Average annual temperature is 26° C, ranging from 10-38° C; with average annual rainfall of 1600-2400 mm. Rainfall in the protected area is typical of most areas in the Peruvian Amazon. The climate is humid and (3000 mm and 25° C on average), sub-level humidity and semi-warm (1700 mm and 26° C on average), high-level semi-warm (4000 mm and 23° C).^[3]

[edit] Population

There is a tribe called the 'Esse'eja' o 'huarayos' that live in the reserve, next to the quechuas and aymaras. They have activities such as agriculture (coffee), hunting, fishing and foraging.^[4]

The poor presence of humans had done a wonderful conservation of different ecosystems. There are so many species that surprise any scientist: 1,234 types of different butterflies, 592 of birds, 127 of amphibians, 103 of mammals, 74 reptiles and a lot of varieties.^[5]

[edit] Flora

The Tambopata River is one of the exclusive habitat of birds and mammals. Flora in the national reserve is fairly typical of the southwest Amazon Basin. The Heath River and surrounding plains are a unique ecosystem in Peru. The pampas are periodically flooded, and small groves of trees with varied plant life grow in isolated clumps on the plain.

The protected area is home of a wide diversity of plants, including exploited forest species such as cedar, mahogany, tornillo, Brazil nut, palm trees such as the pona, aguaje, huasaí and ungurahui.^[6]

[edit] Fauna

Researchers have discovered in the protected area large numbers of species that are now rarely found elsewhere in the Amazon jungle due to poaching, particularly tapirs and spider monkeys, but also jaguars, white-lipped peccary, medium-sized and large monkeys and caiman.

Within the reserve, the lower elevation zone is dominated mostly by Amazonian bird species, the ones that are at or near their upper elevation limits, and by species that are restricted (or partially restricted) to the narrow band of rain forest found on the lower slopes of the Andes. Because of the growing deforestation rate along this latitudinal border in other parts of the Andes, this ecosystem is one of these most threatened in all of South America. A relatively large portion of this ecosystem is found within the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.^[7]

[edit] History

This initiated in January 3rd, 1977. This was established as "ZONA RESERVADA TAMBOPATA "(ZRT), in the territory of the traditional tribe Ese´eja . It was created for the conservation of the Amazon forest and for scientific investigations of flowers and animals; for tourism too.

In Julio of 1977, the government had an arrangement with the Peruvian Safaris company. They gave them the responsibility of Tambopata just for 5 years.

In 1983 has been established the SANTUARIO NACIONAL PAMPAS DEL HEATH (SNPH), with a superficies of 105, 957 Ha. The purpose was to protect the fantastic “Sabana Húmeda Tropical” of Peru.

For the 1990, thanks to the effort of the government to protect the biodiversity, it was named as the area ZRTC. Tambopata Candamo was officially created in January 26th 1990 as an initiative of the Peruvian government.^[8]

The Tambopata National Reserve was declared by means of the Supreme Law # 048-2000-AG by the area's committee planner. This proposition was elaborated in the background of the "Conservation of the Tropical Ecosystems Project and the sustainable use of the natural resources inside the Candamo Tambopata Reserve Area". Also, a damp area of the Tambopata National Reserve was determined as the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, formed by 271,582 hectares exclusive of the Tambopata - Candamo Reserve.^[9]

[edit] Economic Activities

The economic activities of that area are fishing, hunting, agriculture and foraging. But the most important is the tourism. Madre de Dios is home of 25 registered tourist lodges, 11 of which lie within the buffer zone and two within the reserve. This zone is frequently visited by foreigners who love adventure .

Tourism in the protected area is concentrated around the Tambopata River and the lower Madre de Dios. Ever year, 7-8,000 tourists visit the area mainly from abroad.

Tourists are charged an entry fee to visit, and the amount depends on the activity: whether the tourist is spending the night, visiting the macaw clay lick or whitewater river rafting. The area features a rafting circuit which runs down the Tambopata River from Putina Punco crossing the entire national park down to Puerto Maldonado.

The best period of the year to visit it is between June and October. Because in those months the wheather is very dry. In order to enjoy your trip, you should have to follow a tourist guide, who has the knowledge of that natural reserve.^[10]