Mapinguari National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional Mapinguari) is a national park located in the states of Rondônia and Amazonas in Brazil. It covers a large part of the Amazon rainforest. The park's boundaries have changed several times.
Location
The Mapinguari National Park is located in parts of three areas: Canutama (40%), Lábrea (50%) in the state of Amazonas, and Porto Velho (11%) in the state of Rondônia. The park covers an area of 1,776,914.18 hectares (4,390,850.6 acres). It is found in the Solimões-Amazonas sedimentary basin, which is part of the south Amazon depression. The land features include a large flat area with river terraces, floodplains, and traces of river bends. Elevations range from 51 to 256 metres (167 to 840 ft) above sea level. The park is drained by streams and rivers that flow into the left side of the Madeira River and the right side of the Purus River. Major rivers within the park include the Açuã, Mucuim, Inacorrã, Umari, Ciriquiqui, Punicici, Coari, Anaiquê, and Coti.
Environment
The park is located in the Amazon biome. The average rainfall each year is 2,700 millimetres (110 inches). Temperatures range from 23 to 32 degrees Celsius (73 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit), with an average of 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit). The vegetation includes savannah and rainforest (56%), open submontane rainforest (11%), and savannah parkland (9%). A total of 258,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of the savannah area is affected by forest fires. Some parts of the savanna are occasionally flooded and more likely to experience fires during the dry season. The primate known as Stephen Nash's titi (Callicebus stephennashi) has been observed in the park. A new bird species, the Campina jay (Cyanocorax hafferi), was recently discovered in the area where the rainforest meets the natural fields.
Legal history
The Mapinguari National Park was established by a government decree on June 5, 2008, covering an area of 1,572,422 hectares, which is about 3,885,540 acres. Its goals include protecting natural ecosystems that are ecologically important and visually striking, especially areas of Savannah in the Purus-Madeira interfluvial region. The park also supports scientific research, environmental education, outdoor recreation, and ecotourism. It is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).
In 2010, Law 12249 changed the park’s boundaries. This law added approximately 180,900 hectares (447,000 acres) to the park but removed land that would be flooded by the Jirau Dam to build a reservoir for the Jirau Hydroelectric Power Plant. The added land previously belonged to state conservation units, including the Rio Vermelho State Forest (A and B), the Antônio Mugica Nava Ecological Station, and part of the Serra dos Três Irmãos Ecological Station. In July 2013, the federal Attorney General challenged Law 12249, claiming it was unconstitutional. This led to efforts by the state legislature to cancel the creation of the state conservation units, which were later overturned.
An ordinance issued on January 9, 2012, outlined a unified approach to developing management plans for conservation units in the BR-319 area of influence. These units include the Abufari Biological Reserve, Cuniã Ecological Station, Nascentes do Lago Jari and Mapinguari National Parks, Balata-Tufari, Humaitá, and Iquiri National Forests, and the Lago do Capanã-Grande, Rio Ituxi, Médio Purus, and Lago do Cuniã Extractive Reserves. Law 12.678 of June 25, 2012, slightly reduced the size of the Mapinguari National Park and permitted mining activities in the buffer zone. This law also adjusted the boundaries of the Amazônia, Campos Amazônicos, and Mapinguari National Parks, as well as the Itaituba I, Itaituba II, and Crepori National Forests, and the Tapajós Environmental Protection Area. Only the Campos Amazônicos National Park remained unchanged in size. An advisory council was created on March 8, 2013.