Manu National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional del Manu) is a national park and biosphere reserve located in the regions of Madre de Dios and Cusco in Peru. It protects many different types of ecosystems, including lowland rainforests, cloud forests, and Andean grasslands.
History
Manu National Park was created by a law on May 29, 1973, during the rule of General Juan Velasco. In 1977, UNESCO named it a Biosphere Reserve, and in 1987, it was designated a World Heritage Site. In 2002, the Peruvian government expanded the park’s size to its current area.
Geography
Manu National Park covers an area of about 17,163 square kilometers. This includes mountainous regions with streams and valleys, where elevations reach nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, as well as parts of the Amazon basin plains.
The park is divided into four areas: the restricted use zone, which includes untouched forests and homes of native people, and is only accessible to researchers; the reserved zone, used for recreation and research; the recuperation zone, where damaged areas are restored; and the cultural zone, where human settlement and activities like nature tourism occur.
The 190 kilometers (about 120 miles) long Manu Road is the only connection between the highland areas of the park and the lowlands, where the Manu River flows into a larger river.
Climate
The climate in the park changes a lot, and the amount of rain depends on how high the area is. The southern part of the park, which is mountainous, gets between 1500–2000 mm of rain each year. The middle section receives between 3000–3500 mm of rain annually, and the northwestern area gets 8000 mm or more each year. The drier season runs from May to September, and during this time, temperatures are lower.
In the park, the average yearly temperature in the lowland rainforest is 25.6 °C. In the Andean zone, the average yearly temperature is 8 °C.
Ecology
The park has many types of plant life, including puna grassland (in areas above 4000 meters), high Andean forests, cloud forests, and lowland Amazon rainforest. This variety of plant life includes 162 families, 1191 genera, and 4385 identified plant species. Up to 250 tree species can be found in one hectare. A study found 1108 tree species in the park, from several areas between the mountain tree line and the lowland forest.
Plant species in the lowland rainforest zone include: Bertholletia excelsa, Nectandra spp., Cedrelinga cateniformis, Socratea exorrhiza, Eugenia spp., Cedrela odorata, Brosimum lactescens, Iriartea deltoidea, Protium spp., Poulsenia armata, Cecropia spp., Inga spp., Margaritaria nobilis, Ceiba samauma, Solanum grandiflorum, Annona excellens, Calophyllum brasiliense, Simarouba amara, Maxillaria spp., Virola calophylla, Ficus spp., Trema micrantha, Hevea brasiliensis, Piper spp., Mauritia flexuosa, Clusia spp., Euterpe precatoria, Jacaranda copaia, Aenigmanu sp., etc. Plant species in the mountain zones include: Podocarpus oleifolius, Prunus integrifolia, Cyrtochilum aureum, Escallonia myrtilloides, Hesperomeles ferruginea, Otoglossum scansor, Baccharis salicifolia, Cinchona pubescens, Oreopanax spp., Polylepis spp., Alnus acuminata, Retrophyllum rospigliosii, Vallea stipularis, etc.
About 160 species of mammals live in the park. Mammals in the lowland rainforest zone include: jaguar, tayra, giant armadillo, puma (also found in mountainous areas), ocelot, collared peccary, giant otter, Peruvian spider monkey, Mexican free-tailed bat, jaguarundi, capybara, tufted capuchin, white-lipped peccary, greater bulldog bat, Southern Amazon red squirrel, marsh deer, water opossum, red brocket, brown-throated sloth, black-capped squirrel monkey, South American tapir, southern tamandua, moustached tamarin, pacarana, etc. Mammals in the mountain zones include: white-tailed deer, Andean fox, mountain paca, long-tailed weasel, montane guinea pig, spectacled bear, etc.
More than 1000 bird species are estimated to live in the park. Birds in the lowland rainforest include: great tinamou, Spix's guan, rufescent tiger-heron, blue-and-yellow macaw, silvery grebe, harpy eagle, long-billed starthroat, snowy egret, king vulture, scarlet macaw, roseate spoonbill, blue-crowned trogon, turquoise tanager, Amazonian pygmy owl, blue-headed parrot, etc. Birds in the mountain zones include: Andean tinamou, great horned owl, torrent duck, yellow-billed pintail, amethyst-throated sunangel, Andean guan, puna ibis, golden-collared tanager, Andean condor, collared inca, solitary eagle, Andean cock-of-the-rock, mountain caracara, mitred parakeet, sapphire-vented puffleg, giant hummingbird, etc.
The park has 155 amphibian species, including: Atelopus erythropus, Bolitoglossa altamazonica, Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata, Dendropsophus acreanus, Dendropsophus koechlini, Dendropsophus rhodopeplus, Hyalinobatrachium bergeri, Leptodactylus didymus, Oreobates cruralis, Oscaecilia bassleri, Pipa pipa, Pristimantis buccinator, Pristimantis cosnipatae, Pristimantis danae, Pristimantis olivaceus, Rhinella veraguensis, Telmatobius timens, etc.
There are 132 reptile species in the park, including: spectacled caiman, black caiman, northern caiman lizard, mata mata, boa, shushupe, green anaconda, tree boa, yellow-spotted river turtle, lancehead, aquatic coral snake, etc.
In addition, 210 fish species, 300 ant species, 650 beetle species, 136 dragonfly species, and more than 1300 butterfly species have been reported in the park so far.
Anthropology
The park is home to several indigenous groups, including Yora, Mashco-Piro, Matsiguenka, Harakmbut, and Yine. Other groups in the area choose to live in voluntary isolation.
Facilities
There are five areas where tourists can observe local plants and animals along paths, swamps, oxbow lakes, and riverbanks. In the lower part of the Manu River, there are also five camping spots, four viewing areas (one includes an 18-meter tower), three lodges, and a canopy walkway. Scientific studies are conducted in the park, with several research centers located inside or near the area.