Mburucuyá National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Mburucuyá) is a national park in Argentina. It is located in the northwest of Corrientes Province, about 150 km (93 mi) from the city of Corrientes. The park covers an area of 176 square kilometers (68 sq mi) within the Iberá Wetlands.
This area is important because it helps provide water and plays a role in controlling floods and droughts in the local region. It does this by influencing the local weather patterns.
History
About 5,000 years ago, the area was home to indigenous peoples. Later, the Guaraní people lived there and grew crops such as maize, squash, beans, cassava, cotton, and yerba mate.
When the Spanish took control of the region, many original settlements were taken over and changed greatly. Large-scale farming led to the cutting down of many native trees without care.
In the 20th century, a national park was created. After World War II, Dr. Troels Pederson gave the land to help form the park. The park’s goals are to protect the environment and display the region’s history.
Plant communities
The park is divided into three different plant communities – chaqueña, espinal, and selva paranaense.
The Chaco Oriental, also called the Humid Chaco, includes woodland, palms, grass plains, and wetlands. Some plants native to this area are quebracho colorado (Schinopsis lorentzii), quebracho blanco (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco), urunday (Myracrodruon balansae), viraró (Ruprechtia laxiflora), Prosopis, and caranday palm (Copernicia alba).
The Selva Paranaense has small hills. Plants found here include the palms Syagrus romanzoffiana and timbó (Enterolobium contortisiliquum), as well as laurel.
The Espinal has yatay palms, grassland, and a variety of xerophile woodland.
Fauna
The park is home to about 150 types of birds and many kinds of animals, such as capybara, caiman, foxes, armadillos, jaguars, and brown howler monkeys. Some endangered animals in the park include the maned wolf, neotropical river otter, and marsh deer. Native fish found in the area are the golden dorado and pseudoplatystoma.