The Gran Chaco or Dry Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...

of the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...

basin, divided among eastern

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, western

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

, northern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and

Mato Grosso do Sul Mato Grosso do Sul () is one of the Midwestern states of Brazil. Neighboring Brazilian states are (from north clockwise) Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay, to the southwest, and ...

, where it is connected with the

Pantanal The Pantanal () is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and p ...

region. This land is sometimes called the Chaco Plain.

Toponymy

The name Chaco comes from a word in

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

, an indigenous language from the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

and highlands of South America. The Quechua word ''chaqu'' meaning "hunting land" comes probably from the rich variety of animal life present throughout the entire region.

Geography

The Gran Chaco is about 647,500 km² (250,000 sq mi) in size, though estimates differ. It is located west of the

Paraguay River The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It flows about from its headwaters in ...

and east of the

, and is mostly an alluvial sedimentary plain shared among Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina. It stretches from about 17 to 33°S latitude and between 65 and 60°W longitude, though estimates differ. Historically, the Chaco has been divided in three main parts: the ''Chaco Austral'' or Southern Chaco, south of the

Bermejo River The Bermejo River (Spanish, Río Bermejo) is a river in South America that flows from Bolivia to the Paraguay River in Argentina. The river is generally called Bermejo in spite of its different names along its way, but it also has its own Nativ ...

and inside Argentinian territory, blending into the Pampa region in its southernmost end; the ''Chaco Central'' or Central Chaco between the Bermejo and the

Pilcomayo River Pilcomayo (in Hispanicized spelling) (Quechua Pillkumayu or Pillku Mayu, ''pillku'' red, ''mayu'' river, "red river", Guarani Ysyry Araguay ) is a river in central South America. At long, it is the longest western tributary of the Paraguay River ...

to the north, also now in Argentinian territory; and the ''Chaco Boreal'' or Northern Chaco, north of the Pilcomayo up to the Brazilian Pantanal, inside Paraguayan territory and sharing some area with Bolivia. Locals sometimes divide it today by the political borders, giving rise to the terms Argentinian Chaco, Paraguayan Chaco, and Bolivian Chaco. (Inside Paraguay, people sometimes use the expression Central Chaco for the area roughly in the middle of the Chaco Boreal, where

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radi ...

colonies are established.) The Chaco Boreal may be divided in two: closer to the mountains in the west, the ''Alto Chaco'' (Upper Chaco), sometimes known as ''Chaco Seco'' (or Dry Chaco), is very dry and sparsely vegetated. To the east, less arid conditions combined with favorable soil characteristics permit a seasonally dry higher-growth thorn tree forest, and further east still higher rainfall combined with improperly drained lowland soils result in a somewhat swampy plain called the ''Bajo Chaco'' (Lower Chaco), sometimes known as ''Chaco Húmedo'' (

Humid Chaco The Humid Chaco (Spanish: ''Chaco Húmedo'' or ''Chaco Oriental'') is tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in South America. It lies in the basin of the Paraná River, covering portions of central Paraguay and northern Argenti ...

). It has a more open

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

vegetation consisting of palm trees, quebracho trees, and tropical high-grass areas, with a wealth of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s. The landscape is mostly flat and slopes at a 0.004-degree gradient to the east. This area is also one of the distinct

physiographic Physical geography (also known as physiography) is one of the three main branches of geography. Physical geography is the branch of natural science which deals with the processes and patterns in the natural environment such as the atmosphere, ...

provinces of the Parana-Paraguay Plain division. The areas more hospitable to development are along the

, Bermejo, and

s. It is a great source of

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

and

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...

, which is derived from the native ''quebracho'' tree. Special tannin factories have been constructed there. The wood of the palo santo from the Central Chaco is the source of oil of guaiac (a fragrance for

soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...

). Paraguay also cultivates

mate Mate may refer to: Science * Mate, one of a pair of animals involved in: ** Mate choice, intersexual selection ** Mating * Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein, or MATE, an efflux transporter family of proteins Person or title * Friendship ...

in the lower part of the Chaco. Large tracts of the central and northern Chaco have high soil fertility, sandy alluvial soils with elevated levels of

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

, and a topography that is favorable for agricultural development. Other aspects are challenging for farming: a semiarid to semihumid climate (600–1300 mm annual rainfall) with a six-month dry season and sufficient fresh groundwater restricted to roughly one-third of the region, two-thirds being without groundwater or with groundwater of high salinity. Soils are generally erosion-prone once the forest has been cleared. In the central and northern Paraguay Chaco, occasional dust storms have caused major topsoil loss.

History

The Chaco was occupied by nomadic peoples, notably the various groups making up the Guaycuru, who resisted Spanish control of the Chaco, often with success, from the 16th until the early 20th centuries. Prior to national independence of the nations that compose the Chaco, the entire area was a separate colonial region named by the Spaniards as ''Chiquitos''. The Gran Chaco had been a disputed territory since 1810. Officially, it was supposed to be part of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, although a bigger land portion west of the Paraguay River had belonged to Paraguay since its independence. Argentina claimed territories north of the Bermejo River until Paraguay's defeat in the

War of the Triple Alliance The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...

in 1870 established its current border with Argentina. Over the next few decades, Bolivia began to push the natives out and settle in the Gran Chaco, while Paraguay ignored it. Bolivia sought the Paraguay River for shipping oil out into the sea (it had become a land-locked country after the loss of its Pacific coast in the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

), and Paraguay claimed ownership of the land. This became the backdrop to

the Gran Chaco War The Chaco War ( es, link=no, Guerra del Chaco, gn, Cháko ÑorairõCarlos Saavedra Lamas mediated a ceasefire and subsequent treaty signed in 1938, which gave Paraguay three-quarters of the Chaco Boreal and gave Bolivia a corridor to the Paraguay River with the ability to use the Puerto Casado and the right to construct their own port. No oil was found in the region until 2012 when Paraguayan President

Federico Franco Luis Federico Franco Gómez (born 24 July 1962) is a Paraguayan politician who was President of Paraguay from June 2012 until August 2013. A member of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), he was elected as Vice President of Paraguay in th ...

announced the discovery of oil in the area of the Pirity river.

s immigrated into the Paraguayan part of the region from Canada in the 1920s; more came from the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

in the 1930s and immediately following World War II. These immigrants created some of the largest and most prosperous municipalities in the deep Gran Chaco. The region is home to over 9 million people, divided about evenly among Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, and including around 100,000 in Paraguay. The area remains relatively underdeveloped, In the 1960s, the Paraguayan authorities constructed the Trans-Chaco Highway and the Argentine National Highway Directorate, National Routes 16 and 81, in an effort to encourage access and development. All three highways extend about from east to west and are now completely paved, as is a network of nine Brazilian highways in Mato Grosso do Sul state.

Flora

The Gran Chaco has some of the highest temperatures on the continent. It has high

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

, containing around 3,400 plant species, 500 birds, 150 mammals, and 220 reptiles and amphibians. The floral characteristics of the Gran Chaco are varied given the large geographical span of the region. The dominant vegetative structure is xerophytic deciduous forests with multiple layers, including a canopy (trees), subcanopy,

shrub layer Stratification in the field of ecology refers to the vertical layering of a habitat; the arrangement of vegetation in layers. It classifies the layers (sing. ''stratum'', pl. ''strata'') of vegetation largely according to the different heights to w ...

, and

herbaceous layer Stratification in the field of ecology refers to the vertical layering of a habitat; the arrangement of vegetation in layers. It classifies the layers (sing. ''stratum'', pl. ''strata'') of vegetation largely according to the different heights to w ...

. Ecosystems include riverine forests, wetlands,

savannas A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

, and cactus stands, as well.What is Gran Chaco vegetation in South America? I. A review. Contribution to the study of flora and vegetation of Chaco. V. Candollea, 48: 145-172, 1993. At higher elevations of the eastern zone of the

, mature forests transition from the wet forests of southern Brazil. These woodlands are dominated by canopy trees such as ''

Handroanthus impetiginosus ''Handroanthus impetiginosus'', the pink ipê, pink lapacho or pink trumpet tree, is a tree in the family Bignoniaceae, distributed throughout North, Central and South America, from northern Mexico south to northern Argentina. It is the national ...

'' and characterized by frequent

lianas A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a t ...

and

epiphytes An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

. This declines to seasonally flooded forests, at lower elevations, that are dominated by ''

Schinopsis ''Schinopsis'' is a genus of South American trees in the family Anacardiaceae, also known by the common names quebracho, quebracho colorado and red quebracho. In Brazil it is known as ''baraúna'' or ''braúna''. Description The species within t ...

'' spp., a common plains tree genus often harvested for its

content and dense wood. The understory comprises bromeliad and cactus species, as well as hardy shrubs such as ''

Schinus fasciculata ''Schinus'' is a genus of flowering trees and tall shrubs in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree (''Schinus molle'') is the source of the spice known as pink pepperc ...

''. These lower areas lack lianas, but have abundant epiphytic species such as ''

Tillandsia ''Tillandsia'' is a genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae, native to the forests, mountains and deserts of northern Mexico and south-eastern United States, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to ...

''. The river systems that flow through the area, such as the

Rio Paraguay The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It flows about from its headwaters in ...

and

Rio Parana Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

, allow for seasonally flooded semievergreen

gallery forests A gallery forest is one formed as a corridor along rivers or wetlands, projecting into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands, or deserts. The gallery forest maintains a more temperate microclimate above th ...

that hold riparian species such as ''

Tessaria integrifolia ''Tessaria'' is a genus of South American plants in the tribe Inuleae within the family Asteraceae.Ruiz López, Hipólito & Pavón, José Antonio. 1794. Florae Peruvianae, et Chilensis Prodromus 112, t. 24, center ; Species

'' and ''

Salix humboldtiana ''Salix humboldtiana'', called Humboldt's willow, is a tree species of willow native to North and South America, growing along watercourses. Some authorities consider it a synonym of '' Salix chilensis'', which Molina described in 1782. Willdeno ...

''. Other seasonally flooded ecosystems of this area include palm-dominated (''

Copernicia alba ''Copernicia alba'' is a South American species of palm tree, which is found in the Humid Chaco ecoregion in Bolivia, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil (in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul) and Argentina (especially the province of ...

'') savannas with a

bunch grass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...

-dominated herbaceous layer. To the west, in the Semiarid/Arid Chaco, medium-sized forests consists of white quebracho (''

Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco ''Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco'', commonly known as Quebracho blanco, kebrako, or white quebracho, is a South American tree species, native to Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It must not be confused with other specie ...

'') and red quebracho (''

Schinopsis lorentzii ''Schinopsis lorentzii'' is a hardwood tree known as red quebracho, native of the Paraguayan subtropical area, which forms forests in Gran Chaco region of Argentina, in Paraguay, and Bolivia. Some of its common names are ''coronillo'', ''quebrach ...

'') with a slightly shorter subcanopy made up of several species from the family Fabaceae, as well as several arboreal cacti species that distinguish this area of the Chaco. There is a scrub-like shrub and herbaceous understory. On sandy soils, the thick woodlands turn into savannas where the aforementioned species prevail, as well as species such as ''

Jacaranda mimosifolia ''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting violet-colored flowers. It is also known as the jacaranda, blue jacaranda, ...

''. The giant '' Stetsonia coryne'', found throughout the western Semiarid/Arid region becomes very conspicuous in these sandy savannas. Various upland systems of plant associations occur throughout the Gran Chaco. The Highlands of the Argentinian Chaco are made up of, on the dry, sunny side (up to 1800m), ''

Schinopsis haenkeana ''Schinopsis haenkeana'' is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is found in Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South Americ ...

'' woodlands. The cooler side of the uplands hosts '' Zanthoxylum coco'' (locally referred to as Fagara coco) and '' Schinus molleoides'' (locally referred to as '' Lithrea molleoides'') as the predominant species. Other notable species include '' Bougainvillea stipitata'', and several species from the Fabaceae. The Paraguyan uplands have other woodland slope ecosystems, notably, those dominated by ''

Anadenanthera colubrina ''Anadenanthera colubrina'' (also known as vilca, huilco, huilca, wilco, willka, curupay, curupau, cebil, or angico) is a South American tree closely related to yopo, or ''Anadenanthera peregrina''. It grows to tall and the trunk is very thorn ...

'' on moist slopes. Both of these upland systems, as well as numerous other Gran Chaco areas, are rich with

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Fauna

Faunal diversity in the Gran Chaco is also high. The Gran Chaco has around 3,400 plant, 500 bird, 150 mammal, and 220 reptile and amphibian species. Animals typically associated with tropical and subtropical forests are often found throughout the eastern Humid Chaco, including jaguars, howler monkeys, peccaries, deer, and tapirs. ''

Edentate Xenarthra (; from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, "foreign, alien" + ἄρθρον, árthron, "joint") is a major clade of placental mammals native to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos. Ex ...

'' species, including anteaters and armadillos, are readily seen here, as well.Napamalo: The Giant Anteater of the Gran Chaco, 2003. Being home to at least 10 species, the Argentinian Chaco is the location of the peak diversity for the armadillo, including species such as the

nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. ...

(''Dasypus novemcinctus''), whose range extends north to the southern US, and the

southern three-banded armadillo The southern three-banded armadillo (''Tolypeutes matacus''), also known as La Plata three-banded armadillo or Azara's domed armadillo, is an armadillo species from South America. It is found in parts of southwestern Brazil, northern Argentina, ...

(''Tolypeutes matacus'').Conservation ecology of armadillos in the Chaco region of Argentina, 1: 16-17, Edentata, 1994. The pink fairy armadillo (''Chlamyphrous truncatus''), is found nowhere else in the world.Guiá de los Mamiferos Argentinos, 19840. The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), while not found in the eastern Humid Chaco, can be seen in the drier Arid Chaco of the west. Some other notable endemics of the region include the San Luis tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys pontifex''). This small rodent is only found in the Argentinian Chaco. All of 60 species of '' Ctenomys'' are endemic to South America. The Chacoan peccary (''Catagonus wagneri''), locally known as ''tauga'', is the largest of the three peccary species found in the area. This species was thought to be extinct by scientists until 1975, when it was recorded by Dr. Ralph Wetzel.Catagonous, an "extinct" peccary, alive in Paraguay, 189:379-381, Science, 1975. Due to the climate of the Gran Chaco,

herpetofauna Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

are restricted to moist refugia in various places throughout the chaco. Rotting logs, debris piles, old housing settlement, wells, and seasonal farm ponds are examples of such refugia.ECOLOGICAL NOTES ON PARAGUAYAN CHACO HERPETOFAUNA, 12(3), 433-435, Journal of Herpetology, 1978. The

black-legged seriema The black-legged seriema (''Chunga burmeisteri'') is one of two living species of seriemas in the family Cariamidae. It is found from southeastern Bolivia and northern Paraguay south into north-central Argentina. It is a large, mostly grey ...

(''Chunga burmeisteri''),

blue-crowned parakeet The blue-crowned parakeet, blue-crowned conure, or sharp-tailed conure (''Thectocercus acuticaudatus'') is a small green Neotropical parrot with a blue head and pale beak native to large parts of South America, from eastern Colombia in the north ...

(''Aratinga acuticadauta''),

Picui ground dove The Picui ground dove or Picui dove (''Columbina picui'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ''Handbook ...

(''Columbina picui''),

guira cuckoo The guira cuckoo (''Guira guira'') is a Sociality, gregarious bird found widely in open and semi-open habitats of northeastern, eastern and southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina. It is the only species placed in ...

(''Guira guira''), little thornbird (''Phacellodomus sibilatrix''), and many-colored Chaco finch (''Saltaitricula multicolor'') are notable of the 409 bird species that are resident or breed in the Gran Chaco; 252 of these Chaco species are endemic to South America.''A Zoogeographic Analysis Of The South American Chaco Avifauna'', 154(3), 165-352, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 1975.

Conservation issues

The Chaco is one of South America's last agricultural frontiers. Very sparsely populated and lacking sufficient all-weather roads and basic infrastructure (the Argentinian part is more developed than the Paraguayan or Bolivian part), it has long been too remote for crop planting. The central Chaco's Mennonite colonies are a notable exception. Two factors may substantially change the Chaco in the near future: low land valuations and the region's suitability to grow fuel crops. Suitability for the cultivation of ''

Jatropha ''Jatropha'' is a genus of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from the Greek words ἰατρός (''iatros''), meaning "physician", and τροφή (''trophe''), meaning "nutrition", hence the common name ...

'' has been proven. Sweet sorghum as an ethanol plant may prove viable, too, since sorghum is a traditional local crop for domestic and feedstock use. The feasibility of

switchgrass ''Panicum virgatum'', commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico. Switchgrass is one of the ...

is currently being studied by Argentina's

Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria The National Agricultural Technology Institute ( es, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria), commonly known as INTA, is an Argentine federal extension agency in charge of the generation, adaptation and diffusion of technologies, knowledge ...

, as is the Karanda’y palm tree in the Paraguayan Chaco. While advancements in agriculture can bring some improvements in infrastructure and employment for the region, loss of habitat and virgin forest is substantial and will likely increase

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

. Paraguay, after having lost more than 90% of its Atlantic rainforest between 1975 and 2005, is now losing its xerophytic forest (dry forests) in the Chaco at an annual rate of (2008). In mid-2009, a projected law, initiated by the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

, that would have outlawed

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

in the Paraguayan Chaco altogether, "Deforestacion Zero en el Chaco" did not get a majority in the parliament. Deforestation in the Argentinian part of the Chaco amounted to an average of per year between 2001 and 2007. According to

Fundación Avina Fundación Avina is a Latin American philanthropic foundation working towards sustainable development in Latin America by encouraging alliances between social and business leaders. The foundation is part of the Steering Group of the Foundations Pl ...

, a local NGO, on average, are cleared per day. The

soy The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...

plantations not only eliminate the forest, but also other types of agriculture. Indigenous communities are losing their land to agribusinesses. Since 2007, a law is supposed to regulate and control the cutting of timber in the Gran Chaco, but

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corruption, corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, o ...

continues. Among the aggressive investors in the Paraguayan Gran Chaco are U.S.-based agribusinesses

Cargill Inc. Cargill, Incorporated, is a privately held American global food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865, it is the largest privately held corporation in the United States in ter ...

, Bunge Ltd., and Archer Daniels Midland Co.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 176,715 km², or 22%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. In September 1995, the

Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (''Parque Nacional y Area Natural de Manejo Integrado Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco)'' is the biggest national park in Bolivia and one of the largest in South America. It is a p ...

was established in an area of the Chaco in Bolivia. It is administered and was established solely by the

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, including the Izoceño Guaraní, the Ayoreode, and the

Chiquitano The Chiquitano or Chiquitos are an indigenous people of Bolivia, with a small number also living in Brazil. The Chiquitano primarily live in the Chiquitania tropical savanna of Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia, with a small number also living in Be ...

. Other protected areas include

Defensores del Chaco National Park Defensor (Latin, 'one who defends') may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Defensor (comics), a character in ''Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions'' * Defensor (''Transformers''), a character in the media franchise People *Defensor, a ...

and Tinfunqué National Park in Paraguay, and

Copo National Park Copo National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Copo) is a federal protected area in Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina. Established on 22 November 2000, it houses a representative sample of the Dry Chaco biodiversity in average state of conservat ...

and

El Impenetrable National Park El Impenetrable National Park, es, Parque Nacional El Impenetrable, italic=no, is a national park in the Gran Chaco region of northern Argentina. It was established in 2014 on the lands of the former Estancia La Fidelidad, which were expropr ...

in Argentina.

Administrative divisions in the Gran Chaco

The following Argentine provinces, Bolivian and Paraguayan departments, and Brazilian states lie in the Gran Chaco area, either entirely or in part.

Indigenous peoples

* Abipón, Argentina, historic group * Angaite (Angate), northwestern Paraguay *

Ayoreo The Ayoreo (Ayoreode, Ayoréo, Ayoréode) are an indigenous people of the Gran Chaco. They live in an area surrounded by the Paraguay, Pilcomayo, Parapetí, and Grande Rivers, spanning both Bolivia and Paraguay. There are approximately 5,600 ...

"Cultural Thesaurus."
''National Museum of the American Indian.'' (retrieved 18 Feb 2011) (Morotoco, Moro, Zamuco), Bolivia and Paraguay *

Chamacoco The Chamacoco people (Ishír) are an indigenous people of Paraguay. “''Now our territory is that of the company''”, a ''tomáraho'' man said, “''we live there but it isn’t ours; it does not belong to us and has become an enemy place that ...

(

Zamuko The Chamacoco people (Ishír) are an indigenous people of Paraguay. “''Now our territory is that of the company''”, a ''tomáraho'' man said, “''we live there but it isn’t ours; it does not belong to us and has become an enemy place that ...

), Paraguay *

Chané Chané is the collective name for the southernmost Arawakan-speaking peoples. They lived in the plains of the northern Gran Chaco and in the foothills of the Andes in Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina. The historical Chané are divided i ...

, Argentina and Bolivia *

(Chiquito, Tarapecosi), eastern Bolivia * Chorote ( Choroti), Iyojwa'ja Chorote, Manjuy), Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay * Guana (Kaskihá), Paraguay *

Guaraní Guarani, Guaraní or Guarany may refer to Ethnography * Guaraní people, an indigenous people from South America's interior (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia) * Guaraní language, or Paraguayan Guarani, an official language of Paraguay * ...

, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay ** Bolivian Guarani *** Eastern Guarani (Chiriguano), Bolivia *** Guarayo (East Bolivian Guarani) ** Chiripá (Tsiripá, Ava), Bolivia ** Pai Tavytera (Pai, Montese, Ava), Bolivia ** Tapieté ( Guaraní Ñandéva, Yanaigua), eastern Bolivia **

Yuqui The Yuqui are an indigenous people of Bolivia. They primarily live in the Santa Cruz and Cochabamba Departments of eastern Bolivia. Name "Yuqui" has been used by Spanish-speakers since the colonial period. A possibility is the word derived from ...

(Bia), Bolivia *

Guaycuru peoples Guaycuru or Guaykuru is a generic term for several ethnic groups indigenous to the Gran Chaco region of South America, speaking related Guaicuruan languages. In the 16th century, the time of first contact with Spanish explorers and colonist ...

, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay **

Mbayá The Mbayá or ''Mbyá'' are an indigenous people of South America which formerly ranged on both sides of the Paraguay River, on the north and northwestern Paraguay frontier, eastern Bolivia, and in the adjacent province of Mato Grosso do Sul, B ...

(Caduveo), historic *** Kadiweu, Brazil **

Mocoví The Mocoví ( Mocoví: ''moqoit'') are an indigenous people of the Gran Chaco region of South America. They speak the Mocoví language and are one of the ethnic groups belonging to the Guaycuru peoples. In the 2010 Argentine census, 22,439 peopl ...

(Mocobí), Argentina **

Payaguá The Payaguá people, also called Evueví and Evebe, were an ethnic group of the Guaycuru peoples in the Northern Chaco of Paraguay. The Payaguá were a river tribe, living, hunting, fishing, and raiding on the Paraguay River. The name ''Pa ...

** Pilagá (Pilage Toba) **

Toba Toba may refer to: Languages * Toba Sur language, spoken in South America * Batak Toba, spoken in Indonesia People * Toba people, indigenous peoples of the Gran Chaco in South America * Toba Batak people, a sub-ethnic group of Batak people from N ...

(Qom, Frentones), Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay * Kaiwá, Argentina and Brazil *

Lengua people The Enxet are an indigenous people of about 17,000 living in the Gran Chaco region of western Paraguay. Originally hunter-gatherers, many are now forced to supplement their livelihood as laborers on the cattle ranches that have encroached upon ...

(

Enxet The Enxet are an indigenous people of about 17,000 living in the Gran Chaco region of western Paraguay. Originally hunter-gatherers, many are now forced to supplement their livelihood as laborers on the cattle ranches that have encroached upon ...

), Paraguay ** North Lengua ( Eenthlit,

Enlhet Enlhet (Eenlhit), or Northern Lengua, is a language of the Paraguayan Chaco, spoken by the northern Enxet people. It is also known as ''Vowak'' and ''Powok''. In Filadelfia Filadelfia () is the capital of Boquerón Department in the Gran ...

, Maskoy), Paraguay ** South Lengua, Paraguay * Lulé (Pelé, Tonocoté), Argentina * Maká (Towolhi), Paraguay * Nivaclé ( Ashlushlay, Chulupí, Chulupe, Guentusé), Argentina, and Paraguay *

Sanapaná The Sanapana are one of many nomadic tribes inhabiting the lower Gran Chaco of western Paraguay. With the introduction of Mennonite settlements in the central Chaco in the 1930s, many nomadic tribes semi-settled near the Mennonites. The Mennonite ...

(Quiativis), Paraguay * Vilela, Argentina *

Wichí The Wichí are an indigenous people of South America. They are a large group of tribes ranging about the headwaters of the Bermejo River and the Pilcomayo River, in Argentina and Bolivia. Notes on designation This ethnic group was named by the En ...

(Mataco), Argentina and Bolivia Many of these peoples speak or used to speak

Mataco–Guaicuru languages Mataguayo–Guaicuru, Mataco–Guaicuru or Macro-Waikurúan is a proposed language family consisting of the Mataguayan and Guaicuruan languages. Pedro Viegas Barros claims to have demonstrated it. These languages are spoken in Argentina, Brazil, ...

References

External links

The National Museum of Natural History's description of Gran Chaco
*

of the Paraguay Chaco {{Authority control La Plata basin Natural regions of South America Regions of Argentina Regions of Bolivia Regions of Paraguay Ecoregions of South America Ecoregions of Argentina Ecoregions of Bolivia Ecoregions of Brazil Ecoregions of Paraguay Grasslands of Argentina Grasslands of Bolivia Grasslands of Brazil Grasslands of Paraguay Grasslands of South America Geography of Argentina Geography of Bolivia Geography of Mato Grosso Geography of Mato Grosso do Sul Geography of Paraguay Divided regions Environment of Mato Grosso Environment of Mato Grosso do Sul Quechua words and phrases Physiographic provinces Neotropical dry broadleaf forests