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The Humid Chaco (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
: ''Chaco Húmedo'' or ''Chaco Oriental'') is tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
in South America. It lies in the basin of the
Paraná River The Paraná River ( es, Río Paraná, links=no , pt, Rio Paraná, gn, Ysyry Parana) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Br ...
, covering portions of central
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 ...
and 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 with a small portion of southwestern Brazil and northwestern
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
. The natural vegetation is a mosaic of grasslands, palm savanna, and forest.


Geography

The Humid Chaco lies in the lowlands of the Paraná river and its tributaries, including 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 ...
. It is bounded on the west by the Dry Chaco, a semi-arid region of dry forests and savannas. The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests lie to the east, and the Cerrado grasslands to the northeast. It borders on some large
flooded grasslands and savannas Flooded grasslands and savannas is a terrestrial biome of the WWF biogeographical system, consisting of large expanses or complexes of flooded grasslands. These areas support numerous plants and animals adapted to the unique hydrologic regime ...
, including the Paraná flooded savanna along the lower Paraná and Paraguay rivers, 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 po ...
to the north, and the Southern Cone Mesopotamian savanna to the southeast between the Paraná and
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
rivers. The topography is generally flat or gently rising, and the soils are mostly fine alluvium deposited by the area's rivers. Asuncion, Paraguay's capital, lies in the ecoregion.


Climate

The climate is tropical, becoming subtropical towards the south. Average annual rainfall generally decreases towards the west, and ranges from 1,300 mm in the wetter eastern portions to 750 mm in the west near the transition to the Dry Chaco. Rainfall is highest in the summer months (January to April) and lowest in the winter months (June to August).


Flora

The flora is a mosaic of grassland, savanna, forests, and bogs. Grasslands and savannas are generally found on higher ground, and forests along streams and in river floodplains. Bogs form seasonally or year-round over impermeable soil layers. Grasslands are characterized by tall, coarse grass. Palm savannas are common, including the palm ''
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 F ...
''. The most common trees in the forests are quebracho colorado ('' Schinopsis balansae'') and quebracho blanco ('' Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco''), together with guayacán (''
Caesalpinia paraguariensis ''Libidibia paraguariensis'' (the guayacaú negro or ibirá-berá) is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is threatened by habitat loss. Guayacaú negro is used for timber in se ...
''), espina corona ('' Gleditsia amorphoides''), urunday ('' Myracrodruon balansae''), viraró ('' Ruprechtia laxiflora''), palo piedra ('' Diplokeleba floribunda''), guayaibí ('' Patagonula americana''), zapallo caspini ('' Pisonia zapallo''), lapacho negro ('' Tabebuia ipe''), palo borracho del flor rosada ('' Chorisia speciosa''), and itin ('' Prosopis kuntzei'').


Fauna

Native mammals include puma (''Puma concolor''),
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
(''Panthera onca''),
maned wolf The maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus'') is a large canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of foxes, but it is neither a fox nor a ...
(''Chrysocyon brachyurus''),
red brocket The red brocket (''Mazama americana'') is a species of brocket deer from forests in South America, ranging from northern Argentina to Colombia and the Guianas. It also occurs on the Caribbean island of Trinidad (it also occurred on the island of ...
(''Mazama americana''),
gray brocket The gray brocket (''Mazama gouazoubira''), also known as the brown brocket, is a species of brocket deer from northern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Peru, eastern and southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It formerly included the Amazonian brow ...
(''Mazama gouazoubira''),
marsh deer The marsh deer (''Blastocerus dichotomus'') is the largest deer species from South America reaching a length of and a shoulder height of . It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Formerly found in much of tropical ...
(''Blastocerus dichotomus''),
pampas deer The Pampas deer (''Ozotoceros bezoarticus'') is a species of deer that live in the grasslands of South America at low elevations.Geist, Valerius. Deer of the world their evolution, behaviour, and ecology'. Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books, 199 ...
(''Ozotoceros bezoarticus''), White-lipped peccary (''Tayassu pecari''),
collared peccary The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly referred to as ...
(''Tayassu tajacu''),
giant anteater The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which it is the largest member. The only extant member of the genus ''Myrmecoph ...
(''Mymercophaga tridactyla''),
capybara The capybaraAlso called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru). or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydro ...
(''Hydrochaerys hydrochaeris''),
black howler monkey The black howler (''Alouatta caraya'') or black-and-gold howler, is among the largest New World monkeys and a member of the ''Alouatta'' genus. The black howler is distributed in areas of South America such as Paraguay, southern Brazil, eastern ...
(''Alouatta caraya''), and Azara’s night monkey (''Aotus azarae''). Birds species include the
greater rhea The greater rhea (''Rhea americana'') is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America. Other names for the greater rhea include the grey, common, or American rhea; ema (Portuguese); or ñandú ( Guaraní and Spanish). One of two ...
or ñandú (''Rhea americana''), undulated tinamou (''Crypturellus undulatus''),
savanna hawk The savanna hawk (''Buteogallus meridionalis'') is a large raptor found in open savanna and swamp edges. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Heterospizias''. It breeds from Panama and Trinidad south to Bolivia, Uruguay and central Argentin ...
(''Buteogallus meridionalis''), and pale-crested woodpecker (''Celeus lugubris'').


Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 35,949 km², or 12%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include Chaco National Park, Río Pilcomayo National Park, and Mburucuyá National Park in Argentina, and Ypoá National Park in Paraguay. The Iberá Wetlands, located in the southeast of the ecoregion adjacent to the Southern Cone Mesopotamian savanna, are protected by Argentina's Iberá Provincial Reserve and Iberá National Park.


References


External links

* {{WWF ecoregion, id=nt0708, name=Humid Chaco La Plata basin Ecoregions of South America Ecoregions of Argentina Ecoregions of Brazil Ecoregions of Paraguay Neotropical ecoregions Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands