The Tapiche Reserve is a private conservation property located in

Tapiche District Tapiche District is one of eleven districts of the province Requena in Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática The Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) ("National Institute of Statistics and Informatics") ...

, Requena Province,

Loreto Region Loreto () is Peru's northernmost department and region. Covering almost one-third of Peru's territory, Loreto is by far the nation's largest department; it is also one of the most sparsely populated regions due to its remote location in the Ama ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. The reserve is designated by the Peruvian government as a Private Conservation Area (PCA).

Geography

The reserve encompasses an area of approximately 1,540 hectares, in the

Tapiche River The Tapiche River is a river in Peru. References

Rivers of Peru Tributaries of the Ucayali River {{Peru-river-stub ...

basin, spanning both sides of the river east of the

Ucayali River The Ucayali River ( es, Río Ucayali, ) is the main headstream of the Amazon River. It rises about north of Lake Titicaca, in the Arequipa region of Peru and becomes the Amazon at the confluence of the Marañón close to Nauta city. The city of ...

. It is located 340 km up river from

Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city of Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world th ...

on the

Tapiche River The Tapiche River is a river in Peru. References

Rivers of Peru Tributaries of the Ucayali River {{Peru-river-stub ...

, and is accessible only by waterway. The Blanco and Umaita Rivers empty into the Tapiche River in the basin area. Other tributaries are the Contea, Capanahua, and Lamayacu Rivers. The reserve comprises several types of lowland Amazonian forests, including igapo, varzea, and terra firme. It is one of the few areas in the Amazon basin where these forest types can be found in close proximity. The Tapiche River basin in the area of the reserve exhibits a landscape containing

alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the sma ...

s and associated

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

s. The floodplains of the alluvial landscape encompass

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s or aguajales; while the non-flooded plains appear as undulating terraces. There are hilly landscapes within the reserve which appear as gently sloping lowland terrain. Swamps have developed on flat land and in depressions formed by fibric histosol soils with pH values varying between 3.5 and 5.

Hydrography

The Tapiche River is regarded as a "black water" river because of its dark sepia waters. Possessing little material in suspension, its color comes from the decomposition of organic material forming humic and fulvic acids. These waters are acidic, with pH around 4.0 and a temperature from 24 °C (75 °F) to 32.0 °C (90 °F). The Tapiche River has a strictly sub-Andean and origin, which eliminates a direct relationship with rainfall in the mountains. Within the reserve there are small bodies of water (

oxbows __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term "oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a river, ...

, channels,

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank ...

s, restingas and lakes) that communicate with each other and with the Tapiche River. Channels that connect curved river-bends create navigable shortcuts during flooded season. The largest internal body of water is called Quebrada Chambiria. Quebrada Chambiria has little flow which creates habitat for a host of species.

Climate

It has annual temperatures ranging from 25 °C (77 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F) with

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

of 78% to 96%. In the rainy season from October to May there is tropical rainfall. The average annual precipitation is 3 meters. During the months of June or July a particular weather phenomenon called a "cold spell" occurs in the region. The cold spell is related to penetration of air masses coming from the southern polar latitudes and entering the South American tropics shortly after reaching Southeast Brazil. This cold spell lasts about 2–4 days, where temperatures can reach 13 °C (55 °F).

Biology and ecology

Fauna

The reserve is home to endangered species such as

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''),

bald uakari The bald uakari (''Cacajao calvus'') or bald-headed uakari is a small New World monkey characterized by a very short tail; bright, crimson face; a bald head; and long coat. The bald uakari is restricted to várzea forests and other wooded habitat ...

(''Cacajao calvus''),

giant armadillo The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the Glyptodontidae, glyptodonts, were much l ...

(''Priodontes maximus''), the

Brazilian tapir The South American tapir (''Tapirus terrestris''), also commonly called the Brazilian tapir (from the Tupi ''tapi'ira''), the Amazonian tapir, the maned tapir, the lowland tapir, the ''anta'' (Portuguese), and ''la sachavaca'' (literally "bushcow ...

(''Tapirus terrestris''), the

Amazonian manatee The Amazonian manatee (''Trichechus inunguis'') is a species of manatee that lives in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. It has thin, wrinkled brownish or gray colored skin, with fine hairs scattered over its body and a whit ...

(Trichechus inunguis), and

harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the ...

(''Harpia harpyja''). A land survey and rapid species inventory of Tapiche Ohara's Reserve was performed in 2011. The species inventory is reproduced below in table format.

Flora

Trees such as

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

(''Cedrela odorata'') and

mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

(''Swietenia macrophylla'') can be found in its forests. There four representative botanical families in its swamps, including:

Moraceae The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however ...

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

and

Arecaceae The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...

. Also found are catahua (''Hura crepitans''), strangler fig (''Ficus'' sp.), machimango (''Eschweilera'' sp.), and caupuri (''Virola pavonis''), aguaje (''Mauritia flexuosa''), shapaja (''Attalea phalerata''), cashapona (''Socratea exorrhiza''), renaco (''Ficus trigona''), espintana
''Oxandra espintana''
and huimba (''

Pachira aquatica ''Pachira aquatica'' is a tropical wetland tree in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to Central and South America where it grows in swamps. It is known by its common names Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Guiana chestnut, Provision tree, Saba n ...

'').

Aquatic ecosystems

The reserve houses ecosystems formed by conditions that create microhabitats. The ecosystems present on the reserve encompass cochas and tahuampas. Primary plant species found in these aquatic ecosystems are species belonging to the family

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

; especially the Gramalote blanco (''

Paspalum ''Paspalum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The group is widespread across much of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Commonly known as paspalum, bahiagrasses, crowngrasses or dallis grasses, many of the species are tall pere ...

fasciculatum'') and others of the genera ''

Echinochloa ''Echinochloa'' is a very widespread genus of plants in the grass family and tribe Paniceae. Some of the species are known by the common names barnyard grass or cockspur grass. Some of the species within this genus are millets that are grown a ...

'' and ''Paspalum''. Also present is caña brava (''Gynerium sagittatum''),

water hyacinth ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.huama (''Pistia stratiotes''). File:SPHAERODACTYLIDAE.JPG, ''

Sphaerodactylidae The Sphaerodactylidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) distributed in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and into Central Asia. The family contains 12 li ...

'' File:Lagarta in hand.PNG, ''Lagarta'' File:Saddle-back tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis).jpg, ''

Tamarin The tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus ''Saguinus''. They are the first offshoot in the Callitrichidae tree, and therefore are the sister group of a clade formed by the lion tamarins, Goel ...

'' File:Bufonidae.JPG, ''

Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat m ...

'' File:OrangeBlossom.PNG, Orange Blossom File:TropidurusPlica.PNG, ''

Plica plica ''Plica plica'' is a species of lizard in the family Tropiduridae, the Neotropical ground lizards. Its common names include collared tree lizard,Henderson RW, Murphy JC (2012)"The Collared Tree Lizard, ''Plica plica'' (Tropiduridae), on Grenada" ...

'' File:HypsiboasPunctatus.PNG, '' Hypsiboas punctatus'' File:RhinellaMarina.PNG, ''

Rhinella marina The cane toad (''Rhinella marina''), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania ...

'' File:BothriopsisBilineata.PNG, '' Bothriopsis bilineata'' File:LeptodactylusPetersii.PNG, '' Leptodactylus petersii'' File:AmazonInsect.JPG, Amazon centipede File:JacamarCaraAzul.PNG, ''Jacamar cara azul''

Table of flora (2011)

Table of Fauna (2011)

References

* AMAZONÍA Guia Ilustrada de Flora y Fauna, Proyecto Araucaria XXI Nauta. November 2009 () http://www.aeci.org.pe/publicaciones/store/pub.19.pdf * Cronquist, A. (1981) An Integrated System of classification of flowering plants. Columbia University Press, New York. * Kembo, C. (1995) Diagnosis of plant resources in the Peruvian Amazon - IIAP October 1995, Technical Paper No 16 – Iquitos, Peru. * Peruvian Law N º 26834 - Law of Natural Protected Areas and Rules - approved by Supreme Decree 038-2001-AG, established the National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA). INRENA is the governing body and national authority of the National System of Protected Natural Areas by the State (SINANPE). * Departmental Resolution No. 059-2004-INRENA approving the Supplementary Provisions to the Regulations of the Law of Natural Protected Areas on Private Conservation Areas. * Peruvian Supreme Decree N º 016 - 2009 - MINAM. Plan for Natural Protected Areas.

External links

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

IIAP - Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana

Siamazonía - Sistema de Información de la Diversidad Biológica y Ambiental de la Amazonía Peruana

A tour operator website with visitor information
*

Peruvian Amazon Peruvian Amazonia ( es, Amazonía del Perú) is the area of the Amazon rainforest included within the country of Peru, from east of the Andes to the borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. This region comprises 60% of the country and ...

* Iquitos, Peru Wikipedia. {{Wikivoyage, Iquitos Nature reserves Protected areas of Peru Geography of Loreto Region