Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary is a protected natural area located in the region of Tumbes,

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 ...

. Established in 1988, it protects the largest area of

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fr ...

in Peru.

Geography

This protected area is located in

Zarumilla Province Zarumilla is one of the three provinces of the Tumbes Region in northwestern Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the north, Ecuador on the south and east, and the Tumbes Province on the west. Its capital is the town of Zarumilla. Other importan ...

, Tumbes; close to the border with

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

. With an area of , it harbors the largest mangrove forest in Peru.

Ecology

Flora

Five species of mangrove dominate the area: black mangrove ('' Avicennia germinans''), white mangrove (''

Laguncularia racemosa ''Laguncularia racemosa'', the white mangrove, is a species of flowering plant in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae. It is native to the coasts of western Africa from Senegal to Cameroon, the Atlantic Coast of the Americas from Bermuda and ...

''), button mangrove (''

Conocarpus erectus ''Conocarpus erectus'', commonly called buttonwood or button mangrove, is a mangrove shrub in the family Combretaceae. This species grows on shorelines in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Range Locations it is known from inc ...

'') and two species of red mangrove (''

Rhizophora mangle ''Rhizophora mangle'', the red mangrove, is distributed in Estuary, estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its Vivipary, viviparous "seeds", in actuality called propagules, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree. Th ...

'' and ''Rhizophora harrisonii''). Seasonally dry forest and scrubland can also be found in some parts of the sanctuary; tree species representative of this ecosystem being: ''

Pithecellobium ''Pithecellobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek words πίθηκος (''pithêkos''), meaning "ape" or "monkey," and ἐλλόβιον (''ellobion''), meaning "earring," which r ...

excelsum'', ''

Cordia lutea ''Cordia lutea'', known as yellow cordia or in Spanish ', is a shrubby plant in the borage family (Boraginaceae), native to the Galápagos Islands, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and the Marquesas Islands in Polynesia. Common in the arid lowlands of the ...

'', '' Mimosa acantholoba'', '' Parkinsonia praecox, Ceiba trischistandra'', ''

Loxopterygium ''Loxopterygium'' is a genus of plants in the family Anacardiaceae The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of th ...

huasango'', '' Bursera graveolens'', ''

Cochlospermum ''Cochlospermum'' is a genus of trees in the Bixaceae family; some classifications place this genus in the family Cochlospermaceae. It is native to tropical regions of the world, particularly Latin America, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and Au ...

'' sp., ''

Prosopis pallida ''Prosopis pallida'' is a species of mesquite tree. It has the common names kiawe () (in Hawaii), huarango (in its native South America) and American carob, as well as "bayahonda" (a generic term for ''Prosopis''), "algarrobo pálido" (in some pa ...

'', ''

Capparis ''Capparis'' is a flowering plant genus, comprising around 250 species in the family Capparaceae which is included in the Brassicaceae in the unrevised APG II system. These plants are shrubs or lianas and are collectively known as caper shrubs o ...

scabrida''; and some seasonal herbaceous species also found here are: ''Aristida adscencionis'', ''

Bouteloua aristidoides ''Bouteloua aristidoides'', the needle grama, is an annual desert grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bam ...

'', ''

Stylosanthes ''Stylosanthes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae and contains numerous highly important pasture and forage species. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic ''Pterocarpus'' clade of the Dalbergieae. The ...

'' sp., ''

Crotalaria ''Crotalaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae (subfamily Faboideae) commonly known as rattlepods. The genus includes over 700 species of herbaceous plants and shrubs. Africa is the continent with the majority of ''Crotalar ...

'' sp.,'' Tephrosia cinerea'', '' Cyperus'' sp., '' Scirpus'' sp., '' Distichlis spicata'', '' Antephora hermaphrodita'', '' Paspalum racemosum'', '' Ipomoea'' sp., '' Bidens pilosa,'' among others.

Fauna

The sanctuary protects 148 species of birds, being some of them the

yellow-crowned night heron The yellow-crowned night heron (''Nyctanassa violacea''), is one of two species of night herons found in the Americas, the other one being the black-crowned night heron. It is known as the ''bihoreau violacé'' in French and the ''pedrete corona ...

, the

rufous-necked wood rail The rufous-necked wood rail (''Aramides axillaris'') is a species of bird in the subfamily Rallinae of the rail, crake, and coot family Rallidae.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International ...

, the

American yellow warbler The yellow warbler (''Setophaga petechia'') is a New World warbler species. Yellow warblers are the most widespread species in the diverse genus ''Setophaga'', breeding in almost the whole of North America, the Caribbean, and down to northern S ...

and the

American white ibis The American white ibis (''Eudocimus albus'') is a species of bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. It is found from Virginia via the Gulf Coast of the United States south through most of the coastal New World tropics. This particular ibis ...

. The sanctuary also protects 105 fish species, plus some other 40 migrant species. Mammals found in the area include the crab-eating raccoon, the silky anteater and the

neotropical otter The Neotropical otter or Neotropical river otter (''Lontra longicaudis'') is an otter species found in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the island of Trinidad. It is physically similar to the northern and southern river otter, which o ...

. Also, 33 snail species, 34 crustacean species, 24 bivalve species and 9 reptile species are found in the sanctuary.

Recreation

It is possible to navigate, by kayak or canoe, the waterways inside the mangrove forest in the zone accessible to tourists (137,5 hectares = 4,61% of the sanctuary). In this area activities like walking on beaches, birdwatching and observation of the use of the mangrove ecosystem by the locals are also allowed. Scientific research has been a constant activity since the creation of the sanctuary.

Environmental issues

The clearance of mangrove forests and nearby seasonally dry forests to open land for shrimp farming and agriculture has an enormous impact on local ecosystems. Shrimp farms also capture and grow larva of local shrimp species from the mangrove forests with help of local inhabitants. These farms and agricultural lands also pollute the area with industrial waste and agricultural runoff. Illegal extraction of edible crustaceans and bivalves; conflicts over land use rights with nearby villages and litter and wastewater discharge from nearby towns into the mangrove forest canals are also environmental issues affecting the sanctuary. Introduced plant species like ''

Tephrosia purpurea ''Tephrosia purpurea'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is a common wasteland weed. In many parts it is under cultivation as green manure crop. It is found throughout India and Sri La ...

Dactyloctenium aegyptium ''Dactyloctenium aegyptium'', or Egyptian crowfoot grass is a member of the family Poaceae native in Africa. The plant mostly grows in heavy soils at damp sites. Description This grass creeps and has a straight shoot which are usually about 3 ...

Eragrostis cilianensis ''Eragrostis cilianensis'' is a species of Poaceae, grass known by several common names, including stinkgrass, candy grass, and gray lovegrass. Distribution This plant is native to much of Eurasia and Africa but it is widely introduced species, ...

'' and ''

Brachiaria mutica ''Brachiaria mutica'' (''Urochloa mutica'') is a species of grass known by the common names para grass, buffalo grass, Mauritius signal grass, pasto pare, malojilla, gramalote, parana, Carib grass, and Scotch grass.Stone, Katharine R. 2010''Uroch ...

'' are found growing inside this protected area. The American crocodile is no longer present in the area, rendering this species as one of the most threatened in the country.

References

External links

Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary. Profile at protectedplanet.net
{{Natural and Cultural Peruvian Heritage National sanctuaries of Peru Ramsar sites in Peru Geography of Tumbes Region Tourist attractions in Tumbes Region