Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve, is a protected area located in the region of Loreto,

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 ...

and spans an area of . It protects an area of low hills and seasonally flooded forest in the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

. Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and the near Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve both forms a biodiversity hotspot in the Amazon jungle.

Biodiversity

Flora

Some of the native plant species present in the reserve are: ''

Spondias mombin ''Spondias mombin'', also known as yellow mombin or hog plum is a species of tree and flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the tropical Americas, including the West Indies. The tree was introduced by the Portuguese in Sout ...

Quararibea cordata ''Quararibea cordata'', the South American sapote or chupa-chupa, is a large, semi-deciduous, fruit tree (up to 45m in height), native to Amazon rainforest vegetation in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It bears orange-yellow fruit which ar ...

Mauritia flexuosa ''Mauritia flexuosa'', known as the moriche palm, ''ité'' palm, ''ita'', ''buriti'', ''muriti'', ''miriti'' (Brazil), ''canangucho'' (Colombia), ''acho'' (Ecuador), or ''aguaje'' (Peru), is a palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and other wet ...

Parinari excelsa ''Parinari excelsa'', the Guinea plum, is a species of large, evergreen tree in the family Chrysobalanaceae. It has a very wide distribution in tropical Africa and South America. This species grows to tall while the trunk is up to in diameter. ...

, Cedrela odorata,

Ocotea ''Ocotea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. Many are evergreen trees with lauroid leaves. There are over 520 species currently accepted within the genus, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas of ...

'' spp., ''

Myrciaria dubia ''Myrciaria dubia'', commonly known as camu-camu, caçari, araçá-d'água, or camocamo, is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a small bushy riverside tree from the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil, which grows to a height of ...

Socratea exorrhiza ''Socratea exorrhiza'', the walking palm or cashapona, is a palm native to rainforests in tropical Central and South America. It can grow to 25 metres in height, with a stem diameter of up to 16 cm, but is more typically 15–20 m tall ...

Calathea allouia ''Goeppertia allouia'' (syn. ''Calathea allouia''), known as lerén or lairén in Spanish, and also known in English as Guinea arrowroot, and sweet corn root, is a plant in the arrowroot family, native to northern South America and the Caribbe ...

Solanum sessiliflorum ''Solanum sessiliflorum'', the cocona, is a tropical shrub of the family Solanaceae. The cocona plant has sturdy branches and huge, serrate and hairy leaves. Cocona closely resembles a number of close relatives, including naranjilla and pseu ...

Hevea guianensis ''Hevea guianensis'' is a species of rubber tree in the genus '' Hevea'', belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to the rainforests of Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guyanas, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It generally grows on well-drained soi ...

Pouteria caimito ''Pouteria caimito'', the abiu (), is a tropical fruit tree originated in the Amazonian region of South America. It grows to an average of high, and can grow as high as under good conditions. Its fruits' shape varies from round to oval, poin ...

Clidemia hirta ''Miconia crenata'', (syn. ''Clidemia hirta''), commonly called soapbush, clidemia or Koster's curse, is a perennial shrub. It is an invasive plant species in many tropical regions of the world, creating serious damage. Description ''Miconia cre ...

Ficus maxima ''Ficus maxima'' is a ficus, fig tree which is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America south to Paraguay. Figs belong to the family Moraceae. The specific epithet ''maxima'' was coined by Scottish botanist Philip Miller ...

, Heliconia psittacorum,

Inga ''Inga'' is a genus of small tropical, tough-leaved, nitrogen-fixing treesElkan, Daniel. "Slash-and-burn farming has become a major threat to the world's rainforest" ''The Guardian'' 21 April 2004 and shrubs, subfamily Mimosoideae. ''Inga''s ...

'' spp., '' Psychotria poeppigiana, Alibertia edulis,

Victoria amazonica ''Victoria amazonica'' is a species of flowering plant, the second largest of the water lily family Nymphaeaceae. It is the national flower of Guyana. Its native regions are Guyana and tropical South America. Description The ''Victoria amazon ...

Ceiba pentandra ''Ceiba pentandra'' is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously emplaced in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety ''C. pentandr ...

Phytelephas macrocarpa ''Phytelephas macrocarpa'' is a single-stemmed, unarmed, reclining or erect palm from the extreme northern coastal regions of South America, growing to some 12 m tall. It has been introduced and cultivated in tropical regions all over the world. ...

Clusia ''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius. The closest relatives of ''Clu ...

'' spp., '' Swietenia macrophylla, Asclepias curassavica,

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 ...

,'' etc.

Fauna

Mammal species found in the reserve include: the Amazonian manatee, the red-faced spider monkey, the

South American 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 "bushco ...

, the Bolivian squirrel, the

Amazon river dolphin The Amazon river dolphin (''Inia geoffrensis''), also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale classified in the family Iniidae. Three subspecies are currently recognized: ''I. g. geoffrensis'' (Amazon river ...

, the puma, the

giant otter The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of muste ...

, the

white-lipped peccary The white-lipped peccary (''Tayassu pecari'') is a species of peccary found in Central and South America and the only member of the genus ''Tayassu''. Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar in appearance to ...

, the

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 ...

, the

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 ...

, the

tucuxi The tucuxi (''Sotalia fluviatilis''), alternatively known in Peru ''bufeo gris'' or ''bufeo negro'', is a species of freshwater dolphin found in the rivers of the Amazon basin. The word ''tucuxi'' is derived from the Tupi language word ''tuchu ...

, the

South American coati The South American coati (''Nasua nasua''), also known as the ring-tailed coati, is a coati species and a member of the raccoon family ( Procyonidae), found in the tropical and subtropical parts of South America. An adult generally weighs from ...

, the capybara, etc. Some species of fish found in the reserve are: ''

Arapaima gigas ''Arapaima gigas'', also known as pirarucu, is a species of arapaima native to the basin of the Amazon River. Once believed to be the sole species in the genus, it is among the largest freshwater fish. The species is an obligate air-breather, s ...

Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum ''Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum'' or barred sorubim or barred catfish is a species of long-whiskered catfish native to the Suriname, Corantijn and Essequibo. The nocturnal predator feeds mainly on other fish and crabs. Females reach a more notable ...

, Phractocephalus hemiliopterus,

Colossoma macropomum The tambaqui (''Colossoma macropomum'') is a large species of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae. It is native to tropical South America, but kept in aquaculture and introduced elsewhere. It is also known by the names black pacu, black- ...

, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum,

Potamotrygon motoro The ocellate river stingray (''Potamotrygon motoro''), also known as the peacock-eye stingray or black river stingray, is a species of freshwater stingray in the family Potamotrygonidae. It was the first species to be described in the family and ...

, Brycon melanopterus, Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma, Plagioscion squamosissimus,

Prochilodus nigricans ''Prochilodus nigricans'', or black prochilodus, is a species of prochilodontid fish from the Amazon Basin in South America. It supports major fisheries; according to IBAMA, it is the third most caught taxon in the Brazilian Amazon by weight, a ...

,'' etc. Birds found in the reserve include: the Spix's guan, the

black-bellied whistling duck The black-bellied whistling duck (''Dendrocygna autumnalis''), formerly called the black-bellied tree duck, is a whistling duck that breeds from the southernmost United States, Mexico, and tropical Central to south-central South America. In th ...

, the

king vulture The king vulture (''Sarcoramphus papa'') is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexic ...

, the

crimson-crested woodpecker The crimson-crested woodpecker (''Campephilus melanoleucos'') is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Panama, Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.Rems ...

, the

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 ...

, the

blue-and-yellow macaw The blue-and-yellow macaw (''Ara ararauna''), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the la ...

, the

scarlet macaw The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') is a large red, yellow, and blue Central and South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of the Neotropics. Its range extends from ...

, the

black-throated mango The black-throated mango (''Anthracothorax nigricollis'') is a hummingbird species native to South America and Trinidad and Tobago. Description It is 10.2 cm long and weighs 7.2g. The longish black bill is slightly decurved. The tail in b ...

, the

horned screamer The horned screamer (''Anhima cornuta'') is a member of a small family of birds, the Anhimidae, which occurs in wetlands of tropical South America. There are three screamer species, the other two being the southern screamer and the northern scr ...

, the

cobalt-winged parakeet The cobalt-winged parakeet (''Brotogeris cyanoptera'') is a species of bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled e ...

, the

swallow-tailed hummingbird The swallow-tailed hummingbird (''Eupetomena macroura'') is a species in the hummingbird family (Trochilidae), found mainly in east-central South America. Most authorities place it in the genus '' Eupetomena'', although some place it in '' Campy ...

, etc.

Climate

The annual mean temperature ranges between 20 and 33 °C, while the annual mean precipitation ranges between 2000 and 3000 mm. It is advisable to visit the reserve between May and January. The climograph shown here corresponds to the nearby town of Nauta (93 m of elevation).

Anthropology

Native peoples still inhabit the reserve, as well as more recent settlers.

Recreation

The reserve has 15 authorized campsites distributed in 8 areas open for tourism; as well as 5 wilderness huts. Moreover, there are 19 park ranger stations (4 of them with information stands) and 21 neighborhood watch stations.

References

{{Coord, 5, 15, S, 74, 40, W, source:eswiki_region:PE, display=title Ramsar sites in Peru Geography of Loreto Region Tourist attractions in Loreto Region

Biodiversity

Flora

Fauna

Climate

Anthropology

Recreation

See also

References