The Pantanal () is a

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 ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora an ...

encompassing the world's largest tropical

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (Anoxic waters, anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in t ...

area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

ian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of

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 ...

and

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 t ...

. It sprawls over an area estimated at between . Various subregional ecosystems exist, each with distinct hydrological, geological and ecological characteristics; up to 12 of them have been defined.Susan Mcgrath, photos by Joel Sartore, ''Brazil's Wild Wet'', National Geographic Magazine, August 2005 Roughly 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasons, nurturing a biologically diverse collection of aquatic plants and helping to support a dense array of animal species.

Etymology

The name "Pantanal" comes from the Portuguese word ''pântano'' that means "big wetland", "big bog", "big swamp", "big quagmire" or "big marsh" plus the suffix ''-al'', that means "abundance, agglomeration, collection"; By comparison, the Brazilian highlands are locally referred to as the ''planalto'', that means "plateau" or, literally, "high plain".

Geography and geology

The Pantanal is about , gently-sloped basin that receives runoff from the upland areas (the Planalto highlands) and slowly releases the water through 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 i ...

and

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drain ...

. The formation is a result of the large, concave pre-Andean depression of the earth's crust, related to the Andean orogeny of the

Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

. It constitutes an enormous internal

river delta A river delta is a landform shaped like a triangle, created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or (more rare ...

, in which several rivers flowing from the surrounding plateau merge, depositing their

sediments Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...

and erosion residues, which have been filling, throughout the years, the large depression area of the Pantanal. This area is also one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger Parana-Paraguay Plain area, which encompasses a total of . The Pantanal is bounded by the

Chiquitano dry forests The Chiquitano dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in Bolivia and Brazil. The ecoregion is named for the Chiquitano people who live in the region. Setting The Chiquitano dry forests cover an area of . The ecoregion lies eas ...

to the west and northwest, by the

Arid Chaco The Gran Chaco or Dry Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid lowland natural region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, northern Argentina, and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Gros ...

dry forests to the southwest, and the

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 ...

to the south. The Cerrado savannas lie to the north, east and southeast. The Pantanal is a tropical wet and dry region with an average annual temperate of and rainfall at a year. Throughout the year, temperature varies about with the warmest month being November (with an average temperature of ) and the coldest month being June (with an average temperature of ). Its wettest month is January (with an average of ) and its driest is June (with an average of ).

Hydrodynamics

Floodplain ecosystems such as the Pantanal are defined by their seasonal inundation and desiccation. They shift between phases of standing water and phases of dry soil, when the water table can be well below the root region. Soils range from high levels of

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class ...

in higher areas to higher amounts of

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...

and

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel ...

in riverine areas. Elevation of the Pantanal ranges from above sea level. Annual rainfall over the flood basin is between , with most rainfall occurring between November and March. Annual average precipitation ranged from 920 to 1,540 mm in the years 1968-2000. In the

portion of the Pantanal, water levels rise between two meters to five meters seasonally; water fluctuations in other parts of the Pantanal are less than this. Flood waters tend to flow slowly ( per second) due to the low gradients and high resistance offered by the dense vegetation. When rising river waters first contact previously dry soil, the waters become oxygen-depleted, rendering the water environs

anoxic The term anoxia means a total depletion in the level of oxygen, an extreme form of hypoxia or "low oxygen". The terms anoxia and hypoxia are used in various contexts: * Anoxic waters, sea water, fresh water or groundwater that are depleted of diss ...

. Many natural fish kills can occur if there are no oxygenated water refuges available. The reason for this remains speculative: it may be due to the growth of toxin-producing bacteria in the deoxygenated water rather than as a direct result of lack of oxygen.

Flora

The vegetation of the Pantanal, often referred to as the "Pantanal complex", is a mixture of plant communities typical of a variety of surrounding

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

regions: these include moist tropical Amazonian rainforest plants, semiarid woodland plants typical of northeast Brazil, Brazilian '' cerrado'' savanna plants and plants of the ''Chaco'' savannas of Bolivia and Paraguay. Forests usually occur at higher altitudes of the region, while grasslands cover the seasonally inundated areas. The key limiting factors for growth are inundation and, even more importantly, water-stress during the dry season. According to Embrapa, approximately 2,000 different plants have been identified in the Pantanal biome and classified according to their potential, with some presenting significant medicinal promise.

Fauna

The Pantanal ecosystem is home to some 463 species of birds, 269 species of fishes, more than 236 species of mammals, 141 species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 9,000 subspecies of invertebrates. The

apple snail Ampullariidae, commonly known as the apple snails, is a family of large freshwater snails, aquatic gastropod mollusks with a gill and an operculum. These snails simultaneously have a gill and a lung as functional respiratory structures, which ...

is a keystone species in Pantanal's ecosystem. When the wetlands are flooded once a year, the grass and other plants will eventually die and start to decay. During this process, decomposing microbes deplete the shallow water of all oxygen, suffocating larger decomposers. Unlike other decomposing animals, the apple snails have both gills and lungs, making it possible for them to thrive in anoxic waters where they recycle the nutrients. To get oxygen, they extend a long snorkel to the water surface, pumping air into their lungs. This ability allows them to consume all the dead plant matter and turn it into nutritious fertilizer available for the plants in the area. The snails themselves are also food for a variety of animals. Among the rarest animals to inhabit the wetland of the Pantanal are the marsh deer (''Blastocerus dichotomus'') and the giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis''). Parts of the Pantanal are also home to the following endangered or threatened species: the hyacinth macaw (''Anodorhyncus hyacinthinus'') (a bird endangered due to smuggling), the crowned solitary eagle, the maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus''), the

bush dog The bush dog (''Speothos venaticus'') is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first identified by Peter Wilhelm Lund from foss ...

(''Speothos venaticus''), 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 "bushc ...

(''Tapirus terrestris'') and the giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla''). Common species in the Pantanal include the capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris''), Ocelot ''(Leopardus pardalis)'' and the yacare caiman (''Caiman yacare''). According to 1996 data, there were 10 million caimans in the Pantanal, making it the highest concentration of crocodilians in the World. There are thirteen species of herons and

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same buil ...

s, six species of

ibis The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word ...

es and spoonbills, and five species of kingfishers that use the Pantanal as a breeding and feeding ground. There are nineteen species of parrots documented in the Pantanal, including five species of macaws. Some migratory birds include the

American golden plover The American golden plover (''Pluvialis dominica''), is a medium-sized plover. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from ''pluvia'', "rain". It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent. The species name ''d ...

, Peregrine falcon, and the Bobolink. Most

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

are detritivores, primarily ingesting fine particles from sediments and plant surfaces. This is characteristic of fish living in South American flood-plains in general. Fish migration between river channels and flood-plain regions occurs seasonally. These fish have many

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

s that allow them to survive in the oxygen-depleted flood-plain waters. In addition to the caiman, some of the reptiles that inhabit the Pantanal are the

yellow anaconda The yellow anaconda (''Eunectes notaeus''), also known as the Paraguayan anaconda, is a boa species endemic to southern South America. It is one of the largest snakes in the world but smaller than its close relative, the green anaconda. No subs ...

(''Eunectes notaeus''), the gold tegu (''Tupinambis teguixin''), the red-footed tortoise (''Geochelone carbonaria'') and the green iguana (''Iguana iguana'').

Gallery

File:Tapir Pantanal.jpg,

Lowland 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 ...

File:Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus wild.jpg, Hyacinth macaws File:Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Pantanal region, Brazil.jpg, Giant anteater File:4987 Pantanal jaguar JF.jpg, Pantanal jaguar File:Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (1).jpg, Capybaras File:Blastoceros dichotomus by anagoria .jpg, Marsh deer File:Caiman yacare Pantanal.jpg, Yacare caiman File:Black Howler, Pantanal.jpg, Black howler monkeys File:Tamandua Pantanal.jpg, Southern tamandua File:Caracara plancus -Mato Grosso -Brazil-8.jpg,

Crested caracara The crested caracara (''Caracara plancus'') is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found from the southern United States through Central and South America to Tierra del Fuego. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Polyborus''. Descrip ...

File:Cathartes Pantanal.jpg,

Lesser yellow-headed vulture The lesser yellow-headed vulture (''Cathartes burrovianus'') also known as the savannah vulture, is a species of bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the greater yellow-headed vulture unti ...

Threats

The Pantanal region includes essential sanctuaries for migratory birds, critical nursery grounds for aquatic life, and refuges for such creatures as the yacare caiman, deer, and Pantanal jaguar. It is important to note that most species are not under threat due to the low deforestation rates (less than 17%) of native vegetation now in the area due to new regulations. Some of the causes which threaten the Pantanal ecosystems are: * Fishing ** Commercial fishing is focused on only a few species and is probably not sustainable. National and international sport fishing in the Paraguay river and its tributaries are the main focus for fishing activities. Local fishing communities have been under close watch by environmentalists as well. * Cattle-ranching: ** Approximately 99% of the land in the Pantanal is privately owned for the purpose of

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

and ranching, even though there are some regulations on available land based on the extent of flooding during each wet season. ** There are 2500 fazendas in the region and up to eight million

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

. ** Erosion and sedimentation caused by this activity alter the soil and hydrological characteristics of Pantanal flood-plain ecosystems; consequently, native species are threatened by the change in ecosystem variables. * Hunting, poaching, and smuggling of endangered species: Reptile, wild cat and parrot species are particularly at risk from the smuggling industry due to their high value on the black market. * Uncontrolled tourism and overuse of natural resources * Deforestation ** Establishment of logging companies during political turmoils in the region resulted in peak deforestation rates between 1978-1989. Many livelihoods were dependent on harvesting rubber trees as new waves of migrants arrived, resulting in what is now there today. ** Silt run-off from deforested highlands alters soil hydrology and is a significant threat to the Pantanal. * Pollution from gold mining operations and agro-industry ** The Pantanal is a natural

water treatment Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses, inc ...

system as it removes chemicals, including pollutants, from water. Overpollution from industrial development (especially gold mining) can harm native flora and fauna. ** However, water quality in the Pantanal was not significantly degraded as of 2002. * Pollution from sewage systems and pesticides **Movement to large-scale agriculture of food crops, mainly soy-beans, has adopted the use of large quantities of chemical pesticides and fertilizers which

leach Leach may refer to: * Leach (surname) * Leach, Oklahoma, an unincorporated community, United States * Leach, Tennessee, an unincorporated community, United States * Leach Highway, Western Australia * Leach orchid * Leach phenotype, a mutatio ...

into the soil or run-off to the flood plains of the Pantanal. * Infrastructure development (shipping canals, raised roads, pipelines): The proposed plan to dredge the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers to allow oceangoing ships to travel inland is of particular concern and could affect the hydrology (flooding and drainage cycles) of the region, and therefore impact the ecosystem. * Forest Fires : In late 2020, a quarter of the wetland was destroyed by an unprecedented fire occurred due to climate change. An area estimated of about 7681 square miles has been razed by the fire, killing millions of vertrebrates. Experts say 2020 is the most active year on record for wildfires. Until November 2020, Brazil's National Institute of Space Research (INPE) had detected more than 21,200 fires in the Pantanal biome, a figure that is already 69% higher than the full-year record from 2005, when INPE recorded roughly 12,500 fires. There were 8,106 fires in September 2020 alone—more than four times the historic average for the month. *Climate change **.Current predictive climate models indicate a progressive increase in the frequency of extreme events (e.g., extreme rainfalls and extended droughts). These events could affect the Pantanal´s ecosystem functioning, amplifying and worsening human modifications of hydrological and environmental conditions in the basin.

Protected areas

A portion of the Pantanal in Brazil has been protected as the

Pantanal Matogrossense National Park The Pantanal Matogrossense National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional do Pantanal Matogrossense) is a national park in the state of Mato Grosso at the border to Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Location Pantanal Matogrossense National Park has an area of . ...

. This park, established in September 1981, is located in the municipality of Poconé in the State of Mato Grosso, between the mouths of the Baía de São Marcos and the Gurupi Rivers. The park was designated a Ramsar Site of International Importance under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It ...

on May 24, 1993. The SESC Pantanal Private Natural Heritage Reserve (''Reserva Particular do Patrimonio Natural SESC Pantanal'') is a privately owned reserve in Brazil, established in 1998 and in size. It is located in the north-eastern portion, known as "Poconé" Pantanal, not far from the Pantanal National Park. It is a mix of permanent rivers, seasonal streams, permanent and seasonal floodplain freshwater lakes, shrub-dominated wetlands and seasonally flooded forests, all dedicated to nature preservation, and was designated a Ramsar Site of International Importance under the

. Otuquis National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area is a national park of Bolivia in the Pantanal. The entrance to Otuquis National park is through the town of Puerto Suarez.

Main cities

Brasil * Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul *

Aquidauana Aquidauana is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It takes its name from the river with which the name is shared. The first European settlers were imperial soldiers who arrived during the Paraguayan War and were t ...

, Mato Grosso do Sul *

Barão de Melgaço Barão is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It includes the districts Arroio Canoas, Francesa Alta, General Neto and Francesa Baixa. Barão is 80 km from Porto Alegre. The municipality is bordered by Carlos Barbosa (n ...

, Mato Grosso *

Bodoquena Bodoquena is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of 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 Pa ...

, Mato Grosso do Sul *

Bonito Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned predatory fish in the family Scombridae – a family it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists ...

, Mato Grosso do Sul * Cáceres, Mato Grosso * Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul *

Coxim Coxim is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Its population was 33,459 (2020) and its area is 6,412 km². It was founded in 1729. It is located at the confluence of the Coxim and Taquari Taquari is a munic ...

, Mato Grosso do Sul *

Ladário Ladário () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The municipality of Ladário is surrounded by the municipality of Corumbá Corumbá is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 ...

, Mato Grosso do Sul * Poconé, Mato Grosso Bolivia *

Puerto Quijarro Puerto Quijarro is a Bolivian city and an inland river port and situated on the Tamengo Canal in Bolivia, by the border with Brazil. It is part of the province of Germán Busch in the Santa Cruz Department. The Tamengo Canal connects it to the i ...

, Santa Cruz * Puerto Suárez, Santa Cruz Paraguay *

Bahía Negra Bahía Negra is a district in the department of Alto Paraguay, Paraguay.. Located on the right bank of the Paraguay River The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in ...

, Alto Paraguay *

Fuerte Olimpo Fuerte Olimpo () is a city in Paraguay. It is the capital of the department of Alto Paraguay. Straddling the river Paraguay which forms the border with Brazil, Fuerte Olimpo is Paraguay's northernmost departmental capital, located over 830 ...

, Alto Paraguay

In fiction

* Pantanal appears as a natural wonder in the strategy game ''

Civilization VI ''Sid Meier's Civilization VI'' is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games, published by 2K Games, and distributed by Take-Two Interactive. The mobile port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the ''Civili ...

''. * John Grisham's novel '' The Testament'' largely takes place in the Pantanal. * '' Pantanal'' is the title of a Brazilian-produced

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

whose setting is the Brazilian Pantanal. * The Jack McKinney Robotech novel ''Before the Invid Storm'' makes reference to former soldiers of the Army of the Southern Cross called the Pantanal Brigade by the character Major Alice Harper Argus. * '' The Twilight Saga: The Amazon Coven'': "The Amazon coven consists of three sisters, Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna, all natives of the Pantanal wetlands."''The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide'' p. 185. * Pantanal makes an appearance in '' Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands'' as a region called Caimanes.

References

Bibliography

External links

Pantanal maps and tourist information for the region

Pantanal Nature provides information on wildlife in the Pantanal through their facebook page

World Conference on Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal

Ramsar Convention - Pantanal National Park Information Sheet

Ramsar Convention - Pantanal Private Reserve Information Sheet

article discussing development pressure on the Pantanal by Roderick Eime

Guardian travel article, September 10, 2005.

Planet Ark article, January 13, 2006

Guidelines for the Coexistence between People and Jaguars
- illustrated guide for free download (in Portuguese and Spanish). {{Authority control Flooded grasslands and savannas Ecoregions of Bolivia Ecoregions of Brazil Ecoregions of Paraguay Ecoregions of South America La Plata basin Floodplains of South America Natural regions Swamps of South America Grasslands of Bolivia Grasslands of Brazil Grasslands of Paraguay Geography of Mato Grosso do Sul Landforms of Mato Grosso do Sul Wetlands of Brazil Wetlands of Bolivia Wetlands of Paraguay Regions of Brazil Regions of South America Physiographic provinces Ramsar sites in Brazil Ramsar sites in Bolivia Ramsar sites in Paraguay Biosphere reserves of Brazil World Heritage Sites in Brazil

Etymology

Geography and geology

Hydrodynamics

Flora

Fauna

Gallery

Threats

Protected areas

Main cities

In fiction

See also

References

Bibliography

External links