Chiribiquete National Park

The Parque Nacional Natural Chiribiquete is an association founded in 1989 Colombian National Park. It extends to the equator in the two departments of Caquetá and Guaviare. With such a large area of ​​approximately 28,000 km2, such as Belgium, he is one of the largest national parks in the Amazon and the largest Colombian national park. The climate is tropical, with 24 ° C average temperature. Named after the park is the Table Mountain landscape Serranía de Chiribiquete that characterizes the park. Its highest point is 1000 meters above the sea. The name Chiribiquete borrows an indigenous language and means either to make seaweed salt, or it refers to a person from an indigenous tribe. Prehistoric inhabitants have left thousands of petroglyphs, which makes the resort one of the most important sites of its kind on the American continent. To better protect the unique natural monuments and cultural sites, the National Park was included in the national list of proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

• 2.1 vegetation 2.1.1 forests
• 2.1.2 savannas
• 2.1.3 Other Areas

Geography

The National Park lies in the western part of the highlands of Guyana at the junction of the Llanos to the Amazon. It extends to the equator in the two Colombian departments of Caquetá and Guaviare, between 74 ° and 71 ° 30 ' east longitude and 0 ° 20 ' south and 1 ° 42 'north latitude. His height profile ranges from 200 m up to a height of 1000 meters above the sea. Already in its establishment of the park was the largest Colombian National Park with an area of ​​approximately 12,800 km2. In August 2013, the park was expanded to its current size of 27823.536 km2; its limitations arising from the hydrography of the park.

The eponymous mountain formation, Serranía de Chiribiquete, is part of the highlands of Guyana, and is composed of several tepuis. The mountain ranges of the Serrania de Chiribiquete share in the Macizo Norte, the Macizo Central and the Mesas de Iguaje. Partial enough the Serranía beyond the boundaries of the park. The Macizo Norte is located in the northern part of the park in the department of Guaviare and is home to some of the highest mesas. They range here around 800 feet in the air. For formation includes the Cerro de Chiribiquete, the (also called Tunia ) and Ajajú lies between the rivers Macaya. South of the rivers Ajajú and Apaporis, entirely located in the Department of Caquetá, the Macizo Central is located. To the south it is bounded by the San Jorge - Mesay - Yari River system. The mountains are a bit lower and reach between 350 meters and 600 meters. Finally, in the southeast of the park are the Mesas de Iguaje. With up to 400 meters from both the smallest mesas here.

Hydrographic

Hydrographic, the region of the Amazon. In the park area two river systems that flow into the Caquetá dominate. While the waters of the Macizo Norte and parts of Central Macizo flow into the Macaya - Ajajú - Apaporis River system, the waters of the remaining park area reach the San Jorge - Mesay - Yari River system. Due to the composition of the soil all the rivers are blackwater rivers in the area.

The river rises near the city Macaya San Vicente del Caguán. He roams the park to the north along the slopes of Macizo Norte, whose waters it receives, and finally unites with the Ajajú to Apaporis. Together with the Macaya defines the Apaporis after enlargement, the northern and eastern border of the park. The source of the Ajajú lies to the east of the savannah landscape sabanas del Yari. It flows through the park from west to east and limited before the extension part of the park to the north. In the sabanas del Yari is also the source of the yari. This applies to the western reaches of the park and flows through it towards the southeast; while he takes the Caño de los on Huitotos and the western border river Tajisa. Before the Yari opens just outside the park area in the Caquetá, he takes to the field in the park almost parallel flowing Mesay. The watershed between the two rivers and their straight extension forms the middle third of the southern park boundary. Another third runs along the watershed between the Luisa and the Cuemaní. The eastern third of the border to define one of Yavillari, on the other hand, the respective watersheds of Apaporis and Mesays with the Mirití - Paraná system. The Mesay itself arises between the Macizo Central and the Mesas de Iguaje. Shortly before the mouth of the Mesay in the Yari flows of Cuñaré in the Mesay. The origin of the Cuñaré located in the central valley of Mazico Norte. On his way he takes in addition to many smaller rivers on the San Jorge, which in turn originates in Mazico Central. The latter collects the waters of a predominantly eastern slopes of this massif. Another mighty river in the park area is the AMU. In the northern part of the park next to the Ajajú some unnamed rivers are used to limit the park.

Geology and Geomorphology

In addition to lower toward the west flattened mesas dominate the park up to 800 m high mesas with clearly defined, steep flanks. While the shallower mountains are mainly located in the area of the middle reaches of the Mesay and in the field of Angostura rapids of Caquetá, the high mesas are scattered all over the Colombian Amazon. Concentrated enter the tepuis on the upper reaches of the Apaporis and in the middle reaches of the Yari and Caquetá. The Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks of the tepuis are crystalline in particular in the dense core; further out, where erosion has already contributed to the Table Mountain structure, they are made of sandstone. Pseudokarstige structures affect their appearance greatly, for example, by tower-like structures of sparingly soluble rocks that rise on some of the mesas in the sky. Another striking feature of the rock formations of the park is a glossy, paint-type, black or coffee brown coating that is present in many places. It consists of iron oxide and hydroxide compounds as well as the corresponding magnesium compounds.

Additional flat or slightly undulating and sloping parts of the site are covered with fine white sand, which partly also be found on the tepuis. This type of terrain prevails especially in the upper reaches of the Mesay, in portions of the Yari underflow and parts of the upper reaches of the San Jorge and between the Macaya and the Ajajú. Especially this last type of terrain suggests that the area originally had a desert-like character.

Very important, especially for the flora of the park are the cracks in the river beds.

Tectonically, the area is built as follows: one of the earliest events that shape the landscape today, was a fold in the Ordovician, which forms some hills between the Apaporis and the Mesay and forms part of the western side of the Araracuara - rapids - bed. The area of this fold is called Araracuara area to which the park is expected geologically. Later in the Mesozoic caused turmoil with running in a north-south direction ditches and Horsten. Only in the early Tertiary lifted the terrain by up to one mile and thus enabled the emergence of the mesas. Since then, the area was dominated mainly by erosion, geological individual events had relatively only minor influences on the landscape.

Climate

The park area has a tropical climate with about 4500 mm of rainfall annually mostly cloudy skies. The least precipitation occurs while from December to February, most of April to July. The average annual temperature is 24 ° C with occasionally heavy daily fluctuations. So it will be warm especially during the dry months on the day to 32 ° C while the temperature drops at night to around 20 ° C. Also, the temperature difference between the deep parking zones, where it will be warm up to 35 ° C, and the high parking zones on the tepuis, where it can be cold up to 2 ° C, very high. The humidity is 40 % on average during the day, at night, however, it increases to 100 %.

Bio-ecology

Both the flora and fauna of the tropical rain forests, savannas, on the walls of the mountains and in the crevices of rocks in the river beds of the park have previously been researched only patchy. In particular, the surfaces of some mesas are still completely unexplored. But the high number of species in the small, previously explored areas indicates an enormous biodiversity. So is believed that almost 75 % of the plant species of the entire Colombian Amazon and Guiana region also occur in the park area.

Vegetation

The botanical research in the Colombian Guayana Highlands began in 1820 with Carl von Martius, which, however, not advanced all in the area of ​​Sierra de Chiribiquete. For the first time in the park area Richard Evans Schultes researched along with Everett L. Vinton, Carl O. Grassl and Gabriel Gutierrez in the years 1943 and 1944 for the Rubber Development Corporation. He was in search of rubber, which among other things, frequent in the region Balatabaum ( Manilkara bidentata ) is obtained. Although many types of these expeditions and described in the following years, was given the botanical research only with the establishment of the National Park appreciable momentum. Already in 1998 were 549 known plant species, which belong to 315 different genera, which are in turn placed in 107 different families. Here, eleven species were considered endemic to the park and 167 as endemic in Guyana. Overall, the flora of the park has a strong affinity with those of the mountains of Araracuara and the Mesa de la Lindosa. Large parts of the vegetation can be assigned to either forests or savannas.

Forests

In the park area are mainly four different forest vegetation zones before: lowland rain forests, gallery forests, Bonnetia forests and forests on entstandenem by erosion soil. The most common tree species in the park area include Pourouma cecropiaefolia, Qualea paraensis, Inga acrocephala, Iryanthera laevis, Hevea guianensis and Psedolmedia laevis.

Lowland rain forests cover almost all parts of the not located in a mountain Near Park parts. Depending on whether they are exposed in the vicinity of a river periodic flooding or are in dry regions, their species composition is altogether different. In the flooded forest regions Mauritiella aculeata dominates; in dry regions increases the range of species and the forest as a whole is denser and higher. Frequently here are representative of the families Vochysiaceae, legumes (Leguminosae ), Madder ( Rubiaceae ) and laurel family ( Lauraceae ).

As the flooded lowland rain forests line gallery forests, the rivers in the park. Galerieweälder but are not flooded and their influence on the side facing away is followed by a dry lowland rain forest or a Bonnetia forest. In the gallery forests often occur haptaphyllum the trees Ormosia macrophylla, Dimorphandra pennigera, Pagamea coriaceaea, Licania species, Cyrilla racemiflora, Clusia columnaris, Cybianthus fulvopuverulentis, Protium and Hevea nitida on.

In addition to the name -giving Bonnetia martiana dominated Bonnetia forests chirbiquetensis the Senefelderopsis. The soils are usually very thin here, so the stony subsoil comes to light; at the same time is a lot more light, since the leaf ceiling is not very dense. This makes very often the daisy family Gongylolepis martiana to use.

Forests whose floor is formed by erosion and has a usually several tens of centimeters thick layer of unconsolidated sediments, often found on the lower slopes at the foot of Table Mountain. Depending on whether it is a drier area with lots of white sand, or by filled.The of water terrain, the characteristics are different and it is dominated by different plant species. In the first case, the trees reach about 10-15 meters and are very dense. The most common species in dry areas is the incense tree Protium heptaphyllum. In the second case the species diversity increases significantly and grow mainly members of the genera Ocotea, Remijia, Micrandra and Schefflera.

Savannas

Savannas dominate especially in the higher altitude regions of the park the landscape. The substrate in these zones is mostly stony and a large part of the plant has been anchored in rock crevices. Depending on the dominant species spectrum multiple savanna vegetation types are distinguished in the park. Croton and Bonnetia savannas are dominated depending on ground conditions either of Croton species or from Bonnetia martiana. The more ground on the rocky ground is left, the more the balance tends toward Bonnetia martiana. A second type of savanna is dominated almost exclusively by Vellozia phantasmagoria communities. At the points where still enough soil is present, Croton - mix styles below. In the transition zones between rock and soil -covered zones also provide, among other things Lagenocarpus pendulus, Diacidia parvifolia and Aechmea chantinii. In the third type communities of Navia garcia - barrigae prevail. This type occurs particularly in steep slopes are, their background consists of only the bare rock. According to the inhospitable conditions, the species is more limited here.

Other zones

Due to the particular geology of the National Park occur more specific vegetation zones. A very unusual habitat, for example, the steep slopes of the mountains to visit often Navia species and Croton suavis grow. Xyris and Lentibulariaceae species, however, prefer ponds and other temporarily submersed areas that arise through an excavation of rock. Also in permanently under water areas such as rivers, a special vegetation has developed. Specifically, when the river is shallower than 30 cm and has a rocky surface, for example, is located at Utricularia neottioides.

Fauna

Each of these offers different kinds of vegetation habitat. Due to the inaccessibility only some groups of animals or some regions have so far been explored in more detail. Researched best if the area around the Research Station Puerto Abeja, which is about on the equator at the height Mesay in a savannah.

A research focus are the birds whose species spectrum was explored in many places in the park. At least 355 bird species from 47 families and 18 different orders are shown in the park area; For example, occurring only in Chiribiquete area endemic hummingbird - type Chiribiquete Emerald Hummingbird ( Chlorostilbon olivaresi ). A further nine species were, except in the park area in Colombia rarely found: the Diskuselfe ( Discosura longicauda ), Ord Faulvogel ( Notharchus ordii ), the antinode Woodcreeper ( Hylexetastes stresemanni ), the Palm Steiger ( Berlepschia rikeri ) Hylophylax punctulata, Elaenia cristata, Attila citriniventris, the gray organist ( Euphonia plumbea ) and Dolospingus fringilloides.

Also under investigation as well the bats are. There are currently 48 species of bats known. By far the most species belong to the sheet tabs ( Phyllostomidae ). In each case, slightly less than half of the species of bats eat insects or fruit; other species feed on pollen and nectar, blood, or meat. While specializing in insects and fruit types occur in all vegetation zones of the park, who specialized in food sources other species are each only in selected vegetation zones of the park. Overall, the greatest diversity was found in the savannas and the lowest in the partially flooded forest zones. Among the most frequently detected species include: Anoura geoffroyi, Carollia brevicauda, Artibeus jamaicensis and Rhinophylla pumillio.

In the class of mammals, in addition to bats, among other seven species of primates demonstrated. Stands out one of the only nocturnal monkey species, the Spix's Nachtaffe. In addition, three species of otters, eight rodents and four species of cats are known. Of the latter, the Jaguar takes as cultic animal of the first inhabitants of the region a special place. In the rivers the dolphin Sotalia fluviatilis as well as the Amazon river dolphin Inia Flussdelphinart be highlighted geoffrensis.

The dolphins join alone in Mesay around the research station Puerto Abeja 79 fish species from 16 families and four orders. With around 80 % Characiformes predominate ( Characiformes ); followed by catfish ( Siluriformes ), Perciformes ( Perciformes ) and Rajiformes. The exact abundance of each species is considered not yet fully explored. It is the most common single species Brycon falcatus, Triportheus elongatus Triportheus albus and Pimelodus blochii are schooling fish, so they can influence the measured abundance in the random references.

Probably the highest biodiversity have the insects, but these are currently still being researched very patchy. So far, 72 species of beetles, 313 butterflies, 261 species of ants, 43 mosquito species and seven new species of dragonflies have been found.

Cultural Significance

The settlement, or the cultural significance of the area can be based on findings partially demonstrate to the end of the Pleistocene into it.

Over 20,000 petroglyphs at more than 80 sites are one of the oldest, still visible traces of human presence. Thus, the area is considered one of the richest pictures in America. Usually the drawings found in poorly accessible, higher small caves of shallow depth. Heaped they occur particularly along alleged former ways in which they were specified for instance by natural canyons. Among the mainly monochrome drawings is a kind of primer, of which some researchers suggest that they may also come from older drawings. Stylistically, the drawings are partly naturalistic, partly seminaturalistisch and in part pointed out pictogram -like or ideogrammartig. The styles were mostly used for specific situations. So individually standing scenes are usually depicted naturalistically.

Thematically, the drawings can be divided as follows: the first group consists of animal forms, most of which were drawn naturalistic or seminaturalistisch. A quarter shows Jaguars; very often is shown with 17% venison, such as deer and elk. Other animals pictured are capybaras, porcupines, snakes, birds, monkeys and insects. The second group consists of human-like representations which are usually designed to seminaturalistisch schematically. Common motifs are hunting, dance and Essszenen here. A third group of botanical images that are limited almost exclusively on palms. You can see both the application of the palm fronds as, as well as their development process from seed to plant. Here again dominates the naturalistic and seminaturalistische style. Another group consists of ideographic representations. Examples of these are the hands and feet but also offal of animals.

The exact settlement history of the creators of the petroglyphs up to the present time has not been well established. The next safe point is known that the area of Karijona was in recent history in the park area. In addition to the Yukos they are regarded as the single for the Carib linguistic family belonging to ethnic groups on the territory of Colombia. The many different common names for the ethnicity led to confusion and false attributions. However, the etymology of toponyms and other indications suggest that more ethnic groups from among the Tucano languages, Arawak languages ​​and Uitoto used the place as a mythological center. Some of these ethnic groups came probably from Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. In the cult of Karijona God lives in one of the caves at the foot of Table Mountain. The name of the area itself, Chiribiquete, comes either from the language of Karijona and does algae do to the salt or it references a Uitoto personality.

When the putative first white person in the missionaries to Francisco Requena, reached the area in 1782, they reported more than 15,000 Karijona. This populated at that time especially the shore regions of the Cunaré, the Mesay, the Amu and the Yari. With the rubber boom, most indigenous were killed, expelled or enslaved. It is certain that by 1932 no more Karijona lived in the original territory. Today some returned Karijona or other Indigenous and farmers living in the area of the park. Their settlements belong to Calamar, Miraflores and Solano. There is evidence that some groups of Karijona, Murui and Urumi live in the park area, who had no contact with the modern civilization to this day.

Objectives, measures and use

Through the designation of national parks both the ecosystem and the cultural sites should be protected and preserved for the future. In the recent enlargement Resolution of August 2013, this overall objectives were taken in six core objectives:

To achieve these core objectives of a management plan for the various measures adopted under other 2007 sets. This operates at different levels. On the one hand, for example, promoted in the region to improve the awareness and understanding of the Park's ecological education. On the other hand, the exploration of the park is encouraged. In addition, it has been divided into a historical and untouchable zone. The historic area includes all areas in the petroglyphs and other archaeological remains were found. All other areas will be added to the untouchable zone. To further improve the protection status of the area was incorporated in the year 2012 in the Colombian Tentative List. This is one of the first steps on the way to registration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Since only research stays are allowed in the park, a tourist infrastructure does not exist. Access is only by boat on the Río Caquetá, from there on foot, or by private plane.