Alto Mayo Protection Forest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alto Mayo Protection Forest |
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| Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo | |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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Alto Mayo Forest viewed from the Abra Patricia pass.
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 Alto Mayo Protection Forest
Location in Peru
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| Location |  PeruSan Martin and Amazonas |
| Area | 1,820 km2 (700 sq mi; 182,000 ha) |
| Established | July 23, 1987 |
| Governing body | SERNANP |
The Alto Mayo Protection Forest (which means Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo in Spanish) is a special protected forest in northern Peru. It's found in the San Martin area, mainly in Rioja and Moyobamba provinces. A small part is also in the Amazonas area.
This amazing forest helps protect a part of the tropical yungas forest. It's located in the upper part of the Mayo River basin. The forest is super important because it helps stop soil and water from washing away, especially from deforestation. It also provides clean water for many towns in the Mayo valley.
Contents
History of Alto Mayo Protection Forest
Early Protection Efforts
In 1963, the Peruvian government first declared this area the Alto Mayo National Forest. This was done to protect its natural beauty and resources. However, in the 1970s, many people started moving into the forest. They began clearing parts of the untouched forest for farming.
Challenges and Changes
Workers building a road through the forest also started hunting animals, like the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, for food. To try and control the situation, the government changed the original law. They decided to protect only the forests in the upper valley. The rest of the former national forest was opened up for farming.
Rediscovery and Renewed Focus
In 1974, the rare yellow-tailed woolly monkey was found again in nearby areas. This exciting discovery brought new attention to the forest. Researchers and conservation groups became very interested in protecting this special place.
Steps Towards Stronger Protection
In 1977, the local Ministry of Agriculture tried to set clear boundaries for the forest. They also wanted to give it a stronger protection status, but this idea didn't go forward at the time.
A major road, the Carretera Marginal de la Selva, opened in 1979. This road connected the eastern forest lands with the Pacific coast. In the same year, more land that was meant for conservation was instead opened for free use.
Between 1974 and 1983, many studies were done on the animals and plants in the forest. All these studies showed that the area needed to be a top priority for conservation. Finally, in 1984, the effort to define and protect the park started again. The forest was officially protected by a special decree in 1987.
Geography of Alto Mayo
Location and Size
The Alto Mayo Protection Forest covers a huge area of about 1,820 square kilometers (about 450,000 acres). It stretches along the upper River Mayo basin.
The protected area includes parts of several districts. These are Moyobamba, Rioja, Elias Soplin Vargas, Nueva Cajamarca, Awajun, and Pardo Miguel. A small part is also in the Vista Alegre district, which is in the neighboring Amazonas area.
Mountains and Rivers
This region is very mountainous. It's located on the eastern side of the Andes mountains. Some parts of the forest have very steep slopes, even more than 70%!
The Alto Mayo Protection Forest is a key part of the Mayo River's upper watershed. This means that eleven of the Mayo River's main smaller rivers actually start within this protected forest.
Ecology of Alto Mayo
The Alto Mayo Protection Forest helps protect a special type of forest called the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion. This area is home to many unique plants and animals.
Amazing Animals
Many interesting mammals live here. Some of them are the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, the large spectacled bear, the powerful cougar, the Peruvian night monkey, the Rio Mayo titi, and the giant armadillo.
The forest is also a paradise for birds! You might spot the colorful Andean cock-of-the-rock, the mysterious oilbird, the majestic king vulture, the tiny equatorial greytail, or the rare long-whiskered owlet. Other birds include the swallow-tailed kite, the razor-billed curassow, the Andean guan, the speckled chachalaca, the blue-grey tanager, and the white-throated toucan.
Wonderful Plants
The Alto Mayo forest is full of diverse plant life. Some of the important trees you can find are:
- Cedro (Cedrela odorata)
- Requia (Guarea trichilioides)
- Rifari (Miconia longifolia)
- Ojé (Ficus insipida)
- Cetico (Cecropia sp.)
- Uvilla (Pourouma cecropiifolia)
- Tornillo (Cedrelinga cateniformis)
- Cascarilla (Cinchona pubescens)
- Palo seco (Alseis peruviana)
- Huamansamana (Dipteryx alata)
- Amasisa (Erythrina fusca)
- Quinilla (Manilkara bidentata)
- Marupa (Simarouba amara)
- Yurac ciprana (Guatteria hyposericea)
- Zapote (Quararibea cordata)
- Guayacán (Tabebuia ochracea)
- Catahua (Hura crepitans)
- Mashonaste (Clarisia racemosa)
- Moena negra (Ocotea sp.)
You can also find beautiful orchids like Phragmipedium boisserianum and Masdevallia vargasii.
Protecting the Alto Mayo Forest
Even though the Alto Mayo Protection Forest is protected, it still faces some challenges. People sometimes settle illegally inside the forest to clear land for farming. There's also a problem with people taking wild orchids and animals to sell them. Cutting down trees for timber and using fishing methods that harm the environment are also issues.
Protecting this forest is very important. It helps keep the unique animals and plants safe. It also ensures that the local communities have clean water and a healthy environment.
See also
In Spanish: Bosque de protección del Alto Mayo para niños
