Puinawai Natural Reserve

Puinawai Natural Reserve
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Guainía Department, Colombia
Nearest city	Inírida, Guainía
Coordinates	2°19′47″N 69°00′39″W / 2.329833°N 69.010792°W / 2.329833; -69.010792Coordinates: 2°19′47″N 69°00′39″W / 2.329833°N 69.010792°W / 2.329833; -69.010792[1]
Area	10,925 square kilometres (4,218 sq mi)
Established	1989

Geography

Puinawai Natural Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Nacional Natural Puinawai) is the second largest national park in Colombia. This protected area occupies 10,925 square kilometres (4,218 sq mi) of the Amazon Region of Colombia, roughly 15% of the Guainía Department. The Reserve was created in September 1989 and coincides with three important amerindian territories that were also formed at the same time.^[2] Several rivers cross the Natural Reserve belonging to the Amazon river basin: The Cuyari, Isana and Guainía River. And belonging to the Orinoco river basin the Inírida River.^[3] The Natural Reserve lies between an altitude of 200 – 380 meters above sea level and its climate is hot and humid with little seasonal variations throughout the year.

Ecosystem

The area of the Puinawai Natural Reserve mainly consists of humid tropical rainforest. However, there are also tropical open savannah and transitional zones.^[4] Pressure from deforestation has so far remained relatively small, due to its inaccessibility and low population density. According to Colombia's national park services 1% of Puinawai has been deforested.^[5]

There are 419 endemic plant species in the natural reserve 176 of which are endemic in the whole Guyana Shield. The reserve is also rich in fauna with many local species that were preserved also due to the local Amerindian tribes practicing a sustainable co-existence with the local environment. The Puinawai Natural Reserve is not open to the public.^[6]

References