Central Amazon Biosphere Reserve, Brazil

The Central Amazon Biosphere Reserve is located in a vast region influenced by the Negro and Solimões rivers tributaries of the Amazon River, and in the Amazon Plains-Guyana Shield transition area. It is representative of the largest forest in the world and is made up of vast protected areas as well as smaller units that are important as ecological corridors for maintaining the genetic flow of species between these different units.

Ecological Characteristics

Amazonian floodplain with white water rivers, lakes and floodplain forest including species such as Echinochloa polystachya, Oryza perennis, Pistia stratiotes, Eichornia sp. etc.; Igapó forest along black water rivers and lakes with Acmanthera latifolia, Acosmium sp., Agonandra sp. etc.; upland forest characterized by Aldina heterophylla, Brosimum potabile, Calophyllum angulare, Cariniana micrantha etc.; Campinarana - upland forest; Campina characterized by Annona nitida, Anthurium sp., Borreria capitata tenella, Clusia aff. columnaris etc.; 'Baixio' forest with Mauritia flexuosa, M. aculeata, Jessenia bataua, Iriartea exorrhiza etc.; agroecosystems including floodplain agriculture; river sand extraction; mining.

 

 

Socio-Economic Characteristics

The Central Amazon Biosphere Reserve includes several regions with low population density where traditional forms of natural resource use are developed (mainly extraction and traditional agriculture). Over 100,000 inhabitants (2001) live in the Biosphere Reserve, presenting a rich cultural diversity (small north-eastern farmers who are in the region for a long time indigenous people, and fishermen). The city of Manaus is the greatest industrial centre of the Amazon region, and is becoming an important tourist region.

 

 

 

Back to Biosphere Reserves in Brazil
Back to Biosphere Reserves in Latin America
Back to World Network of Biosphere Reserves

Last updated: May 2020