The Paranaense jungle It is the largest of the fifteen ecoregions that make up the Atlantic Forest or Atlantic Forest. It is located between the western region of the Serra do Mar, in Brazil, to the east of Paraguay and the province of Misiones, in Argentina.
The Paraná jungle develops on the Guaraní Aquifer, one of the main reservoirs of underground water on the planet. In this territory are the Iguazú Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
The Paraná jungle rises over the Brasilia Massif, which has been identified as one of the oldest formations in America. It has fertile soils and its relief extends from the valleys and alluvial plains of the great rivers to 900 meters above sea level..
The presence of innumerable rivers and streams, fertile soils and a humid subtropical climate, make the Paraná jungle one of the most biodiverse places on the continent..
This ecoregion includes a great diversity of ecosystems, flora and fauna. It constitutes a genetic heritage that must be conserved for the enjoyment of humanity.
However, it has been heavily exploited for the use of its land in agriculture, timber extraction and in the development of large infrastructures. These threats have reduced one of the most extensive rainforest regions on the continent into a fragmented landscape. Today less than 7% of the original forest survives.
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The Paranaense jungle is located between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
In Argentina it is restricted to the north and center of the province of Misiones, located in the extreme northeast of the country.
In Brazil it includes fractions of the states Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná.
In Paraguay, it is present in the departments of Guairá, Caazapá, Concepción, San Pedro, Caaguazú, Paraguarí, Itapúa, Alto Paraná, Canindeyú and Amambay, in the eastern part of the country..
The original extension of the Paraná jungle ecoregion was approximately 120,000,000 Ha. However, it is estimated that currently only less than 7% of its original territory is conserved, reducing the initial forest mass to a fragmented landscape.
In Misiones, Argentina, there is the largest portion of the Paranaense jungle, with approximately 1,128,343 Ha that cover almost half of the territory of this province.
The reduction in the extension of the Paraná jungle has its origin in changes in land use, large infrastructure projects, unsustainable overexploitation of the forest and unsustainable hunting.
The Paraná jungle rises above the Guaraní Aquifer, the third underground reserve of fresh water on the planet. It covers 1,190,000 km2, with a depth that varies between 50 and 1,800 m, which represents approximately 40,000 km³ of water..
This underground water reserve covers part of the territory of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. In addition, it includes the Iguazú Falls, a complex made up of 275 waterfalls. They have been recognized as the most impressive waterfalls in the world.
The types of soil described for the Paraná jungle have been classified into three types: brown soils, stony soils and red soils..
They are distributed between the Paraná pediplano and the mountainous area, and cover a territory of 651,952 Ha.
They are poorly developed soils, with little depth, covering an area of 1,029,731 Ha.
They are soils with a reddish color, characterized by having good drainage. They are located in the pre-mountainous and mountainous areas and cover approximately 962,408 Ha.
The climate of the Paranaense jungle is humid subtropical..
It has an average annual temperature that ranges between 16 and 22 ºC. The maximum temperatures are reached during the summer and can register up to 40ºC..
During winter, temperatures can drop to 0ºC, mainly in the higher elevational floors of the southern zone, with night frosts being frequent..
Average annual rainfall ranges between 1000 and 2200 mm, significant variations between the extreme north and south. There are also intra-annual variations, which produce a marked seasonality and inter-annual variations linked to the El Niño phenomenon..
The relief of the Paranaense jungle is characterized by presenting three large geographical environments: the lowlands, the pre-mountainous area and the mountainous area.
The lowlands are flat areas with altitudes that vary between 150 and 200 meters above sea level. They are located at levels close to the main rivers.
In this geographical environment, the valleys of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers stand out, with two geomorphological units: the valleys that have been segmented by boxing and the secondary valleys with alluvial deposits..
In addition, the pediplanes that extend along the Paraná River are included..
The pre-mountainous area results from the segmentation of old pediments of an intermediate surface between the Central Plateau and the Paraná pediplane..
This area constitutes the transition between the lowlands and the mountainous areas..
The mountainous area includes the Central Sierras that are between the Iguazú and San Antonio rivers to the city of Posadas, in the Argentine province of Misiones.
The Central Sierras rise in a southwest-northeast direction until reaching 800 meters above sea level..
This formation is characterized by presenting very intense displacements and fractures that are reflected in steep slopes. They originate from an erosive geological segmentation process of the Central Plateau.
The Paraná jungle is characterized by dense vegetation, with great diversity. Approximately 2,000 species of vascular plants have been described, many of them endemic to this region.
More than 200 species of native trees have been recorded.
In the mountainous areas of the Paraná jungle there are forests with a predominance of a conifer species known as Paraná pine, great cury, missionary pine or Brazilian pine (Araucaria angustifolia).
The Paraná pine is the symbol of the city of Paraná in Brazil. The name of the city of Curitiba derives from cury and means “cury forest”. Likewise, in the province of Misiones in Argentina it is considered a natural monument.
However, it is considered critically endangered due to the unsustainable use of its wood and the loss of its natural habitat due to changes in land use..
Other species of pine native to this region are the brave pines or piñeiriños (Podocarpus lambertii Y P. sellowii).
Among the cedars of the Paraná jungle, those of the genus Cedrela. They are deciduous perennial trees that can reach up to 40 m in height and 2 m in diameter..
They are exploited for the use of their wood, highly sought after for its properties of hardness, color and texture.
Among the cedar species of the Paraná rainforest, the Cedrela odorata Y C. fissilis, better known as missionary cedar or ygary.
The rosewood, ybirá romí or perobá (Aspidosperma polyneuron), is a native tree of the Paraná jungle that can reach 40 m. It is widely used in obtaining honey and is recognized as a natural monument in the province of Misiones in Argentina..
The yvyrá payé or incense (Myrocarpus frondosus) It is an endemic tree of the Paraná jungle that can reach a height of 30 m. It is a legume of reddish wood with dark yellow spots. Its trunk is aromatic, so it is used to obtain essences.
The peteribí (Cordia trichotoma) it is an endemic tree of South America that can reach up to 25 m. Its wood is characterized by having a greenish-brown color and is highly valued worldwide. It is also widely used in the production of honey..
Palm heart (Euterpe edulis) It is a palm tree of the Arecaceae family, native to South America. Heart of palm is obtained from it, which is why it is highly valued in the world market.
Among the tree ferns, the chachimbre stands out (Dicksonia sellowiana) and the chachíCyathea atrovirens). The latter was declared a natural monument in the province of Misiones in Argentina. Both species are under some category of threat due to the loss of their natural habitat and illegal extraction.
Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is an arboreal species typical of the understory of the Paraná jungle. It is highly appreciated in Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina for its use in the preparation of mate, a stimulating infusion.
The Paraná jungle is considered an ecoregion with a great diversity of fauna. More than 120 species of mammals, 550 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles, 50 species of amphibians and 200 species of fish have been reported..
The bell birdProcnias nudicollis) is a passerine bird of the Cotingidae family, native to Argentina and Paraguay. It is considered threatened by the degradation and loss of its habitat, and by the illegal traffic for its commercialization as a pet..
The harpy eagleHarpia harpyja) is a neotropical bird of the Accipitridae family. It is one of the largest birds in the world. Females can reach 1 m long, 2 m wingspan (distance between the ends of both open wings) and 9 Kg.
The vinaceous parrotAmazona vinacea) is a bird of the Psittacidae family typical of the Amazon and the Paranaense jungle. It is in danger of extinction due to the loss of its habitat and illegal extraction for use as a pet.
The jaguarPanthera onca) is the only species of the genus distributed in the American continent. It has a wide distribution that ranges from the United States to Argentina. It can weigh between 56 and 96 kg.
The tapirTapirus terrestris) is the largest land mammal in South America. It can weigh up to 300 kg and be up to 2.5 m long. It lives near rivers and swamps. It is considered critically endangered due to the destruction of its natural habitat and illegal hunting for the consumption of its meat and use of its skin..
Howler monkeys are characteristic of the Paranaense jungle. The presence of two species has been reported; Alouatta guariba clamitans or geez and Alouatta caraya.
The green anacondaEunectes murinus) is a snake of the boa family endemic to South America. Currently they are distributed from the south of the Orinoco in Venezuela to the southeast of Paraguay and the south of Brazil. Females can grow to over 5 m.
The alligator overo (Caiman latirostris) is a crocodile of the Alligatoridae family that lives in the Paraná jungle. It lives in swampy areas, preferably in wooded areas. It can measure more than 3 m.
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