Pantanal

From ArticleWorld

The Pantanal is located in Soouth America. It is the largest wetland area in the world. Major portions of the Pantanal lie in two Brazilian states : Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. A small portion of this wetland is also in Paraguay. It extends in small bits into the country of Bolivia too. It is very close to the Rainforest and hence sometimes overshadowed by it. Measured in totality, disregarding the country borders, the Pantanal is spread over two hundred thousand square kilometers.

Plants and Animals

The ecosystem of Pantanal is the densest in the world with regard to flora and fauna. It is home to large varieties of plants and animals including highly endangered species. It is known to contain over 3500 species of plants. There are over 250 species of fish and 650 of birds. It is the natural habitat of the Hyacinth Macaw, which is an endangered species. This is why one such Macaw costs more than US $ 10,000 in the black market. Some other threatened species like Maned Wolf, Jaguar, Giant Armadillo, Giant Otter and Brazilian Tapir have their natural home in this ecosystem.

Climate

The average temperatures of the Pantanal is 25 degree Celsius. However, it fluctuates between zero and forty degrees during the winter and summer months. The average annual rainfall of this region varies between 1000 – 1400 mm. The Upper Paraguay River also feeds this wetland.

Uses

Because of the fertile land and abundance of water by natural means, humans have taken great advantage. It is used extensively for agriculture. In fact, a staggering 99% of the Pantanal is owned privately for this purpose.

The Panatal also has a another great benefit. It acts as a natural water treatment facility. The nearby areas are supplied with freshwater as this wetland purifies the water which flows through it by removing chemicals and other water pollutants. Overloading of this “cleaning system” causes the animals and plants housed in it a great deal of harm. Recent industrial developments along this area have contributed to this problem.