Machalilla National Park

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Machalilla National Park

IUCN Category II - National Park

Isla de la Plata Ecuador458.JPG
location Ecuador (near Puerto López)
surface 750.59 km², of which 200 km² are marine areas
WDPA ID 189
Geographical location 1 ° 34 '  S , 80 ° 50'  W Coordinates: 1 ° 33 '45 "  S , 80 ° 49' 48"  W
Machalilla National Park (Ecuador)
Machalilla National Park
Setup date July 26, 1979
administration Acuerdo Interministerial No. 069
f2
Aguablanca Sulfur Lagoon, Machalilla National Park

The Machalilla National Park ( Spanish Parque Nacional Machalilla ) is a reserve in the Ecuadorian province of Manabí near Puerto López and the small fishing village Machalilla adjacent to the park .

Established in 1979, the national park stretches along the coast of the Pacific Ocean . It contains beaches, tropical dry forest , smaller and two larger islands, Isla Salango and Isla de la Plata , the latter named after a legendary silver treasure that Sir Francis Drake is said to have left behind.

In 1990 the park was designated as an internationally significant wetland by the Ramsar Convention . Wildlife includes armadillos , two species of monkeys, and more than 270 bird species, including the hummingbird Atamari, many of the mammals in the park are endangered locally and regionally. Machalilla National Park is the only habitat other than the Galápagos Islands that is home to the Galapagos albatross. The sea is a breeding ground for humpback whales . In the vegetation there are opuntia , palo santo , kapok trees and the algaroba tree. Most of the savannah-like desert and forest areas in western Ecuador, once 25%, today only 1%, are located in the park.

Machalilla National Park is threatened by a number of factors including deforestation , commercial fishing , poaching and the environmental impact of the tourism industry. In 1991, The Nature Conservancy , the United States Agency for International Development, and a group of partner organizations across Latin America began contributing to a fund as part of the Parks in Peril (PiP) program . A visitor center was opened in the national park with a focus on ecology and nature conservation. Locals were also employed as rangers , who at the same time increased local awareness of the park's problems. Machalilla's partner organization, Fundación Natura , also worked with local authorities on measures for environmental protection training in agriculture and fisheries.

On June 30, 1998, the Machalilla National Park was placed on the tentative list for World Heritage in Ecuador .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Smith, Julian. Machalilla National Park and Vicinity ( Memento of the original from February 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . May 1998. Accessed June 5, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.planeta.com
  2. ^ A b Dry Tropical Forests of Ecuador . Accessed June 5, 2009
  3. ↑ Parque Nacional Machalilla on UNESCO's tentative list (English)

Web links

Commons : Machalilla National Park  - Collection of images, videos and audio files