Amazonas National Forest

The Amazonas National Forest (Portuguese: Floresta Nacional do Amazonas) is a national forest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

Amazonas National Forest
Floresta Nacional do Amazonas
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Map showing the location of Amazonas National Forest
Map showing the location of Amazonas National Forest
Nearest cityBarcelos, Amazonas
Coordinates1°14′56″N 64°33′14″W / 1.249°N 64.554°W / 1.249; -64.554
Area1,944,209.59 hectares (4,804,246.5 acres)
DesignationNational forest
Created1 March 1989
AdministratorChico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation

Location edit

The Amazonas National Forest is in the municipalities of Barcelos and Santa Isabel do Rio Negro in the state of Amazonas.[1] It was created by decree nº 97.546 of 1 March 1989 with an estimated area of 1,573,100 hectares (3,887,000 acres).[2] According to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) the area is 1,944,209.59 hectares (4,804,246.5 acres).[3]

The forest is in the Upper Rio Negro region along the border of Brazil and Venezuela and the border between the states of Amazonas and Roraima. It is bordered to the west by the Pico da Neblina National Park.[4] Most of the forest is within the Yanomami Indigenous Territory.[5] The conservation unit would be included in the proposed Northern Amazon Ecological Corridor.[6] The vegetation is mainly dense rainforest (93%) but includes open rainforest (2%), campinarana (2%) and areas of contact between Campinarana and dense rainforest (3%).[4]

Conservation edit

The Amazonas National Forest is administered by ICMBio.[3] It is classed as IUCN protected area category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) with the objective of sustainable multiple use of forest resources and scientific research, with emphasis on methods for sustainable exploitation of native forests.[1]

The Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) has noted that the national forest, with its goal of sustainable forestry, conflicts with the goals of the Indigenous Territories with which it overlaps. In these territories the indigenous people have the exclusive right of use according to their customs and traditions. The ISA stated in August 2011 that for this reason the Amazonas National Forest should be repealed.[7]

Notes edit

Sources edit

  • Ayres, José Márcio; Da Fonseca, Gustavo A. B.; Rylands, Anthony B.; Queiroz, Helder L.; Pinto, Luiz Paulo; Masterson, Donald; Cavalcanti, Roberto B. (2005), Os Corredores Ecológicos das Florestas Tropicais do Brasil (PDF) (in Portuguese), Sociedade Civil Mamirauá, archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-07-31, retrieved 2016-10-28
  • Carlos Alberto Ricardo (22 August 2011), Gestão da FLONA Amazonas (PDF) (in Portuguese), Instituto Socioambiental – ISA, retrieved 2016-05-20
  • Floresta Nacional do Amazonas (in Portuguese), Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, archived from the original on 2019-08-06, retrieved 2016-05-19
  • Floresta Nacional do Amazonas (in Portuguese), Via Rural, archived from the original on 2016-06-02, retrieved 2016-05-20
  • José Sarney (1 March 1989), Decreto No 97.546, de 1º de Marco de 1989 (in Portuguese), retrieved 2016-05-20
  • "Terra Indígena Yanomami", Terras Indígenas no Brasil (in Portuguese), ISA: Instituto Socioambiental, retrieved 2017-03-02
  • Unidade de Conservação: Floresta Nacional do Amazonas (in Portuguese), MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente, retrieved 2016-05-19