527
and proving how the sustainable management of
resources is the best path for their development.
Additionally, the support of WWF has prompted
the communities to assert their rights when facing oil companies, which have led to the companies adopting improved environmental practices
that do not contaminate these ecosystems.
Moreover, communities now constantly monitor
the water quality, thus, further consolidating the
protection of the largest wetland complex of the
Peruvian Amazon.
23.7.8 Wetlands of Chile
There are signifi cant wetlands in Chile. An
account is given below.
23.7.8.1 Lahuen Ñadi Natural
Monument
It is a protected wetland area in Los Lagos Region
of southern Chile. It is located between Puerto
Montt and Puerto Varas. Lahuen Ñadi is one of
the few places in the Chilean Central Valley
where mature Fitzroya stands are preserved,
some of them reaching ages of 1,800 years.
23.7.8.2 Salar de Surire Natural
Monument
It is a 15,858 ha, IUCN Category III Chilean
Natural Monument located between 18°51′0″S,
69°0′0″W in the Andes, in Arica and Parinacota
Region of Chile. It consists mainly of a salt fl at and
a number of small salt lakes. It shelters several
Andean species of wildlife and plants. Arintica
Volcano towers over the salt fl at. The protected
area, along with Lauca National Park and Las
Vicuñas National Reserve, was designated a World
Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1981. Salar de
Surire is one of the Ramsar wetlands.
23.7.9 Wetlands of Costa Rica
23.7.9.1 Palo Verde National Park
in Costa Rica
It is one of the most important wetlands in Central
America. It has been setting for many years as a
seasonal freshwater marsh at the Palo Verde
National Park (NP) in Costa Rica. It is a 500-ha
tidal FW marsh which receives rainwater and
overfl ow water from the Tempisque River during
the wet season. This, in turn, discharges to the
Gulf of Nicoya, about 20 km from the downstream of the wetland on Pacifi c coast of Costa
Rica. This marsh dries out almost completely by
March during the dry season. It was the habitat
for about 60 resident and migratory birds (McCoy
and Rodriguez 1994 ). Thousands of migratory
black-bellied whistling ducks and blue-winged
teal and hundreds of northern Shoveler, American
Wigeon, etc., generally visit the wetland during
the dry season. During the 1980s, the wetland
had been almost completely ( c 95 %) infested by
cattail ( Typha domingensis ). Weed is a common
problem for site managers throughout the world.
The clonal dominants, such as Typha , tend to
choke off any other vegetation. They render the
habitats quite uncolonisable for many waterfowls
as well as for other birds. Curiously, the diversity
of birds was partially maintained mainly because
of cattle grazing, which was allowed till 1980.
Site managers are trying to re-introduce cattle
grazing and various other measures to control the
Typha . However, the only method which was
consistently successful was crushing the cattails
(McCoy and Rodriguez 1994 ).
Summary
1. The continent of America has a large number
of different types of wetlands. Also, there are
numerous and diverse types of wetlands in
North America . Some authors classify wetlands into seven major types, namely, (a)
tidal salt marshes, (b) tidal freshwater
marshes, (c) mangrove wetlands, (d) freshwater marshes, (e) peatlands, (f) freshwater
swamps and (g) riparian wetlands.
2. In 1954, one of the fi rst wetland surveys published by the US Fish and Wildlife Service
around 1956 as Circular 39 had revealed that
the nation had 30.1 million ha of wetlands
which were important to waterfowls. Out of
this area, 25.7 million ha were identifi ed as
inland freshwater wetlands, 0.6 million ha as
inland saline wetlands, 2.1 million ha coastal
23.7 Wetlands of South America
and proving how the sustainable management of
resources is the best path for their development.
Additionally, the support of WWF has prompted
the communities to assert their rights when facing oil companies, which have led to the companies adopting improved environmental practices
that do not contaminate these ecosystems.
Moreover, communities now constantly monitor
the water quality, thus, further consolidating the
protection of the largest wetland complex of the
Peruvian Amazon.
23.7.8 Wetlands of Chile
There are signifi cant wetlands in Chile. An
account is given below.
23.7.8.1 Lahuen Ñadi Natural
Monument
It is a protected wetland area in Los Lagos Region
of southern Chile. It is located between Puerto
Montt and Puerto Varas. Lahuen Ñadi is one of
the few places in the Chilean Central Valley
where mature Fitzroya stands are preserved,
some of them reaching ages of 1,800 years.
23.7.8.2 Salar de Surire Natural
Monument
It is a 15,858 ha, IUCN Category III Chilean
Natural Monument located between 18°51′0″S,
69°0′0″W in the Andes, in Arica and Parinacota
Region of Chile. It consists mainly of a salt fl at and
a number of small salt lakes. It shelters several
Andean species of wildlife and plants. Arintica
Volcano towers over the salt fl at. The protected
area, along with Lauca National Park and Las
Vicuñas National Reserve, was designated a World
Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1981. Salar de
Surire is one of the Ramsar wetlands.
23.7.9 Wetlands of Costa Rica
23.7.9.1 Palo Verde National Park
in Costa Rica
It is one of the most important wetlands in Central
America. It has been setting for many years as a
seasonal freshwater marsh at the Palo Verde
National Park (NP) in Costa Rica. It is a 500-ha
tidal FW marsh which receives rainwater and
overfl ow water from the Tempisque River during
the wet season. This, in turn, discharges to the
Gulf of Nicoya, about 20 km from the downstream of the wetland on Pacifi c coast of Costa
Rica. This marsh dries out almost completely by
March during the dry season. It was the habitat
for about 60 resident and migratory birds (McCoy
and Rodriguez 1994 ). Thousands of migratory
black-bellied whistling ducks and blue-winged
teal and hundreds of northern Shoveler, American
Wigeon, etc., generally visit the wetland during
the dry season. During the 1980s, the wetland
had been almost completely ( c 95 %) infested by
cattail ( Typha domingensis ). Weed is a common
problem for site managers throughout the world.
The clonal dominants, such as Typha , tend to
choke off any other vegetation. They render the
habitats quite uncolonisable for many waterfowls
as well as for other birds. Curiously, the diversity
of birds was partially maintained mainly because
of cattle grazing, which was allowed till 1980.
Site managers are trying to re-introduce cattle
grazing and various other measures to control the
Typha . However, the only method which was
consistently successful was crushing the cattails
(McCoy and Rodriguez 1994 ).
Summary
1. The continent of America has a large number
of different types of wetlands. Also, there are
numerous and diverse types of wetlands in
North America . Some authors classify wetlands into seven major types, namely, (a)
tidal salt marshes, (b) tidal freshwater
marshes, (c) mangrove wetlands, (d) freshwater marshes, (e) peatlands, (f) freshwater
swamps and (g) riparian wetlands.
2. In 1954, one of the fi rst wetland surveys published by the US Fish and Wildlife Service
around 1956 as Circular 39 had revealed that
the nation had 30.1 million ha of wetlands
which were important to waterfowls. Out of
this area, 25.7 million ha were identifi ed as
inland freshwater wetlands, 0.6 million ha as
inland saline wetlands, 2.1 million ha coastal
23.7 Wetlands of South America