THE BRAZILIAN PANTANAL

The Brazilian Pantanal

The Pantanal is one of the largest continuous wetlands on the planet, covering approximately 160,000 km² of low elevation floodplain of the upper Rio Paraguay and its tributaries, in the center of the South American continent. The vegetation is influenced by four biomes: Amazon rainforest, Cerrado (predominant), Chaco, and Atlantic Forest. Summers (November-March) are hot and rainy and winters (April-October) are warm and dry. The main ecological factor that determines patterns and processes in the Pantanal is the flooding pulse, which follows an annual, monomodal cycle with amplitudes from 2 to 5 m and a duration of 3 to 6 months. The Pantanal is also subject to a multiyear variation of flooding intensity, with an alternation of high-flood years and significantly drier ones. The different patterns of discharge and sediment load of the Paraguay River and its tributaries, caused by the alternating dry and wet periods, have resulted in a mosaic of geomorphological formations covered by various types of vegetation. This complex mosaic of habitats, soil types, and inundation regimes are responsible for the great variety of vegetation formations and the patchy landscapes, which leads to a rich terrestrial and aquatic biota. Sixteen vegetation classes based on phytophysiognomy have been identified, the most important being grassland (31%), cerrado woodland (cerradão) (22%), cerrado (bush savanna) (14%), marshes (7%), semideciduous forest (4%), gallery forest (2.4%), and floating mats (2.4%).

The region is distinguished for its extraordinary concentration and abundance of wildlife. The Pantanal harbors large populations of charismatic South American species that are threatened by extinction outside this ecosystem, among which are some of the largest populations of the highly threatened Pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus), marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), and jaguar (Panthera onca). In total, there are about 41 species of amphibians, 177 reptiles, and more than 260 fish, roughly 124 species of mammals, and approximately 463 species of birds, making it the richest single wetland site for birds in the world. Nationally, the Pantanal wetland has been recognized as a “National Heritage” by the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, while globally several international conventions have recognized the biome as an important wetland (e.g. the Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Migratory Species, and the World Heritage Convention). These conventions stress the importance of non-commercial values of ecosystems and place the Pantanal in international networks with similar goals, facilitating the exchange of information and access to international funding and political support. The Pantanal is considered “globally outstanding” (ranked 1 out of 4) in terms of biological distinctiveness and “vulnerable” (ranked 3 out of 5) in terms of conservation, and has “highest priority” (ranked 1 out of 4) in regional priorities for conservation action according to a conservation assessment by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and the Biodiversity Support Program.

An Ecosystem under Threat

Currently, there is a total of 360,000 hectares under protection, corresponding to only 2.6% of the Brazilian Pantanal. There are three National Parks (Pantanal Matogrossense National Park, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, and Bodoquena National Park) and two Ecological Stations (Taiamã Ecological Station and Serra das Araras Ecological Station) under governmental administration. These areas constitute a total of 264,300 hectares of strictly protected areas in the Brazilian Pantanal and the surrounding Cerrado. There are also a few state parks, environmental protection areas, highway parks, and private protected sites.
Historically, the Pantanal has not had much attention from the national governments of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, the three countries in which it is located. However, during the past few decades, expanding agricultural frontiers along with economic and political changes have brought the region to the forefront of developmental planning and discussion. The governments of all three countries have made major efforts to involve the region in their respective national economic development programs. This is particularly evident in Brazil, which holds approximately 85% of the area. In the mid-1970s, the Brazilian government started several large programs to develop the Pantanal region aimed at intensifying the utilization of its natural resources, and integrate it into the national development plan through the construction of roads and power lines. Since then, nine hydroelectric plants with a total capacity of 323MW have been built in the Pantanal; the project to establish the Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline crossing the Pantanal from Corumbá to Campo Grande is in progress; and there is considerable pressure to change the course and canalize the Paraguay River in order to facilitate the inexpensive shipment of soybeans and minerals to the Atlantic Ocean (Paraguay-Paraná Waterway or hidrovia). Indiscriminate development and utilization of the area’s natural resources can lead to large scale, irreversible wetland degradation with adverse effects on the living conditions of wildlife and local human populations.

Another threat to the integrity of the ecosystem is that the traditional methods of low-intensity cattle ranching are rapidly being replaced by more intensive forms of exploitation. Over the past two centuries, low-intensity cattle ranching has been one of the principal economic activities in the Pantanal. Because it maintains the structure, function, biodiversity, and beauty of the landscape, it is considered a sustainable method of utilizing the Pantanal’s natural resources. Today, cattle-ranching still remains as the main economic activity in the region, with approximately 95% of the Pantanal being privately owned and fenced into ranches averaging some 10,000ha. However, increasing economic pressure has led traditional cattle ranchers to increase the number of animals per unit area in an attempt to increase the efficiency of beef production and the economic return of the ranches. The result has been overgrazing and an increased conversion of natural pastures into “artificial” pastures by introduction of exotic grasses (500,000ha of deforested land over the past quarter of a century). In 2000, the total area of original vegetation that had been replaced with exotic grasses was estimated at 12,200km². As a consequence, these activities are estimated to have affected 40% of the forest and savanna habitats of the Brazilian Pantanal.

The increasing concern for the future of the Pantanal has led several Brazilian organizations to establish conservation initiatives in the region. In this aspect, it is fundamental to gather more information and analyze the pros and cons of the various development alternatives, so as to be able to establish a long-term development strategy for the sustainable use of the Pantanal, which integrates the local population in the decision-making process. The establishment of the IPÊ’s long-term lowland tapir project in the Pantanal region will be a very important step in this process due to the key role tapirs play in maintaining critical ecosystem functions and because of IPÊ’s long history and experience in integrating local people into long-term strategic conservation plans. As an indicator species, the tapir is critical for the long-term conservation of the Pantanal.