Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves


The Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves is an ecoregion along the coasts of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil.

Location

The Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves cover stretches of the northern, Caribbean, coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, and of the Atlantic coasts of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and northeast Brazil.
It includes sections of the coasts of the Brazilian states of Amapá, Pará and Maranhão.
The eastern part of the ecoregion makes up the Guianan-Amazon Mangroves global ecoregion, which in turn is made up of the Guianan mangroves, Amapá mangroves; Pará mangroves and Maranhão mangroves terrestrial ecoregions.
Along the Caribbean coast the mangroves are found along sections of Guajira-Barranquilla xeric scrub, Sinú Valley dry forests, Paraguana xeric scrub, Lara/Falcon dry forests, La Costa xeric shrublands, Cordillera de la Costa montane forests, Araya and Paria xeric scrub, Orinoco wetlands and Orinoco Delta swamp forests, which extend along the coast into the Atlantic.
Along the Atlantic coast the mangroves are found along sections of Guianan moist forests, Paramaribo swamp forests, Uatuma-Trombetas moist forests, Guianan savanna, Marajó várzea, Tocantins/Pindare moist forests, Maranhão Babaçu forests and Northeastern Brazil restingas.

Ecology

The ecoregion is in the Neotropical realm and the mangrove biome.

Climate

The Köppen climate classification is "Af": equatorial, fully humid.
At a sample location inland from the coast at in the Raleigh Falls - Voltzberg Nature Reserve the temperatures are relatively stable throughout the year.
The average yearly minimum is and maximum with a mean temperature of.
Annual rainfall averages about.
Monthly rainfall varies from in October to in May.

Flora

The Guianan-Amazon Mangroves have five species of mangroves, often distributed into different zones of salinity.
There are also bushes and marches with dense, tall grasses.

Fauna

The Guianan-Amazon Mangroves support very diverse populations of fish and migratory birds, as well as other wildlife.
Typical species of fauna include scarlet ibis, American flamingo, magnificent frigatebird, loggerhead sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, West Indian manatee, American crocodile, and giant otter.
Endangered mammals include black-headed spider monkey, white-cheeked spider monkey, black bearded saki, cotton-top tamarin and giant otter.
Endangered amphibians include Lesser Antilles robber frog.
Endangered reptiles include green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, Miyata's scaly-eyed gecko, Kemp's ridley sea turtle and Maranhão slider.
Endangered birds include sapphire-bellied hummingbird.

Status

The World Wildlife Fund classes the Guianan-Amazon Mangroves as "Relatively Stable/Intact".
Threats include urbanization, industrial pollution and agricultural sediments.
Protected areas include the Archipiélago Los Roques National Park, Bush Bush Wildlife Sanctuary, Caroni Swamp Wildlife Sanctuary, Central Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Imataca Forest Reserve, Kronstadt Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Mochima National Park, Morrocoy National Park, Northern Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Valencia Wildlife Sanctuary.