2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment
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IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Pantanal Conservation Area - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment Pantanal Conservation Area 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment SITE INFORMATION Country: Brazil Inscribed in: 2000 Criteria: (vii) (ix) (x) The Pantanal Conservation Area consists of a cluster of four protected areas with a total area of 187,818 ha. Located in western central Brazil at the south-west corner of the State of Mato Grosso, the site represents 1.3% of Brazil's Pantanal region, one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems. The headwaters of the region's two major river systems, the Cuiabá and the Paraguay rivers, are located here, and the abundance and diversity of its vegetation and animal life are spectacular. © UNESCO SUMMARY 2020 Conservation Outlook Finalised on 02 Dec 2020 SIGNIFICANT CONCERN The state and trend of World Heritage values is of concern; however, the values have been deteriorating not because of the current conservation conditions in the site, but rather due to the multiple threats that spread over this intricate territory from afar. In general, the outstanding beauty of the landscape has remained well preserved over time, but values associated with high biodiversity and ecological and hydrological processes are likely to be affected in the medium and long term. Even though the World Heritage site itself is not directly subject of all the threats facing the broader Pantanal region, the individual and cumulative threats from land use changes, alterations of flow regimes and the wetland hydro-ecology, contamination, increasing of natural and anthropogenic fires, and invasive alien species give rise to concerns that could escalate further with time. There is some concern related to the protection and management of the site. While there are improvements in some aspects, there remain great challenges in relation to effectiveness of the management system, law enforcement and sustainable finance, the latter being critical for achieving a better protection and management of the site. Furthermore, there is significant concern regarding effectiveness of protection and management in addressing threats outside the site, as long as major threats are largely beyond the scope and mandate of site management and even the Brazilian federal protected area agency ICMBio. Significant additional conservation measures are needed to maintain values, hence the relevance of strengthening and implementing initiatives of integration at landscape level, involving different sectors and actors. IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Pantanal Conservation Area - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Pantanal Conservation Area - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment FULL ASSESSMENT Description of values Values World Heritage values ▶ Outstanding landscape beauty Criterion:(vii) The Pantanal Conservation Area stands out as a visually overwhelming representation of a globally important wetland covering a broad range of the diverse landscape features of the Pantanal ecoregion, including some, which are restricted to the World Heritage site. Next to almost permanently flooded areas are small forests and savannas against the backdrop of the Serra do Amolar mountain range with its distinct dry forests. The possibility to see the iconic Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica) in the immediate vicinity of cacti species epitomizes the aesthetic landscape mosaic (World Heritage Committee, 2015; IUCN, 2000). ▶ Ongoing ecological processes Criterion:(ix) On a reduced scale, this World Heritage site (covering 187,818 ha) is a model of ecological and biological processes underway throughout the broader Pantanal. Considered a phytogeographic region, the Pantanal is strongly influenced by neighboring ecosystems (mainly those of Cerrado and Amazonia, but also those of Chaquenha and the Atlantic) (World Heritage Committee, 2015). The unique ecological gradient in the region contributes to the maintenance of biological processes. The World Heritage site is recognized for an important role in the dispersion of nutrients to the entire basin and is an important reserve for maintaining fish stocks in the Pantanal (World Heritage Committee, 2015). In the beginning of the rainy season, where anaerobic conditions prevail in most channels and streams, there occurs a phenomena of upstream migration of a number of fishes to the small rivers and streams flowing from the Amolar mountains that have a greater concentration of oxygen. This is a rare natural phenomenon for the entire Pantanal that can be easily seen in the World Heritage site (IUCN, 2000). The site is also noteworthy for an extensive area that remains partially flooded during the dry season, thereby triggering migrations and serving as a refuge for many wildlife species (UNEP-WCMC, 2011). During flood periods, a part of the fauna (notably the largest mammals) migrate from the plain to the higher, drier regions, and during the more severe drought periods, the plain can be the only area in the region to remain humid, thus playing a precious role in the maintenance of the fauna (World Heritage Committee, 2015). ▶ High biodiversity and large wildlife aggregations Criterion:(x) The Pantanal is an ecological meeting point bringing together elements of vegetation and species of the Amazon, Cerrado, Chaco and even the Atlantic Forest. The World Heritage site is a particularly rich, well- protected and intact sample of many of the diverse and seasonally dynamic habitats of the Pantanal, ranging from aquatic to extremely dry systems and several semi-deciduous forest types. The highly diverse assemblage of neotropical plants includes an exceptionally high number of aquatic species. The IUCN evaluation (IUCN, 2000) suggests 80 mammal species, 50 reptiles and more that 300 freshwater fish species while acknowledging the high probability of further records. The freshwater fish diversity of the site is noteworthy for at least two reasons. First, the site remains partially inundated even during dry years and thus serves as critical habitat. Second, as subsistence, commercial and recreational fishing increases, the property is among the few areas without any direct use pressure. The most conspicuous mammals include several felids, such as jaguar (Panthera onca, NT), puma (Puma concolor, LC), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi, LC) and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis, LC). Large concentrations of Yacaré (Caiman yacare, LC) and Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, LC) have been recovering from commercial hunting and are a common sight in the property again. Also common are white-lipped and IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Pantanal Conservation Area - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment collared peccary (Tayassu pecari, VU and Pecari tajacu, respectively, LC), the endangered giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, NT), giant armadillo (Priodontes giganteus, VU), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla, VU) and marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus, VU), one of several deer species. The avifauna is remarkable not only for its enormous diversity but for very large nesting and migratory aggregations (UNEP-WCMC, 2011; Junk et al., 2006; Mittermeier et al., 2005; Por, 2003; IUCN, 2000). ▶ Ongoing hydrological processes Criterion:(ix) The main source of water for the Pantanal is the Cuiabá River, which is the principal tributary of the Paraguay River; these two rivers are functionally among the most important waterways in the Pantanal. The World Heritage site is located in the headwater basins of these two rivers, thus being critically important from the hydrological point of view (IUCN, 2000). The World Heritage site also demonstrates a broad range of the characteristic processes of the Pantanal (Padovani, 2010) despite its modest size in comparison to the entire wetland. Despite covering only between 1 and 2 percent of the Pantanal, the World Heritage site epitomizes major on-going ecological, biological and hydrological processes. The most striking process is the constantly changing hydrology according to a seasonal cycle of torrential rainfall in the Pantanal and surrounding uplands followed by slowly receding waters in the dry season. The association of rare lowlands areas inundated at all times with the seasonally dry Amolar Mountains provides a unique contrast and mosaic of ecosystems. Assessment information Threats Current Threats High Threat While the World Heritage site itself is not subject to major direct modifications within its boundaries, and its state of conservation seems to still be relatively good, there are important concerns about a multitude of individual and cumulative threats impacting the entire wetland system. The major threats stem from land use change resulting in loss and degradation of native forests and grasslands in favour of industrial export-oriented agriculture and intensive cattle ranching; various forms of extensive alterations of flow regimes and the hydro-ecology of the wetland; water contamination from multiple sources, soil erosion and sedimentation; invasive alien species and poorly controlled and managed natural resources. Most of these threats come from areas that are not part of the Conservation Complex, but are intricately linked to it ecologically and hydrologically, thus putting the site's values at risk. The evidence found from the last assessment in 2017 to