Mburucuyá National Park

Did You Know?

• The park hosts around 150 species of birds.
• Endangered species include maned wolf, neotropical river otter, and marsh deer.
• Native fish species include golden dorado and pseudoplatystoma.

History

Indigenous peoples inhabited the area around 5,000 years ago, and later the Guaraní introduced crops such as maize, squash, beans, cassava, cotton, and yerba mate. Spanish colonization led to occupation and modification of settlements, and large-scale agriculture caused deforestation of native trees. After the Second World War, Dr. Troels Pederson donated the territory for the park, which aims to maintain the environment and present the region's historical context.

Plant communities

The park contains three distinct plant communities: chaqueña, espinal, and selva paranaense. The Chaco Oriental or Humid Chaco features woodland, palms, grass plains, and wetlands, with species like quebracho colorado, quebracho blanco, urunday, viraró, Prosopis, and caranday palm. The Selva Paranaense has small hills and includes Syagrus romanzoffiana, timbó, and laurel. The Espinal comprises yatay palms, grassland, and diverse xerophile woodland.