The Chocó–Darién moist forests (NT0115) is a largely forested, tropical ecoregion of northwestern South America and southern Central America . The ecoregion extends from the eastern Panamanian province of Darién and the indigenous region of Guna Yala to almost the entirety of Colombia 's Pacific coast, including the departments of Cauca , Chocó , Nariño and Valle del Cauca .
41-465: This largely untouched, inaccessible expanse of jungle receives some of the planet's highest rates of precipitation , with the average rainfall measuring anywhere from 4,000 mm to 9,000 mm (around 13-30 ft) per year. Combined with high humidity and daily average temperatures of around 23.89 °C (75 °F), the foundation is set for a lush landscape brimming with species, harboring a huge wealth of plant , animal and fungal biodiversity . Many of
82-525: A dense "tangled thicket". The term is prevalent in many languages of the Indian subcontinent , and the Iranian Plateau , where it is commonly used to refer to the plant growth replacing primeval forest or to the unkempt tropical vegetation that takes over abandoned areas. Because jungles occur on all inhabited landmasses and may incorporate numerous vegetation and land types in different climatic zones ,
123-472: A difficult environment to access, and with relatively few options to climb the socioeconomic "ladder", certain areas of the forest have been significantly altered for ranching and agriculture , and the land is continuously being threatened by the prospects of oil , logging and paper pulp industries, as well as the unregulated mining of gold (and other metals), coca growing (with armed guards) and more—both official and clandestine. Thankfully, much of
164-462: A linguistic transition that has occurred since the 1970s. "Rainforest" itself did not appear in English dictionaries prior to the 1970s. The word "jungle" accounted for over 80% of the terms used to refer to tropical forests in print media prior to the 1970s; since then it has been steadily replaced by "rainforest", although "jungle" still remains in common use when referring to tropical rainforests. As
205-519: A metaphor, jungle often refers to situations that are unruly or lawless, or where the only law is perceived to be "survival of the fittest". This reflects the view of "city people" that forests are such places. Upton Sinclair gave the title The Jungle (1906) to his famous book about the life of workers at the Chicago Stockyards, portraying the workers as being mercilessly exploited with no legal or other lawful recourse. The term " The Law of
246-509: Is tyrant flycatcher ( Tyrannidae ) with 28 genera and 60 species. The ecoregion is a center of bird endemism, with at least 60 species with restricted ranges. These include the Choco tinamou ( Crypturellus kerriae ), Baudó oropendola ( Psarocolius cassini ), viridian dacnis ( Dacnis viguieri ), crested ant tanager ( Habia cristata) , Lita woodpecker ( Piculus litae ) and plumbeous forest falcon ( Micrastur plumbeus ). Other rare birds include
287-408: Is 437 metres (1,434 ft). These mountains have sparse settlements, with just two people living in every square kilometer. This lack of human settlements is reflected in the fact that the nearest town with a population of 50,000 is over 12 hours by road. The Serranía del Darién is notorious for strong earthquakes; on average earthquakes measuring between 6 and 7 occur here every 50 years. The area
328-698: Is a small mountain range on the border between Colombia and Panamá in the area called the Darién Gap . It is located in the southeastern part of the Darién Province of Panamá and the northwestern part of the Chocó Department of Colombia. There are two major protected areas here: Darién National Park in Panamá and Los Katíos National Park in Colombia. Serranía del Darién range's average elevation above sea level
369-672: Is about 6,500 millimetres (260 in). Monthly rainfall ranges from 347.6 millimetres (13.69 in) in March to 654.1 millimetres (25.75 in) in October. The ecoregion is in the Neotropical realm , in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome. The rainforests are some of the richest in the world. The ecoregion is part of the Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena biodiversity hotspot. There are at least 8,000 vascular plant species in
410-436: Is dense and tangled and is a "typical" jungle. Jungle also typically forms along rainforest margins such as stream banks, once again due to the greater available light at ground level. Monsoon forests and mangroves are commonly referred to as jungles of this type. Having a more open canopy than rainforests, monsoon forests typically have dense understoreys with numerous lianas and shrubs making movement difficult, while
451-854: Is high diversity of fauna in the Chocó–Darién moist forests ecoregion, and many endemic species. The extremely high rainfall makes it difficult for many vertebrates to travel, forming gap in the distribution of several primates and other mammals. Vulnerable or endangered mammal species include Geoffroy's tamarin ( Saguinus geoffroyi ), giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla ), cougar ( Puma concolor ), ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) and jaguar ( Panthera onca ). Other endangered mammals include black-headed spider monkey ( Ateles fusciceps ), Geoffroy's spider monkey ( Ateles geoffroyi ), Gorgas's rice rat ( Oryzomys gorgasi ) and Baird's tapir ( Tapirus bairdii ), Titan beetle ( Titanus giganteus). 577 species of birds have been recorded. The most diverse family
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#1732852316338492-481: Is high potential for research and ecotourism. Some areas of secondary forest may be almost 500 years old, suitable for research into tropical forest regeneration. As of 1995 10% to 20% of the original habitat had been destroyed, with one source at the time claiming 3.5% was being altered each year. The Chocó forests supply half of Colombia's wood, and the main threat comes from deforestation and resultant erosion. As of 1990 about 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi)
533-594: The Tertiary and Pleistocene from dissection of sediments, and older Mesozoic era rocks in the mountains. The soils are typically red clay laterite , leached of most nutrients by the heavy rain. Younger and more fertile soils are found along the Andes and in the main river floodplains. Subregions include the hilly region of Darién and Urabá in the north; the Pacific coastal zone with elevations up to about 500 metres (1,600 ft);
574-524: The harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja ), black-and-white hawk-eagle ( Spizaetus melanoleucus ), and perhaps the speckled antshrike ( Xenornis setifrons ), although this last may no longer be present in Colombia. Endangered birds also include great green macaw ( Ara ambiguus ), rufous-brown solitaire ( Cichlopsis leucogenys ), banded ground cuckoo ( Neomorphus radiolosus ), Baudo guan ( Penelope ortoni ) and Baudó oropendola ( Psarocolius cassini ). There are records of 97 reptile species, including 35 from
615-447: The prop roots and low canopies of mangroves produce similar difficulties. Because European explorers initially travelled through tropical forests largely by river, the dense tangled vegetation lining the stream banks gave a misleading impression that such jungle conditions existed throughout the entire forest. As a result, it was wrongly assumed that the entire forest was impenetrable jungle. This in turn appears to have given rise to
656-401: The wildlife of jungles cannot be straightforwardly defined. One of the most common meanings of jungle is land overgrown with tangled vegetation at ground level, especially in the tropics . Typically such vegetation is sufficiently dense to hinder movement by humans, requiring that travellers cut their way through. This definition draws a distinction between rainforest and jungle, since
697-490: The 16 square kilometres (6.2 sq mi) Gorgona Island National Park . Parts of the ecoregion are also protected by the lower parts of the Farallones de Cali National Park and Munchique National Natural Park . Another large park in the area is Paramillo National Natural Park . Jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates . Application of
738-512: The Jungle " is also used in a similar context, drawn from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1894)—though in the society of jungle animals portrayed in that book and obviously meant as a metaphor for human society, that phrase referred to an intricate code of laws which Kipling describes in detail, and not at all to a lawless chaos. The word "jungle" carries connotations of untamed and uncontrollable nature and isolation from civilisation, along with
779-611: The canopy. The understory is rich in Mabea occidentalis and Clidemia , Conostegia and Miconia species. Periodically flooded areas are often rich in cativo ( Prioria copaifera ). The southern part the rain forest has two strata of trees, and large emergent trees, with flourishing lianas and epiphytes . The central zone has rain forests at higher altitudes and wet or very wet forests lower down. Vegetation includes formations that would otherwise be found only in cloud forests, with thick moss and other types of non-vascular epiphytes on
820-597: The central strip; the hills of the El Carmen de Atrato and San José del Palmar municipalities; and the rainforest along the western Andes up to an elevation of about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). The ecoregion contains the basin of the Atrato River in the north, and further south the basins of the Baudó , San Juan , San Juan de Micay and Patía rivers. The heavy rainfall gives these rivers great power, cutting deep gorges through
861-526: The dominant tree species within the north of the ecoregion belong to such genera as the bongo ( Cavanillesia ), wild cashew ( Anacardium ), rubber trees ( Havea ) and kapok fiber trees ( Ceiba ). In more wet, flooded areas, the cativo ( Prioria copaifera )—a hardwood tree in the legume family, Fabaceae —is common. Numerous epiphytic lianas (vines and crawlers) belonging to the family Araceae use these trees for support systems (such as Anthurium , Monstera and Philodendron ). Growing along
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#1732852316338902-601: The ecoregion in Panama is protected to some extent. The 597,000 hectares (1,480,000 acres) Darién National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Other areas with some protection in Panama include the 3,200 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi) Kuna-Yala indigenous reserve and the 4,326 square kilometres (1,670 sq mi) Embera Wounan reserve. Other parts of the ecoregion in Panama have been set aside as mining reserves or are used for agriculture. In Colombia, as of 1997 about 2,013 square kilometres (777 sq mi)
943-436: The ecoregion, perhaps over 10,000 of which (almost 20%) are found nowhere else. The mix of flora depends on elevation, water levels and the influence of the sea. Many species are locally endemic, found only in small regions, so there is considerable diversity from one area to another. There are no endemic families, but several endemic genera. Some genera, such as Trianaeopiper and Cremosperma , have many species. Generally
984-435: The emotions that evokes: threat, confusion, powerlessness, disorientation and immobilisation. The change from "jungle" to "rainforest" as the preferred term for describing tropical forests has been a response to an increasing perception of these forests as fragile and spiritual places, a viewpoint not in keeping with the darker connotations of "jungle". Cultural scholars , especially post-colonial critics, often analyse
1025-749: The family Colubridae and 26 from the family Iguanidae . Endangered reptiles include Dunn's spinytail lizard ( Morunasaurus groi ) and Boulenger's least gecko ( Sphaerodactylus scapularis ). There are at least 127 amphibian species. Endangered amphibians include the elegant stubfoot toad ( Atelopus elegans ), El Tambo stubfoot toad ( Atelopus longibrachius ), Lynch's stubfoot toad ( Atelopus lynchi ), Costa Rican variable harlequin toad ( Atelopus varius ), horned marsupial frog ( Gastrotheca cornuta ), lemur leaf frog ( Hylomantis lemur ), Lehmann's poison frog ( Oophaga lehmanni ), golden poison frog ( Phyllobates terribilis ) and Myers' Surinam toad ( Pipa myersi ). The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) gives
1066-768: The forest, especially the central part of the ecoregion, is currently still pristine and relatively untouched. The Chocó–Darién moist forest extends along most of the Pacific west coast of Colombia and northeastward, into Panamá and the infamous Darién Gap , before reaching the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The forests are bounded to the east by the Andes , which separates them from the Amazon and Orinoco basin eco-regions of Brazil , Venezuela and eastern Colombia. The forests have an area of 7,355,566 hectares (18,176,000 acres). The northern section merges into Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests to
1107-480: The jungle and Africa become the source of temptation for white European characters like Marlowe and Kurtz. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak compared Israel to "a villa in the jungle", a comparison which had been often quoted in Israeli political debates. Barak's critics on the left side of Israeli politics strongly criticised the comparison. Serran%C3%ADa del Dari%C3%A9n The Serranía del Darién
1148-528: The jungle within the concept of hierarchical domination and the demand western cultures often places on other cultures to conform to their standards of civilisation. For example: Edward Said notes that the Tarzan depicted by Johnny Weissmuller was a resident of the jungle representing the savage, untamed and wild, yet still a white master of it; and in his essay " An Image of Africa " about Heart of Darkness Nigerian novelist and theorist Chinua Achebe notes how
1189-430: The lowland rain forests in the north hold trees associated with cow tree ( Brosimum utile ), with groves of bongo ( Cavanillesia platanifolia ), wild cashew ( Anacardium excelsum ), Panama rubber ( Castilla elastica ), snakewood or bastard breadnut ( Brosimum guianense ), Bombacopsis species, kapok tree ( Ceiba pentandra ) and tonka bean ( Dipteryx oleifera ). There are large emergent trees that rise above
1230-467: The mountains with dramatic falls and rapids in the upper reaches. Lower down the rivers broaden out and meander through the plains. Annual temperatures average 23.6 °C (74.5 °F), ranging from a minimum of 18.6 °C (65.5 °F) to a maximum of 30 °C (86 °F). Annual rainfall is from 4,000 to 9,000 millimetres (160 to 350 in). The central region receives the most rain, in some areas as high as 13,000 millimetres (510 in), while
1271-647: The north and south are comparatively drier, and in some parts have short dry seasons in January–March. At a sample location at coordinates 5°45′N 77°15′W / 5.75°N 77.25°W / 5.75; -77.25 the Köppen climate classification is "Af": equatorial; fully humid. Mean temperatures range from 24.8 °C (76.6 °F) in October–November to 25.8 °C (78.4 °F) in April. Annual rainfall
Chocó–Darién moist forests - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-408: The region the status of "Relatively Stable/Intact". The northern parts in Colombia have mostly been replaced by banana plantations and cattle ranches. The southern areas have been partly replaced by oil palm plantations, and are being deforested for paper pulp. Most of the intact forest is in the central area. However, the remaining blocks of habitat in 1995 were large, intact and well-connected. There
1353-422: The second popular usage of jungle as virtually any humid tropical forest . Jungle in this context is particularly associated with tropical rain forest , but may extend to cloud forest , temperate rainforest, and mangroves with no reference to the vegetation structure or the ease of travel. The terms "tropical forest" and "rainforest" have largely replaced "jungle" as the descriptor of humid tropical forests,
1394-408: The sheltered forest floor are unique and varied species of plant families like Marantaceae , Piperaceae , Orchidaceae and Bromeliaceae , as well as many ferns , jungle cacti , mosses and lichens , among others. However, while most of the forest is relatively intact, many of its human inhabitants endure some of the highest levels of poverty within Colombia and Panamá, respectively. With such
1435-828: The southeast an arm of the Patía Valley dry forests reaches down to the ecoregion. In the extreme south the ecoregion merges into the Western Ecuador moist forests ecoregion. The ecoregion is between the Pacific Ocean and the Western Ranges of the Andes, with elevations from sea level to about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It includes the western slopes of the Andes and the Cerro Torrá , Serranía del Darién , Sierra Llorona de San Blas and Serranía del Baudó massifs. Terrain includes recently formed alluvial plains, hills formed in
1476-587: The term has varied greatly during the past century. The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jaṅgala ( जङ्गल ), meaning rough and arid. It came into the English language in the 18th century via the Hindustani word for forest ( Hindi/Urdu : जङ्गल / جنگل ) (Jangal). Jāṅgala has also been variously transcribed in English as jangal , jangla , jungal , and juṅgala . It has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its connotation as
1517-670: The tree trunks and branches, and with diverse species of woody hemiepiphyte lianas of the Ericaceae , Marcgraviaceae and Melastomataceae families. There are many slender trees. In the north and south near the coast, where there is a dry season, there are greater numbers of deciduous plants. Above an elevation of 600 metres (2,000 ft) common species include Inga species, cariseco ( Billia colombiana ), Brosimum species, Sorocea species, Jacaranda hesperia , Pourouma bicolor , Guatteria ferruginea , Cecropia species, Elaegia utilis and Brunellia species. There
1558-407: The understorey of rainforests is typically open of vegetation due to a lack of sunlight, and hence relatively easy to traverse. Jungles may exist within, or at the borders of, tropical forests in areas where the woodland has been opened through natural disturbance such as hurricanes, or through human activity such as logging. The successional vegetation that springs up following such disturbance,
1599-678: The west in the Isthmus of Panama , and contains patches of Eastern Panamanian montane forests . Along the Caribbean coast there is a stretch of Amazon–Orinoco–Southern Caribbean mangroves . To the east it adjoins the Magdalena–Urabá moist forests near the Caribbean coast, and then adjoins the Northwestern Andean montane forests ecoregion along the Andes to the east. On the Pacific coast there are stretches of South American Pacific mangroves . In
1640-474: Was being deforested annually. The Inter-American Highway in the Darien region is causing degradation of the habitat. Industrial development is a threat. The naval base at the entry to Málaga Bay may disrupt humpback whale reproduction. Other threats come from plantations of African oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ), gold mining and coca growing. About 30% of the 13,335 square kilometres (5,149 sq mi) of
1681-515: Was protected by widely separated national parks, covering 2.5% of the ecoregion and 1% of the original habitat. These include the 720 square kilometres (280 sq mi) Los Katíos National Park , which borders the Darien National Park of Panama, the 543 square kilometres (210 sq mi) Ensenada de Utria National Park , with land and marine sectors, the 800 square kilometres (310 sq mi) Sanquianga National Natural Park and