Darien (National Park)

The park is located at the southern tip of the Darien gap connecting Central and South America. The park is the largest in Central America and is located between the watershed of the continents, bordering Colombia and the Pacific Ocean. The central part of the park is a region of flat lowlands, without high mountains. The mountain rivers of the park ( Tuira and its tributary Balsas ) flow into the San Miguel Bay . Mount Tararkuna is the highest mountain in the area between the Andes and western Panama, it has a height of 1875 meters. On the southwestern banks of the river are rocky and sandy beaches.

Most of the mountains in the park formed in the middle of the Eocene , while the lowlands were formed at the end of the Pliocene period. The southern mountains and slopes near the Caribbean Sea formed mainly as a result of volcanic eruptions, while the slopes of Serranha del Darien arose as a result of the retreat of the sea into Cenozoic . The park has many folds and valleys that have arisen over millions of years in the process of weathering . In addition, the park has vast areas with good soil suitable for agriculture and rapid forest growth.

The average annual rainfall varies from 4000 to 5000 mm in areas of the park on the Pacific coast, from 3000 to 4000 mm in the mountains of the coast, and from 1800 to 2500 mm in the valleys in the central part of the park. The average annual temperature is 26 ° C, but its range can vary from 16 ° C to 35 ° C.

A significant part of the park is occupied by dense forests. The park is characterized by a wide variety of flora: lianas and trees are more reminiscent of the Amazonian flora, while epiphytes and plants in the lower parts of the park are closer to the flora of the northern Andes ridges. Since 1970, over 700 species of plants have been documented in the park. In total, nine vegetation zones are represented in the park:

• forests growing near rivers (a total of 200 species of plants, the height of some trees reaches 55 m);
• forests growing at an altitude of 200 m above sea level (mostly deciduous, the largest on the Pacific coast of Central America, occupy about 1/10 of the park, most of them appeared after the Spanish conquest of the present territory of Panama); at
• high-mountain rainforests growing at an altitude of more than 200 m above sea level (characterized by a large number of vines and epiphytes, occupy about 60% of the park, are the habitat of the largest variety of plants within the park);
• foggy forests growing at an altitude of 750 m above sea level (characterized by a fairly large number of endemic species);
• Alpine forests at the highest peaks;
• dry forests near the beaches;
• swamps and palm trees;
• mangroves on rocky beaches (especially near San Miguel Bay);
• sandy wasteland near the beaches.

The fauna of the park, like the flora, is characterized by great biodiversity. The park is a habitat for 169 species of mammals, 533 species of birds, 99 species of reptiles, 78 species of amphibians and 50 species of fish. The park has the phenomenon of the migration of many species to higher mountain regions, which is possible due to the proximity to each other of various types of forests. This allows you to save in the park populations of species that have become extinct in other places due to deforestation .

Among the mammals living in the park are the Central American howler , black-headed koata , Central American agouti , giant anteater , capybara , tapir . In marine areas off the coast of the park, there are 20 species of cetaceans, 33 species of sharks and 4 species of sea turtles. The park also has many species of Lepidoptera; South American harpy can be distinguished from birds, and reptile crocodile from reptiles.

There are two isolated areas in the forests of the park (one at 900 m above sea level, the other above), and 30 species of birds in the park live only within them.

In the lower regions of the park, a significant number of endangered species live. Most species that live in the highlands are not formally in danger, but their populations are still considered vulnerable due to the small number of individuals in many of them.

The park is one of the few examples of the protected area on which the indigenous people live permanently: two Indian tribes, Vunaan and Embera, live in the park. According to 1992 data, the permanent population of the park was about 3,000 people. The Indians live in several villages along the river and maintain a traditional way of life, their economy is based on agriculture and, to a lesser extent, hunting. In everyday life, they use various resources of park forests, for example, they weave clothes from palm leaves. The culture of these settlements, despite centuries of contact with Europeans, has remained largely untouched.

Not all the territory of the park is accessible for visiting, however, two of its sections, which do not have access restrictions, are popular with tourists.

• Page on the UNESCO website
• World Conservation Monitoring Center (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment May 8, 2014. Archived September 22, 2008.