ARBIO Perú is a women-led organization whose goal is to protect and preserve 916 hectares of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. Located in the watershed of the Las Piedras river, Tambopata province, Madre de Dios, this reserve is home to felines like jaguars, native species of plants like vanilla, over 1,800 species of birds, and ancient trees such as the Shihuahuaco.
This non-profit organization, led by three sisters, defends this incredible ecosystem from all kinds of threats. These include, but are not limited to: deforestation and poaching. They do this by implementing forest conservation actions that involve civil society and the private sector.
The Espinosa sisters and other workers at the ARBIO Perú rainforest conduct research to understand this ecosystem better, and to find solutions to those threats. This is why we are proud to count them as one of our stewards. Their mission inspires us to keep working on the conservation of all life on Earth.
Let’s get to know them a little bit better, shall we?
Why is The ARBIO Peru Rainforest So Important?
At this unique location, multiple species of fauna and flora find food, water, and shelter. Many species of felines live and thrive in this guarded biodiversity such as jaguars, pumas, jaguarundis and ocelots. There are also many other mammals, like rodents and deer.
Amphibians are also a big part of this biome. The most common type is the arboreal frog and the frog of humid leaf litter. And, of course, birds also participate in this amazing landscape: more than a thousand of them depend on this ecosystem to survive. It holds a beautiful record as well: it is the place with the most butterflies in the world.
The present flora is diverse and beautiful. The native vanilla alone deserves a whole chapter since it is considered an exclusive species of plant to the Peruvian Amazon rainforest and surrounding areas. This climbing orchid grows naturally there, which is why it is part of a project aimed to create a pollination strategy to favor its spread.
Almost 300 trees from 78 different species were found in just 90 out of the 916 hectares of this forest. The most representative species to this region are the Shihuahuaco (Dipteryx micrantha), Catahua (Hura crepitans), Manchinga (Brosimun alicastrum), Pouteria spp (Caimitos), and red Quinilla (bidentata Manilkara).
Ancient Trees that Protect Earth
But these trees aren’t just any trees: they are special. They not only reach up to 60 mt high, but most of them also possess a very hard wood trunk, so hard that it’s difficult to even drive a nail into them. Not even insects can penetrate them. This hardness is due to the long time these trees take to grow: up to 320 years to reach a 50 cm diameter on the trunk.
If you consider that some of these trees are 1.5 meters in diameter, then there are specimens of over 1300 years old living in this part of the rainforest. Nevertheless, their age is not the only reason to protect them. Each of these monumental works of nature serves as a big carbon storage unit, and many species need them to find shelter. They also pump up to 1000 liters of water a day into the atmosphere.
What are the Threats to the Peruvian Rainforest?
In 2020, the ARBIO forest was added to the Fragile Ecosystems in the Madre de Dios list. This denomination is given to areas of high conservation value that are biodiversity-rich and also home to endemic and endangered species. With this incorporation, ARBIO became part of the 154 fragile ecosystems in Perú to be part of this list.
The Shihuahuaco was also included on the list of endangered species of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in 2019. The case of this ancient tree is worrisome. While at the end of the past century, humans didn’t have the required technology to cut down these giants, the incorporation of diamond core bits into saws now allows illegal loggers to cut them down in just two hours, causing immense damage to this ecosystem. And, although ARBIO Peru’s team found saplings of these trees, they cannot replace the ones that are being cut down because replicating their longevity course would take at least three centuries.
The Shihuahuaco, alongside others that live nearby, is also home to many species, and plays an essential role in carbon storage. It represents the baseline of the Peruvian rainforest’s ecosystem, so every time one of them is erased from its home, a big part of the forest dies too.
The jaguar and the other felines that inhabit this place also need protection. They are losing their historic range, mainly due to degradation and the loss of their habitat. This means that their possibilities to find food and shelter are getting smaller. Jaguars, for instance, are top predators, which means they need to eat smaller animals to keep the food chain in balance.
How Can You Be Involved?
Be a part of the conservation of the ARBIO rainforest by adopting or naming a great Amazon tree after someone you love. You can also join one of their programs, or adopt a hectare of that land to keep it protected. Visit their website and join our waitlist to find a project to support, like the one of ARBIO Perú.
