Orinoco Delta swamp forests

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Orinoco Delta swamp forests

The Orinoco Delta swamp forests are an ecoregion in eastern Venezuela and northern Guyana, covering about 27,972 square kilometers (10,800 square miles) along the lower Orinoco Delta. The land is mostly flat, with about 1 meter of elevation above sea level, though the southern edge has levees up to 9 meters high. Soils are flood-deposited alluvium carried from the Andes.

Climate and biome
- Climate: equatorial, fully humid (Af)
- Rainfall: 500–2,000 mm per year, with a wet season from April/May to December
- Temperature: warm year-round, roughly 22–31°C (average around 27°C)
- Biome: tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests; part of the Guianan Moist Forests region

Habitats and vegetation
- Mostly permanently flooded swamp forests, wetlands, mangroves, and oxbow lakes
- Dominant plants are hydrophilous trees and palms
- Notable species include açai palm (Euterpe oleracea) and moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa); also many other tropical trees

Wildlife and conservation status
- Wildlife includes the Orinoco crocodile, Amazon river dolphin, jaguar, giant otter, Orinoco goose, and harpy eagle
- Endangered species in the area include the Orinoco crocodile, giant otter, and yellow-bellied seedeater
- The World Wildlife Fund classifies the ecoregion as Relatively Stable/Intact
- A past flood-control project in the 1960s dammed Caño Manamo, reducing water in the upper delta and causing salinity and habitat changes

Threats and protection
- Main current threat: oil exploration, which could bring in more settlers and lead to forest clearance
- Indigenous Warao communities live here; protections exist but are limited
- Protected areas include:
- Delta del Orinoco Biosphere Reserve (about 876,500 ha)
- Imataca Forest Reserve (about 3,203,250 ha)
- Delta del Orinoco National Park, Turuépano National Park, and Mariusa National Park
- The region is largely difficult to access, which helps limit logging, but protection remains important for wildlife and habitats

Geography and neighbors
- The delta stretches from the Paria Peninsula in northeast Venezuela south into Guyana, with Gulf of Paria and Atlantic coasts lined by mangroves
- It borders La Costa xeric shrublands to the northwest, the Llanos to the west, and Guianan moist forests to the south