We continue with our itinerant tour through the National Parks of Argentina.

We had started with our first installment on the Calilegua National Park in the province of Jujuy.

Today we will visit another natural park, in this case in the neighboring province of Salta: the Baritú National Park.

And, like the Calilegua National Park, it is one of the integral areas of the Yungas biosphere reserve.

The Yungas Biosphere Reserve is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves promoted by the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program (MAB).

Baritú National Park is a protected natural area located in the Santa Victoria department of the province of Salta.

Baritú National Park, protected natural area.

Currently the condition of the park is in danger, due to the exotic of the species that coexist there that are constantly stalked by the poachers of the region, who day after day, are caught or killed some species. Likewise, there is another problem within the vicinity of the Baritú National Park and this has to do with illegal logging for the extraction of wood in the area.

It is through that country that you enter the National Park, through the Pan-American route N ° 1 until you reach the Los Toldos junction.

What does Baritú mean? The name comes from Quechua and means "small population".

Read also: A virtual journey through the national parks of Argentina: Calilegua yungas biosphere reserve.

Here the water courses of the Lipeo, Porongal and Pescado rivers run; on whose banks you can find silly birds and different bushes.

In this framework, one of the most visited attractions in the area are the water wells, which house shads, river lions and the washed bear, with its characteristic black mask and ringed tail.

The best time to visit the park is from June to October.

It is traveled on foot or on horseback, always accompanied by a guide due to the complexity of the circuit.

Due to the abundant humidity and high temperatures that characterize this corner of northern Argentina, it is important that visitors wear light waterproof clothing.

The reserve.

The truck climbs to 1,800 meters above sea level and then drops again to 1,500 meters above sea level.

The reserve is also characterized by the importance of its cultural heritage, made up of various indigenous peoples; in the reserve and its area of ​​influence reside some three hundred and sixteen communities of native peoples (aymara, quechua, wichí, toba, chané, ocloya) who preserve their customs (worldview, way of life, festivities, crafts, etc.) by culture peasant and by descendants of Spaniards, reflecting a multiple, strong and particular identity of the territory.

Everyone's great dream -including the park ranger- is the jaguar.

 I have only seen them in the filming of the camera traps installed in the Park. The tracks are the only direct evidence that one usually has of the American big cat.

Not only scientists, botanists, and naturalists come. There are also adventurers who like to know almost virgin spaces and passionate about birds.

The truck climbs to 1,800 meters above sea level and then drops again to 1,500 meters above sea level. Even Baritú is only 44 km, but it takes us a few hours.

We stop to take photos, it rains, the sun rises, a dense fog falls, it is discovered and it allows us to see amazing yellow lapachos, walnut trees, bushes (of the myrtle family), cedars and tree ferns.

A unique species due to its behavior is the maroma, whose seed germinates on the branch of a tree

Drizzle, mist, dripping leaves, rays of light from some elusive and persistent reflection of the sun. It is a deep and undulating hillside full of epiphytes - plants that grow on others - that create a magical halo. From time to time, we feel that we have entered a parallel universe more similar to that of the movie Avatar than ours.

The tree community gathers a number of species which vary according to altitude levels, from the valleys to the ridges of the mountainous areas. In the lower levels, forestry such as jacaranda, peteribí, viraró and quina develop.

A unique species due to its behavior is the maroma, whose seed germinates on the branch of a tree, expands and lengthens its roots to the ground, and then develops its trunk and branches by wrapping and even drowning the specimen that gave it support.

Flora.

In the intermediate levels of the slopes, up to around 1400 m.a.s.l, imposing Salta cedars, yellow lapacho, horco-molle, Creole walnut and others live.

The tree community gathers a number of species which vary according to altitude levels.

Above this level, the jungle loses biodiversity and acquires the character of a forest, in which the coniferous pine of the hill, the alder and the walnut stand out.

Fauna.

As for the fauna that inhabits the Park, its composition and variety make it a resource of singular importance among the conservation objectives.

This is emphasized in the case of species such as the caí monkey, the river wolf, the ocelot or ounce cat, the tapir, the yaguareté, which not only integrate our native fauna but also appear in the lists of endangered species , made by specialists in the subject.

Trap cameras installed in the Park.

In better conditions are other mammals, such as the cougar, the ferret, the lipped peccary, the mayuato or washing bear, the corzuela, the tapir, on the banks of watercourses the capybara and many others


An animal that is very curious about its way of life is aí-aí or lazy. Thanks to its strong hooked nails, it lives and moves hanging from the branches.

Their movements are of an imperceptible slowness reason why it is very difficult to discover it; for the better, chlorophytic algae develop in the hairs (honeycomb hairs) on the belly and sides that give it a greenish hue that blends in with the environment.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest feline in America. In Argentina its populations have decreased alarmingly and it is considered Critically Endangered.

A special mention should be made for the friendly and elusive squirrel, whose image is the center of attention in the Park's logo.

A particular chapter is that of birdlife, whose biodiversity and exclusivity stands out over the same characters of the birds of other parks that house sectors of the Yungas (P.N. Calilegua and P. N. El Rey).

The condor and the red-headed jote and the black-headed jote are prominent birds.
The large toucan, a variety of hummingbirds, parrots and the magpie are characteristic.

The park has 72,000 hectares of yungas, surrounded by mountain ranges with peaks over 2,000 meters high.

In the Park area, species such as the peregrine falcon, the widow eagle and the green macaw find safety, the possibility of survival outside of the protected areas is critical.

Read also: A virtual journey through the National Parks of Argentina (# 5): Rio Pilcomayo.

Among the reptiles, the variety of lizards, snakes and some poisonous form (yaraba chica) is notorious.

The tourist tours are reserved for those who have a great spirit of adventure, since accessing the protected area is quite a challenge.

Around or in water sources, various species of toads can be observed, the notable marsupial frog and an endemic climbing frog. Among native fish, the mojarras, the old water, the shad, the catfish and the dorados are common.

Of the numerous water courses that cross it, the most important are the Lipeo river in the north, and the Porongal and Pescado rivers, which drain into the Bermejo river and in a small section form the northeast limit of the Park.

Its geography is rugged, making access to the area difficult.

Argentina has a system of national parks designed to protect the country's natural and cultural heritage throughout the length and breadth of the territory.

I have visited some of them several years ago.

I have visited others more recently.

The Calilegua National Park was created in 1979 in order to preserve a representative area of ​​the Tucuman-Oranense jungle.

Calilegua National Park is one of the most important yunga reservoirs in the entire country.

The Calilegua National Park was created in 1979 in order to preserve a representative area of ​​the Tucuman-Oranense jungle, also known as "yungas". It constitutes the most biodiverse environment in the country along with the Parana jungle, in Misiones.

Calilegua is the only national park in the province of Jujuy and its area of ​​76306 hectares makes it the largest protected area in our country dedicated to the conservation of mountain rain forests. Access is free.

The park has a great scenic beauty that can be appreciated in all its splendor when traveling along Provincial Route No. 83 that runs through it. Along the way, three distinct environments can be identified: the Pedemontana jungle, the montana jungle and the montane forest.

Birds and mammals in Calilegua park.

Each one of them presents a characteristic vegetation and it is possible to see certain species of birds and mammals in particular, which makes this site an ideal place for wildlife observation, especially birds, since 270 species have been surveyed and it is estimated that they could inhabit the park about 230 more, which would make Calilegua home to 50% of the bird species that inhabit our country.

As for mammals, the presence of the largest predator in America, the Yaguareté, also known as "the tiger", should be highlighted. Other cats such as the yaguarundí, the ocelot, the pajonal cat and the puma inhabit these forests.

The tapir or anta is the largest of the yungas mammals and it is possible to observe its imprints imprinted in the mud of the banks of rivers and lagoons.

Read also: A virtual journey through the national parks of Argentina (#2): Baritú, protected natural area.

The observation of footprints is a way of verifying the presence of the fauna of the park, being recommended the identification of the same with park guides.

One of the most varied and important ecosystems northwest Argentina.

Close to the entrance access, is the rugged Aguas Negras campsite. It is possible to camp there, after registering with the park ranger section near it.

There are toilets but the facilities lack hot water and it is also recommended to bring a supply of water, since that obtained from the taps is not drinkable.

Yungas landscape.

A wide network of trails offers different alternatives to appreciate the beauties of the yungas landscape and offer the possibility of entering the depth of the jungles, being able to spot birds and with luck some of the elusive mammals, such is the case of monkeys, acuties , washing bear or mayuato, river wolves and peccaries.

Although the signage is good, it is always highly recommended to walk the trails with guides authorized by the National Parks Administration, since frequent fogs and the absence of clear references in a fairly homogeneous landscape can make orientation difficult.

There is also a circuit enabled for cycling, making it an unforgettable experience.

The Argentine Republic has a rich biodiversity that manifests itself in 18 varied ecoregions.
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or planet.

Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be highest at low latitudes near the equator,which seems to be the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity.

Marine biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest and in mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.

The cougar, mountain lion or lion is a feline that lives in more places than any other land mammal in the Americas.

The Argentine Republic has a rich biodiversity that manifests itself in 18 varied ecoregions.

Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and has been increasing through time but will be likely to slow in the future.

The loss of biodiversity generates negative consequences.

Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions.One estimate is that <1%-3% of the species that have existed on Earth are extant.

Since life began on Earth, five major mass extinctions and several minor events have led to large and sudden drops in biodiversity.

Evolution and History.

The Phanerozoic eon (the last 540 million years) marked a rapid growth in biodiversity via the Cambrian explosion—a period during which the majority of multicellular phyla first appeared.
The next 400 million years included repeated, massive biodiversity losses classified as mass extinction events.

Read also: A virtual journey through the national parks of Argentina: Calilegua yungas biosphere reserve.

In the Carboniferous, rainforest collapse led to a great loss of plant and animal life. The Permian–Triassic extinction event, 251 million years ago, was the worst; vertebrate recovery took 30 million years.

The most recent, the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, occurred 65 million years ago and has often attracted more attention than others because it resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The period since the emergence of humans has displayed an ongoing biodiversity reduction and an accompanying loss of genetic diversity.

The coati, endowed with an extraordinary ability to adapt, live indifferently in the low tropical regions and in the arid wooded plateaus, in the oak groves, in the plains rich in mesquite or on the edges of the deserts; however, they prefer plains covered with woods.

Named the Holocene extinction, the reduction is caused primarily by human impacts, particularly habitat destruction. Conversely, biodiversity impacts human health in a number of ways, both positively and negatively.

The United Nations designated 2011-2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.

With an area of 2,791,810 square kilometres, Argentina is the second largest country in South America. Due to its extension in latitude --from 22 to 56 º SL-- its territory encompasses a variety of climates, landscapes, flora and fauna. Argentina is included in the group of the 25 most biodiverse countries in the world in terms of sheer numbers of species present.

The several types of native forests to be found in that country are strongly linked to such biodiversity levels.

Nevertheless, they have been disappearing at an alarming rate. At the beginning of the 20th century, the country had more than 100 million hectares of forests, which at present are reduced to less than 20 million hectares, half of them suffering an accelerated process of degradation.

Those supposedly responsible for their conservation have reacted with complete indifference and in some cases even promoting such destruction.The causes of the present situation are historical.

Evolutionary Diversification.

Coinciding with the conquest of the country's interior by the Buenos Aires centralized government that took place during the second half of the 19th century in the name of modernization, forests in different regions of the country entered a period of decline which has continued and worsened in the last decades.

Logging by foreign and national companies, infrastructure projects and more recently the establishment of pulpwood and carbon-sink monoculture tree plantations have been some of the major causes of forest loss.

The British forestry company La Forestal.

Cases of deforestation have been reported all over the country. During the 19th century, in the northern province of Santiago del Estero a severe process of deforestation occured, which devastated the forests to the detriment of a local population formed by people of Quichua and Spanish descent.

Responsible for it were powerful European logging companies --stimulated by the government-- which once the resource was exhausted left the country leaving a landscape of devastation and poverty behind.

A similar case is that of the Province of Santa Fé, where forest cover decreased in nearly 4.6 millionhectares over the last 80 years, with a deforestation rate reaching 121,500 hectares per year between 1970 and 1984.

The British forestry company La Forestal, which began to operate in the region in 1880 owning nearly one third of the Province's area to exploit "quebracho" (Schinopsis balansae) forests, was the direct responsible for this depletion.

Social unrest caused by the exploitation of nature and people and violent repression that followed constitute one of the most serious cases of environmental conflicts in Latin America.

San Luis and La Pampa.

In central San Luis Province, the last 200,000 hectares of "caldén" (Prosopis caldenia) forests are threatened by a project to be implemented by Orinco Argentina S.A. to produce parquet flooring and charcoal for export.

The caldenal pampeano managed to strengthen itself in recent decades over the native species of the area thanks to the action of livestock activity.

Misiones, Corrientes and Chaco.

The subtropical Province of Misiones, at the border with Brazil and Paraguay, is also undergoing a process of forest loss.
At the beginning of the 20th century 90% of its area was covered by a dense subtropical forest, but nowadays there are only 1,500,000 hectares left. Instead, large areas of the province are now covered by monoculture pine tree plantations mostly aimed at pulp production.

Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia.

Last February the government of Tierra del Fuego Province, in the extreme south of the country, authorized the logging of 130,000 hectares of "lenga" (Nothofagus pumilio) native forests, with complete disregard of the opinion of civil society and academic circles.

Lenga, Tierra del Fuego oak, southern beech or white oak, is a tree of the Nothofagaceae family (or of the Fagaceae family according to another classification). It is a representative species of the Andean Patagonian forest of southern Argentina and Chile.

Entre Rios.

Infrastructure works are also a direct cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss.

The NGO Vida Silvestre has recently denounced the destruction of the riverine forests in the hydrologic system of the Uruguay River in the eastern province of Entre Ríos because of this reason.

Jujuy and Salta.

In the northern Provinces of Jujuy and Salta, the Kolla indigenous people have been defending the "yungas" --one of the last remaining mountain forests in Argentina, that is the habitat of the endangered jaguar "yaguareté"-- against a pipeline project that would transport natural gas from eastern Salta to northern Chile's copper mines. Greenpeace Argentina has had an active participation in this conflict.
Carbon sink plantations --together with the more traditional pulpwood and timber plantations-- are increasingly being promoted as a "solution" to climate change and could result in further forest loss.

Rio Negro and Neuquén.

In May 2000 the company El Foyel S.A, in an area located near the Nahuel Huapí National Park, in the southern Province of Río Negro, began to log 300 hectareas of native forest to substitute them with oregon and radiata pine plantations for a carbon sink project.
Native cypress trees, as well as "ñire" (Nothofagus antartica) and "maitén" (Maytenus boaria) were cut down. The quick and strong reaction of local dwellers and the environmental NGO "Comunidad de Limay" prevented the project to continue.

Principles and Basis of the Process of Preparation of the National Biodiversity Strategy.

A document titled "Principles and Basis of the Process of Preparation of the National Biodiversity Strategy" states: "The Government and the People of the Argentine Nation know that it is vital to maintain an environment rich in species and ecosystems. They are concerned about the loss of the values and ancient knowledge kept through the years by different cultures and communities that live in the country.

Sources.
Wikipedia
Argentina Live