Tumbes National Reserve 1.39

Tumbes National Reserve is a protected area established in 2006 and located in the region of Tumbes, Peru; near the border with Ecuador. It spans an area of 751km2 and along with Cerros de Amotape National Park and El Angolo Game Preserve is part of the Noroeste Biosphere Reserve designated by UNESCO.HistoryIn 1957, the Peruvian government created the Tumbes National Forest with an area of 75.102 hectares, to promote the rational exploitation of the forest resources. However, wood extraction was an important activity in the area since the 1940s and the forest was already heavily exploited.In 1974, a law prohibiting wood extraction (except for very mature trees) in Tumbes was passed.UNESCO declared the Tumbes National Forest as part of the Noroeste Biosphere Reserve in 1977.In 1994, the government creates by a decree the Tumbes Reserved Zone in the former area of the Tumbes National Forest. The aims of the creation of the reserved zone were to protect a representative area of the Pacific tropical forest, and its threatened flora and fauna.On July 7 2006, the Peruvian government declared part of the area as the Tumbes National Reserve. The area with the highest conservation priority was merged into Cerros de Amotape National Park, while the remaining area was declared compatible with traditional land use and defined as spanning 19266.72hectare.GeographyThe area is characterized by a hilly terrain with some flat areas. It is covered with seasonally dry forest and tropical forest, due to the more humid climate resulting from marine currents and atmospheric factors.