Purus National Forest
| Purus National Forest | |
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| Floresta Nacional do Purus | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
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| Nearest city | Pauini, Amazonas |
| Coordinates | 8°16′08″S 67°40′19″W / 8.268807°S 67.671912°WCoordinates: 8°16′08″S 67°40′19″W / 8.268807°S 67.671912°W |
| Area | 256,000 hectares (630,000 acres) |
| Designation | National forest |
| Created | 21 June 1988 |
The Purus National Forest (Portuguese: Floresta Nacional do Purus) is a national forest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. It surrounds the shamanic-Christian community of Céu do Mapiá.
The Purus National Forest is in the municipality of Pauini, Amazonas. It has an area of 256,000 hectares (630,000 acres). It is on the left (west) bank of the Purus River, downstream from Boca do Acre. The Inauini/Teuini Indigenous Territory to the north partly overlaps the national forest. It is bounded to the west by the Mapiá-Inauini National Forest. To the south it adjoins the Camicuã Indigeous Territory.
It takes at least six hours to cover the 200 kilometres (120 mi) road from Rio Branco to Boca do Acre, and the same length of time by boat on the Purus River and then the Mapia stream to reach the central village of Céu do Mapiá. This community in the forest is devoted to consecration of the shamanic-Christian syncretism of Santo Daime. During the dry season access is limited to the Purus River.
Average temperatures range from 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F). Rainfall is from 1,750 to 2,250 millimetres (69 to 89 in) annually. Rain mostly falls in the months of October to April, while the driest season is from June to August. The topography is a plateau with hills and flat areas dissected by deep valleys. The alluvial areas that are flooded by the Purus River are relatively fertile due to sediments from the Andes. However, most of the soils are very poor and acidic.
The vegetation is entirely dense rainforest. In the higher terra firma areas and the valley slopes the canopy reaches 50 metres (160 ft). The main tree species are Dinizia excelsa, Manilkara huberi, Anacardium species, Parkia pendula and Bertholletia excelsa. In the várzea forest along the Mapiá stream (Igarapé Mapiá) the canopy is typically 20 to 30 metres (66 to 98 ft) high. The Mapiá is densely occupied, with many areas of deforestation along its course. In general the area beyond the village of Céu do Mapiá and the Teuini stream is well-preserved.
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Wikipedia