Global Environment Outlook 3 (GEO 3)

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BIODIVERSITY

OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT: Iguazú National Park

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Landsat imagery on this page shows how land- clearing and logging have opened up a previously forested landscape. The protected

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area of Iguazú National Park, located in Argentina on the border with Brazil and Paraguay, is sharply defined as the dark green enclave on the right of the images, the only remaining original forest in the region. Conservation of this park, a World Heritage site, is critical because it harbours one of the most complete remnant patches of the highly endangered Paranaense forest. The park is rich in fauna and includes 68 species of mammals, 422 of birds, 38 of reptiles and 18 of amphibians, a large number of which are threatened or vulnerable.

Landsat data: USGS/EROS Data Center Compilation: UNEP GRID Sioux Falls