The tahuampas are lowlands surrounded by wooded vegetation that are flooded mainly in times of rain. They are located in the region of the Low Forest of Peru, where the climate is tropical and warm.
In rainy seasons, the water mass joins the river to form huge aquatic extensions, in which a rich and varied ecosystem proliferates.
They are also known by the name of aguajales, due to the amount of aguajes they house. The aguajes are a species of autochthonous palm tree very characteristic of the region.
According to the natives and popular beliefs, Sacha Mama, mother of the forest, is the protector of these lands and their natural riches.
Main features
There are two well differentiated types of tahuampas: those that are flooded some months of the year, called white waters; and the so-called igapós, which are black waters.
As the Tahuampas enter the territory, they form arches called meanders and lagoons called cochas.
Meanders
They form in alluvial plains where slopes hardly exist. As in the section of the channel the velocity increases, the water erodes the bank and creates a deep curve, while at the other end of the curve the sediment deposition increases.
Cochas
When the rivers of the Tahuampas change their channels and rest in the meanders, cochas are formed, which are horseshoe-shaped lakes of various extensions.
These lagoons can be semicircular or irregular and communicate with the river and with each other, through channels.
When these lagoons are of recent formation they have water bodies with floating vegetation, while the other less recent ones are more swampy.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation of this region is characterized by the abundance of aquatic plants, in addition to the wooded formations that surround the meanders.
Grasses abound at the time when rivers decrease and floating plants, such as guama, cover large areas of water.
Plants produce tannins, defensive elements to repel insects and herbivores, and thus prevent them from eating their leaves.
One of the species that stands out for its beauty is the water rose, whose leaves can measure more than a meter in diameter. Its flower is pink in color and measures forty centimeters in diameter.
As for the animals, the most characteristic are the paiche, the largest fish in the region, and the manatee.
The Amazon manatee is one of the three known manatee species in the world. They are herbivores, feed on aquatic plants and have a young that remains with the mother for up to two years. Unfortunately, today it is an endangered species.
The tahuampas are of vital importance for the development and conservation of a varied ecosystem of amphibians, chelonians, alligators, mammals and birds, which find food in fruits and seeds typical of this ecosystem.
The typology of the vegetation also allows the species to ensure their reproductive cycles, preserving the eggs in the roots of the trees.
References
- Villacort, Francis, “Most frequent ecosystems in the Amazon”, 2012. Retrieved on December 20, 2017.
- Formentí Natura, “In Amazon¨s Heartland Pacaya Samiria National Reserve (Peru), 2012. Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from formentinatura.com
- Amazonian manatee: everything you need to know to learn more, 2016. Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from wwf.org