My Science School

Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name of Easter Island. The Park is famous for 887 stone statues known by the name ‘moai’. It is believed that the early Rapa Nui people who inhabited the island around 300 AD built these stone statues.

Archaeological investigations done here have declared Rapa Nui as of great cultural heritage. Though Rapa Nui was declared a national park in 1935, the first management plan was not implemented until the 1980s. A harmonious has now been implemented in the reserve areas with agricultural activities, livestock grazing orchards and traditional fishing sites.

Invasive plants have been introduced in the Park for livestock grazing. This has disturbed and threatened some of the native species. Another factor that affects the native plants is forest fires.

 

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Galapagos is a unique archipelago of volcanic origin. It is a living laboratory of evolutionary processes, still in progress. In addition to this, the archipelago addition to this, the archipelago contains a large number of animal and plant species that do not exist anywhere else in the world. These factors make the archipelago unique.

1959 marked the centenary year of the publication of Charles Darwin’s book The Origin of Species based on the observations made during his stays in these Ecuadorian islands. In the book, Darwin discussed the famous theory of evolution by natural selection.

Galapagos National Park was established the same year in memory of this ground-breaking publication. 97 per cent of the archipelago is now a national park. More than 45 species of endemic birds, 42 of reptiles, 15 of mammals and 79 fish species live in Galapagos in harmony with humans.

 

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Manu National Park in Peru is the only national park in Latin America to cover the full range of environments, from low, tropical jungle to cold, high grassland. It is located in the eastern sector of the Andes mountain range and borders the Amazon Basin. The tropical forest in the lower tiers of Manu is home to an unrivalled variety of animal and plant species.

Some 850 species of birds have been identified in the Park. Rare species such as the giant otter and the giant armadillo also find refuge there. In addition to this, 210 species of fish, 300 species of ants, 650 species of beetles, 136 species of dragonflies and more than 1300 species of butterflies have been reported in the Park so far. In 1977, UNESCO recognized it as a Biosphere Reserve and in 1987, as a World Heritage Site.

 

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Tayrona National Park greets its visitors with giant round boulders that look like dinosaur eggs. Moreover, monkeys, birds and insects will accompany the visitors wherever they go. It feels like a walk through Jurassic Park.

Naturalists have extensively classified the plants, animals and birds of Tayrona. There are 108 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, 70 species of bats, 31 species of reptiles, 15 species of sponges, 471 species of crustaceans, 96 species of annelids, 700 species of molluscs, 110 species of sea and river fish.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the numbers; the list doesn’t end here. 350 types of algae and more than 770 species of plants can also be found in this region.

 

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Volcanoes that are about 6000 metres above the sea level like Parinacota, Pomerape and Acotando are the most prominent features of the Lauca National Park. The Park also has lava fields and lakes including Chungar and Cotacotani, which lie at the foothills of the Payachata volcanic group. Apart from these, the Park hosts a town, the town of Parincota.

Lauca National Park has a rich animal and plant life. More than 140 species of birds live in the Park, making it one of the best national parks in Chile for birding. Mammals in the area include llamas, alpacas, guanacos, tarucas, cougars and vizcachas.

 

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Lancoise Maranhenses has a breathtaking landscape with miles and miles of white dunes dotted by freshwater lagoons, sometimes blue, sometimes green. It looks like a long, white crumpled sheet and is undoubtedly the largest field of sand dunes in South America.

Lancoise Maranhenses National Park is located in Brazil. The natural vegetation in the Park thrives in the edges of the dunes. The lagoons in the park are often interconnected with one another, as well as with the rivers that run through the area. A number of fish and insects live in it including the wolf fish. The wolf fish burrows down into the wet layers of mud and remains dormant during the dry season. The Park also shelters four endangered species-the scarlet ibis, the neotropical otter, the oncilla and the West Indian manatee.

 

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The plateaus, mountains and caves of Chapada Diamantina National Park are home to thousands of animals. It is home to many endemic plants and birds. The hooded visorbearer hummingbird is one of the most famous endemic species of the Park.

Protected birds in the reserve include the white-necked hawk, Chaco eagle, Bahia tyrannulet, ochre-marked parakeet and Bahia spinetail. There are more small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and insects than big mammals in the Park.

The area was designated as a national park in 1985 in order to preserve natural ecosystems and conduct scientific research.

 

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Amboro is truly a jungle paradise. Three distinct ecosystems meet in Bolivia’s Amboro National Park- the foothills of the Andes, the northern Chaco, and the Amazon Basin. Nowhere else in the world do three such diverse environments converge.

Amboro is one of the most botanically rich and wildlife abundant national parks in the world; over 2,659 species of plants, 177 types of mammals, 135 varieties of reptiles and 173 kinds of amphibians reside in the Park. With over 830 species of birds, it shelters more than 60 per cent of the country’s bird population. The botanical survey of the Park remains incomplete till date because of the difficult terrain and lack of infrastructure. Therefore, chances are likely that more species might be discovered in future.

 

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Torres del Paine National Park is one of the largest national parks in Chile with a scenic bluish landscape that changes from glaciers and mountains to rivers and dense forests. The Torres del Paine are the distinctive three granite peaks of the Paine mountain range.

Earlier, it was known as Lago Gray National Tourism Park. In those days, the main activity of the area was livestock and tourism. On April 30, 1970, 11,000 new hectares of land was added to its protected terrain and was renamed as Torres del Paine National Park. The Park can be divided into four vegetation zones: Patagonian steppe, Pre-Andean shrubland, Magellanic subpolar forests and Andean Desert.

A large variety of animals and plants inhabit this territory because of the different biotic zones in the Park.

 

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The ecosystem in Los Roques Archipelago National Park is dominated by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. The coral reefs here host some of the most beautiful underwater fauna and flora of the Caribbean.

In fact, Los Roques has the highest-quality coral reefs with respect to species diversity, area of live coverage, and low incidence of diseases in the Caribbean. 61 species of corals, 200 types of crustaceans, 140 varieties of molluscs, 45 kinds of echinoderms, 60 species of sponges, and 280 kinds of fish thrive here. In addition to this, Los Rosques has a rich diversity in its bird population. At least 50 species of migratory birds visit the islands here. Four globally endangered sea turtle species nest regularly on the islands. Undoubtedly, this archipelago is of high ecological value.

 

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Iguazu Falls, one of the most spectacular waterfalls of the world is situated right in the middle of a subtropical rainforest. This area is protected by the Iguazu Falls National Park.

The Park comprises a series of 275 waterfalls at the heart of the Paranaense Rainforest, located 17 kilometres from the Paran River, where the Argentine, Brazil and Paraguay borders meet. The Iguazu river flows 1320 kilometres before draining into the Paran. The rainforest surrounding the Park is home to over 2,000 species of vascular plants and animals like giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots and caymans.

The Park protects several threatened species including the jaguar, jaguarondi and South American tapir. It has a great variety of birds and butterflies too.

 

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The arid regions of the Joshua Tree National Park offer some of the best spots for stargazing and other activities like biking and hiking. Tourists flock to the Park for these reasons.

Two distinct desert ecosystems come together in Joshua Tree National Park- the Mojave and the Colorado. The land here is sculpted by strong winds and torrents of rain. Snowfall occurs occasionally at higher elevations. A variety of plants and animals thrive here.

The higher and cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the Joshua tree after which the Park is named. Compared to Mojave, Colorado is seen as the low forest, that exists below 3000 ft. The temperature here is usually higher. The California occurs naturally in five oases in the Park.

 

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Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. The Park is named after Jasper Hawes, who operated a trading post in the region for the North West Company.

Jasper National Park is noted for the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains. The wildlife in Jasper National Park attracts thousands of people around the world.

The Park is successful in maintaining healthy population of plants and animals even while there is a dramatic decline in wildlife in most parts of North America since the past 200 years. Jasper National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

 

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The General Sherman tree, the largest tree on Earth, grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five of the ten largest trees in the world. All of them are protected in the Sequoia National Park.

Sequoia National Park is famous for its giant sequoia trees. The Park contains a significant portion of southern Sierra Nevada. It is so well preserved that the landscape still resembles the southern Sierra Nevada before Euro-American settlement. More giant sequoias can be found in Kings Canyon National Park’s General Grant Grove. Apart from giant sequoias, the Park is also famous for the caves in it. There are more than 270 known caves, including the Lilburn Cave. The Lilburn Cave is California’s longest cave with nearly 27 km surveyed passages.

 

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Famous for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, giant sequoia groves, glaciers, clear streams, lakes and mountains, Yosemite National Park is an internationally renowned conservation area.

The granitic rocks that formed almost 10 million years ago is a characteristic feature of Yosemite. With 95 per cent of the land designated as wilderness, it is the most biologically diverse region in Sierra Nevada.

With rare local geologic formations and unique soils, Yosemite provides suitable habitat for more than 160 rare plants. The Park is divided into five major vegetation zones – oak woodland, lower montane forest, upper montane forest, subalpine zone, and alpine zone.

The Mariposa grove in Yosemite is home to over 500 mature sequoias. The Park also has the tallest waterfall in North America- the Yosemite Falls.

 

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