The Samuel Ecological Station () is a strictly protected
ecological station in the state of
Rondônia
Rondônia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northern subdivision of the country (central-western part). It is bordered by Acre (state), Acre in the west,
Amazonas, Brazil, Amazonas in the north, Mato Grosso in the east, and Bo ...
, Brazil.
It contains a tract of
Amazon rainforest
The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...
that extends east from the reservoir formed by the
Samuel Hydroelectric Dam.
Location
The Samuel State Ecological Station is in the northern portion of the state of Rondonia.
It covers part of the
Jamari River
The Jamari River is a river of Rondônia state in western Brazil.
Part of the river's watershed is covered by the Jacundá National Forest, a sustainable use conservation unit.
The Jamari river is dammed by the Samuel Hydroelectric Dam near Po ...
basin and a large part of the reservoir of the Samuel Hydroelectric Dam.
The conservation unit extends the east from this reservoir.
It is bounded to the north by the Jequitibá Forestry Settlement Project (''Projeto de Assentamento Florestal''), to the north and east by the
Jacundá National Forest and to the south by the
Jamari National Forest.
The unit lies in the municipalities of
Candeias do Jamari
Candeias do Jamari is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. Its population was 27,388 in 2020 and its area is .
The municipality contains 76% of the fully protected Samuel Ecological Station.
It also contains part of the ...
(76%) and
Itapuã do Oeste (24%).
Environment
The Samuel State Ecological Station lies in the lower plateau of the western Amazonia, with altitudes from above sea level.
The conservation unit is completely covered with open rainforest of the
Amazon biome
The Amazon biome () contains the Amazon rainforest, an area of tropical rainforest, and other ecoregions that cover most of the Amazon basin and some adjacent areas to the north and east. The biome contains blackwater river, blackwater and whitewa ...
.
The unit has diverse flora, with up to 200 species of trees per hectare.
Palm trees dominate the upper strata of poorly drained areas.
There are typical lowland forests in the flooded areas and along streams adapted to flood periods of up to eight months.
Conservation
The Samuel Ecological Station was created as a form of compensation for the environmental impact of the Eletronorte's Samuel hydroelectric project, whose reservoir covers .
The ecological station was created by decree on 18 July 1989 with an area of .
On 29 December 1997 the station's limits were defined with an area of .
The station has been threatened by
illegal logging
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a p ...
.
The Rondonia Environmental agency ''Secretaria de Estado do Desenvolvimento Ambiental'' (SEDAM) signed an agreement with Eletronorte in 2013 for mutual cooperation in protection and conservation actions for the Samuel station, without transfer of funds.
On 2015 an advisory council was formed with members from government and non-government institutions of the Candeias do Jamari and Itapuã d'Oeste municipalities, Vila Nova Samuel and the Jequitibá PAF farmers association.
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{authority control
1989 establishments in Brazil
Ecological stations of Brazil
Protected areas of Rondônia
Protected areas established in 1989