UPM Forestal Oriental Annual Report 2022

30 YEARS OF BIODIVERSITY MONITORING IN URUGUAY

Since 1991, when Forestal Oriental landed on the western coast of the country, the land intended for forestation was evaluated from an environmental point of view, including biodiversity, which was not required locally but was of great interest to the company. Thanks to this innovative practice we have had biodiversity surveys and monitoring since 1992 on an uninterrupted basis. These studies are conducted by various well known specialists in each biological group. Today we have a n etwork of Conserved Natural Areas, which includes 31 biodiversity conservation areas, each with its own management plan and monitoring programmes, as

and record the first appearance of 40 species of flora in the territory. It’s worth highlighting that in the three decades of biodiversity research we have found that 73% of the native flora and 63% of the autochthonous fauna (tetrapods) are present in our Network of Conservation Areas. Additionally, a species (a flower) new to science was detected in company property: Antiphytum charruasorum N. Mend. & Marina Diaz (Rubiaceae).

well as status and management indicators. In particular, one of the conservation areas is also a Protected Area that is part of the National System of Protected Areas (NSPA). We also have Representative Sample Areas of natural ecosystems and Connectivity Areas. This n etwork is made up of areas located in the different eco regions and landscape units at the Uruguay River, which is crucial to maximise the number of ecosystems and species present in the country. In 2022 we celebrated 30 years of biodiversity management, which has allowed us to contribute to the enrichment of the country’s scientific heritage

COMPLETE STUDY OF UPM’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSERVATION OF THE NATIVE FLORA OF URUGUAY

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UPM ANNUAL REPORT 2022