UPM Forestal Oriental - Social and Enviromental Report 2014

DID YOU KNOW?

With regard to flora, around 1200 species have been detected. This is equivalent to saying that about half of the species that make up all of the country’ flora are present in the company’s fields, representing the most diverse biological types (trees, shrubs, grasses, epiphytes, etc.).

Flora and vegetation

Fauna

The main types of existing natural vegetation are: different types of natu- ral grassland, sand dune vegetation, alkaline soils, general riparian forests, Chaco park forest, flat-topped hill forests; palm groves of Butia yatay and Trithrinax campestris, scrubland, wet- lands and stubble. All of these vegetation types are considered special either because they represent types of vegetation that are in decline or endangered or because they are home to rare species or species with restricted distribution in Uruguay. These include some forests in Chaco park, Yatay palm trees, ravine forests and flat-topped hills and certain types of natural grassland. The aim is for the majority of the types of threatened vegetation, as well as the types of environment, to be

represented in the company’s reserve areas. The most significant findings include the first recorded sighting in Uruguay of the species Chloraea bella (Orchidaceae), Conyza lorentzii (Asteraceae), Leptochloa chloridi- formis (Poaceae), Ipheion tweedianum (Alliaceae), or species new to science, as in the case of Cereus sp. (Cactace- ae). Other findings confirmed the pres- ence of rare, endangered and endemic species, as well as a large number of more common species. The presence of these rare species is verified and monitored periodically in the main areas of conservation. The most relevant results are presented in the chapter on Environmental Moni- toring.

Field surveys have been carried out to determine the composition of the wildlife present on different company plots. Tetrapods basically comprise four zoological classes: Amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The table shows the number of species according to their class found at a national level and how these are dis- tributed in the regions where UPM Forestal Oriental carries out its activi- ties. As you can see, more than half of all species recorded for the country, excluding marine species, have been registered on UPM Forestal Oriental plots and, in some cases, the distribu- tion of previously known species has expanded.

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