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Wildlife Corridors

Restoring Misiones, Argentina

Engaging smallholder farmers to protect jaguar habitats

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restoration target
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trees growing
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species regenerating
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families benefiting
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threatened mammal species

Location

Cruce Caballero, Misiones, Upper Parana, Argentina

Project partners

Fundacion Vida Silvestre; WWF Netherlands

Restoration approaches

Framework planting, mixed ANR and planting, and agroforestry

Threatened species

Panthera onca, jaguar

Participants

49 smallholder farmers

The state of Misiones, Argentina, contains the largest remaining tract of Interior Atlantic Forest. It is home to one of the largest remaining sub-populations of jaguars, with around 90 individuals currently. However, around 50% of the native forest is unprotected and located in a mosaic of plantations and pasturelands.

Our restoration here will transform the current agricultural model while connecting the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve with the Piñalito and Cruce Caballero Provincial Parks by engaging 49 small-holder farmers to restore farmland into forest patches.

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Why and how we're working here

The Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots. In the last 20 years alone it has lost more than 80% of its original forest cover, mainly due to agricultural expansion. It may soon be the first tropical biome to lose its largest top predator: jaguars.

From 2001 to 2021 the Upper Parana region lost 29,800 ha of tree cover, equivalent to an almost 10% decrease in tree cover since 2000, mainly due to agricultural expansion. The smallholder farmers here carry out subsistence agriculture, and have difficulties accessing water.

Our project with Fundacion Vida Silvestre will support 49 farmers to produce yerba mate in a new, more sustainable way in agroforestry plots of 1 hectare each. Improved water access will be provided to increase productivity, boosting incomes and reducing pressure on the forest. 

Alongside this, we’ll restore 141 hectares of forest through conservation and Assisted Natural Regeneration.

By transforming the current agricultural model and connecting large patches of the Atlantic Forest the project will ensure sustainable livelihoods for farmers while creating space for the free movement of the near-threatened jaguar.

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The project's impact on

people

This project will demonstrate that it is possible to engage smallholder farmers in restoring and protecting the forest. With well-irrigated agroforestry plots, farmers will enjoy improved incomes by producing yerba mate in a new, more sustainable way, while enabling connectivity between protected areas and enhancing animal movement for species such as the jaguar. 

This type of forest is known as Seasonal Semideciduous Forest (SSF), characterized by partial deciduousness during the dry season (usually from April to September). It’s the same type of forest as in our Pontal project.
This type of forest is known as Seasonal Semideciduous Forest (SSF), characterized by partial deciduousness during the dry season (usually from April to September). It’s the same type of forest as in our Pontal project.
The loss of forest cover because of agriculture and cattle grazing expansion is decreasing habitats and fragmenting the forests. It has also been increasing the ecosystem's vulnerability to climate change.
The loss of forest cover because of agriculture and cattle grazing expansion is decreasing habitats and fragmenting the forests. It has also been increasing the ecosystem's vulnerability to climate change.
Agriculture here is mainly dominated by perennial crops, particularly yerba mate. It comes from the naturally caffeinated leaves of a native species of holly tree, Ilex paraguariensis, originating from the Atlantic Forest.
Agriculture here is mainly dominated by perennial crops, particularly yerba mate. It comes from the naturally caffeinated leaves of a native species of holly tree, Ilex paraguariensis, originating from the Atlantic Forest.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest feline of the Americas, and this top predator is a near threatened species due to its decreasing population. Our partner, Fundacion Vida Silvestre, has been working in Upper Parana since 2006 with support from WWF Latin America to increase and stabilize jaguar populations.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest feline of the Americas, and this top predator is a near threatened species due to its decreasing population. Our partner, Fundacion Vida Silvestre, has been working in Upper Parana since 2006 with support from WWF Latin America to increase and stabilize jaguar populations.
The project will restore 196 ha: 141 ha of forest mainly through conservation and ANR, with some active planting, and 49 ha through agroforestry.
The project will restore 196 ha: 141 ha of forest mainly through conservation and ANR, with some active planting, and 49 ha through agroforestry.
Three nurseries will provide the 20 native species for the active planting and agroforestry, and experimental plots will demonstrate the increased output of agroforestry systems.
Three nurseries will provide the 20 native species for the active planting and agroforestry, and experimental plots will demonstrate the increased output of agroforestry systems.
Improvements in water collection and distribution will be provided to small farmers to increase productivity. The families benefiting from this project will have vegetable gardens they couldn’t have before.
Improvements in water collection and distribution will be provided to small farmers to increase productivity. The families benefiting from this project will have vegetable gardens they couldn’t have before.

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