Wetlands of Bogotá
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Wetlands of Bogotá, Colombia, are important areas of the capital city, and their development has become increasingly important for the area north of the Andes. A reserve for fauna and flora, the wetlands provide for the preservation and reproduction of a wide variety of mammals, reptiles and birds. These include more than 95 species of migratory birds, as well as many endemic plant species. The wetlands are part of the Bogotá River basin. The wetland complex has been designated as a protected Ramsar site since 2018.[1]
Designations | |
---|---|
Official name | Complejo de Humedales Urbanos del Distrito Capital de Bogotá |
Designated | 6 August 2018 |
Reference no. | 2404[1] |
Three types of wetland ecosystems have been identified in the district, differentiated by origin and position: plain wetlands are located in urban areas, while hillside and wasteland wetlands have been identified in the capital's rural areas. Many of the wetland ecosystems are disappearing because of advanced population growth within the city of Bogota. With the passage of time and the steady growth of the city, it is estimated that of the 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) of wetlands that covered Bogotá in 1940, only 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) remain today.[2]
The flightless Colombian grebe, extinct in the 1980s, was restricted to the Wetlands.