It possesses a range of very high mountains, the Andes, two of the world's biggest rivers, the Amazon and the Orinoco, more than half of the world's tropical forest, and 90,000 species of plants. It has a wide range of climates and habitats, including the Amazonian rainforest, which alone contains 18,000 species of plants, perhaps one in three of which are trees. In one hectare of Amazonian forest no fewer than 300 tree species have been recorded. More than 1,100 species of mammals are found in Latin America, including the giant anteater, the spectacled bear and the jaguar. The birds are spectacular, including 1,300 rainforest species, the greater rhea and the striking Andean condor. There are also around 320 types of hummingbird.


Current threats & problems

Brazil | Mexico | Colombia | Argentina


Brazil
Brazil is home to a huge number of animals and plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. One of these species is the beautiful golden lion tamarin, which lives in the Atlantic forest - the world's second most endangered vegetation type. Less than two per cent of the tamarin's original habitat remains today, due to clearance for agriculture and urban development. However, thanks to the efforts of WWF and other environmental organisations, its population has increased from a low point of 200 individuals (over 30 years ago) to over 1,000 today. The main focus of WWF's work in the area has been to involve the local community through environmental education programmes, and to protect more areas of tamarin habitat. It's not just the tamarin that benefits from habitat protection - many other endangered species also live in the Atlantic forest, such as the woolly spider monkey, blue-cheeked parakeet and maned sloth.

Brazil has 17 per cent of the world's fresh water contained in its rivers, lakes and wetlands. These waters support a great diversity of wildlife such as the pink river dolphin, Amazonian manatee and caiman. However, the waters are being overused and polluted, causing unnatural floods, droughts and the spread of disease.

The Brazilian government is developing new ways to manage its water resources. WWF is helping to ensure that Brazilian waterways are seen as living systems that must be used sustainably, as they represent a vital resource for all Brazilians, both now and in the future. WWF is also helping to raise awareness of issues surrounding the use of fresh water, and is making sure that other environmental and social groups have their say in any decisions made.

WWF encourages people to regard the river systems as a whole, and to include tributaries and surrounding forest habitat in management plans. We carry out research and demonstration projects to show the best ways of using water and adjacent land for the good of the environment and local people.


Mexico
Mexico has over 550,000 square kilometres of forests, which are home to a huge variety of animals and plants. Eighty per cent of these forests are owned and managed by rural-dwelling indigenous people who depend on them for their livelihoods. The forests not only provide products for daily living such as fruit, firewood and medicinal plants, but they also help to regulate rainfall and the flow of river water, thereby protecting the landscape against flooding and soil erosion.

These vital forests are being cut down at an alarming rate. An area more than twice the size of Scotland has been lost in the last 40 years. Clearance for agriculture, forest fires and bad logging management are all factors contributing to this loss. The law in Mexico needs to be revised to ensure the forests are protected from destruction.

WWF is developing a national forest programme in Mexico to make sure that the forests are protected and are managed in a way that benefits both the people and the wildlife that depend on them. The programme will focus mainly on tropical dry forests and pine-oak forests, which are home to important species such as the jaguar, giant river otter and monarch butterfly. These forests are considered to be among the most vulnerable in the world by WWF. They contain a vast diversity of life including some species that are found nowhere else. At least 47 of the vertebrate species living in the dry forests are threatened with global extinction.

To ensure the long-term future of Mexico's forests, WWF works with both the people who depend on the forests and the Mexican government. The programme will:

• research the causes of forest loss in Mexico
• develop schemes enabling communities to establish communally protected areas, which will help them to use their local forest responsibly, and to become more prosperous
• promote Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, which is a globally recognised standard of responsible forest and wood product management
• work with the government to promote legislation that benefits forests
• ensure local people are aware of how forests affect their lives and how beneficial they are.

Colombia
Colombia is an amazing country - it has possibly the highest biological diversity per surface area in the world. On average one in ten species of flora and fauna in the world is found in Colombia. However, an unequal distribution of the country's land and wealth causes conservation problems. Most agricultural land is controlled by a small percentage of the population, which pushes poorer farmers into forested and poor quality land - much of which is the habitat of endangered species.

The spectacled bear is one creature affected by this habitat loss. It is the only bear species found in South America, and takes its name from the light markings around its eyes that give it the appearance of wearing spectacles. It is a shy creature that spends most of its time feeding and sleeping. As well as being threatened by habitat loss, the bear is hunted for its claws, which are thought to improve fertility and vigour.

WWF is working to prevent habitat loss in Colombia by strengthening the network of private reserves, and protecting and promoting the sustainable use of as much land as possible, despite the current unfavourable state of land distribution. WWF is also working with the people and government of Colombia to ensure they have the knowledge and the tools to provide a sustainable future for their natural environment. Environmental education, both in schools and for key members of the public, raises awareness of conservation issues and enables people to address the environmental problems affecting their lives. WWF also trains Colombians to enable them to participate in decision-making processes regarding the use and management of their natural resources.

Around a quarter of all Southern Hemisphere humpback whales breed in Colombia's coastal Pacific waters every year. Humpbacks are well known for their 'songs', which are sung by the males. In the past, humpbacks were hunted to the brink of extinction. Today, however, populations are recovering despite hunting, human disturbance, pollution, entanglement in nets, and collisions with ships. WWF is supporting a scheme encouraging local boat operators to join sensitively-organised trips to see the Colombian whales. The regulations for this sustainable whale watching scheme are based on thorough research, also supported by WWF, into the whale's behaviour. WWF is also assessing the potential for establishing a new marine protected area, and has joined other organisations in holding an annual festival along the Colombian Pacific coast to raise awareness about humpbacks and other migratory species found in the Pacific Ocean.

Argentina
The waters around Argentina are teeming with life, including many species of fish, whales and dolphins. WWF is supporting a programme aimed at conserving Argentina's marine environment. It is designating fishing-free areas to prevent the over-fishing of hake, establishing protected marine areas, and influencing fishing policies that affect the area.


What WWF is doing

Since 1962, the WWF global network has supported over a thousand conservation initiatives in more than 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries. And today, with an annual budget of nearly £17 million, the programme helps to sustain 200 projects and programmes aimed at protecting a large portion of the region's wildlife.