San Rafael National Park Reserve Area (SRNPRA) (20562)
Paraguay, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c

Year of last assessment: 2025

National site name: Área de Reserva para Parque Nacional San Rafael

Central coordinates: Latitude: -26.4513, Longitude: -55.7250

System: terrestrial, subterranean, freshwater

Elevation (m): 54 to 482

Area of KBA (km²): 689.6361

Protected area coverage (%): 79.92

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The San Rafael National Park Reserve Area (SRNPRA), known as “San Rafael”, covers an area of 72,489 hectares, located in the districts of Alto Verá, San Pedro del Paraná, Itapúa Poty and Tomas Romero Pereira, in the department of Itapúa; and the Tavai district of the department of Caazapá. It has an average annual temperature of 21.3°C, with extreme minimums of -0.8°C and maximums that reach 41.7°C; The annual precipitation is 1496 mm. Its geographical coordinates are 26°27'5'' S and 55°43'54'', with altitudes ranging from 54 to 482 msnm (Guyra Paraguay 2008, DINAC 2022, MADES et al. 2024). The SRNPRA is part of the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion (BAAPA), which belongs to the western extension of the humid forest of the Atlantic Forest biome, considered a priority for conservation on a global scale, recognized by: The Global 200. Priority Ecoregions for Global Conservation (Olson y Dinerstein 2002), Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities (Myers et al. 2000), and A Conservation Assessment of the Terrestrial Ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean (Dinersteirn et al. 1995). The biome is characterized by its high biodiversity and large number of endemic species, however, it is also considered one of the most threatened in the world, having lost more than 93% of its original coverage (Di Betteti el al 2003). It is the second largest forest remnant of the BAAPA, relevant for conservation at a national, regional and international scale; it is part of the upper basin of the Tebicuary River, which is the main tributary of the Paraguay River and some 159 springs have been counted within the limits of San Rafael. Likewise, it is located within the distribution area of the largest underground freshwater reserve in the world, the Guaraní Aquifer (Cartes 2006, De Egea y Balbuena 2011). San Rafael has dense, semi-deciduous forests of varying heights between 20 and 30 m, due to the degree of intensity of logging to which they were subjected in the past. The most pristine forests are home to species of high commercial value and currently under some category of threat. In the lower strata, little differentiated from each other, there is a great diversity of woody species, among which the Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Meliaceae and Euphorbiaceae stand out. Lianas, supporting shrubs and epiphytes are very abundant, among the best known is the Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, Pisonia aculeata and nomerous species of orchids. In the undergrowth, ferns and several species of the families Piperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae and Poaceae predominate, the most frequent species in the undergrowth are Sorocea bonplandii and Actinostemon concolor. When forests have been modified by selective extraction, the clearings produced are colonized by bamboo forests. However, there is a large amount of regeneration of dominant tree species, which indicates the high regeneration power of the forest (Guyra Paraguay 2008). Riparian forests develop on sandy-silty soils, which accompany water courses and form a strip of variable width along rivers and streams. The upper canopy reaches up to 15 m in height and is characterized by the presence of various trees and dense bushes. There is also a great diversity and abundance of epiphytic plants and ferns, including the presence of species of tree ferns (Cyatheaceae) threatened nationally and globally (Guyra Paraguay 2008). The grasslands or natural fields present also host a great diversity of fauna and flora. These are predominantly herbaceous communities developed on soils with a silt-clay texture, with a cover of scattered woody shrubs and trees. Grasses dominate the flat landscape along with other herbaceous plants from the families Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae, Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, among others. The grasslands on saturated soils, which can reach up to 2 m in height, are associated with springs and valleys of streams. As the terrain descends, the grasslands become permanent estuaries that favor the development of a great diversity of aquatic plants (Guyra Paraguay 2008). The SRNPRA is home to approximately 4.6% of the country's plant species, 63% of birds, 25% of mammals, 24% of reptiles and 43.5% of amphibians (Database of Guyra Paraguay 2025)

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: San Rafael National Park Reserve Area qualifies as a KBA because of the presence of the species Xanthopsar flavus, which is in the IUCN Red List threat category Endangered (EN), and triggers KBA sub-criteria A1a, A1c. In addition, there are 73 legacy bird species within the site that need reassessment under the current KBA criteria.

Additional biodiversity: Birds: Pipile jacutinga (EN), Amazona vinacea (EN), Sporophila palustris (EN), Crax fasciolata (VU), Eleothreptus anomalus (VU), Tringa flavipes (VU), Celeus galeatus (VU), Platyrinchus leucoryphus (VU), Alectrurus tricolor (VU), Alectrurus risora (VU), Anthus nattereri (VU), Sporophila cinnamomea (VU). Mammals: Myrmecophaga tridactyla (VU), Sapajus cay (VU), Leopardus guttulus (VU), Tapirus terrestris (VU), Tayassu pecari (VU), Mazama nana (VU) Reptiles: Atractus thalesdelemai (EN) y Micrurus silviae (VU) Amphibians: Melanophryniscus devincenzii (VU).

Manageability of the site: The SRNPRA is part of the National System of Protected Areas of Paraguay (SINASIP), which is a set of Protected Wild Areas of ecological and social importance at international, national and local levels. Although it is under public domain, there are a large number of private owners on the site; among which the presence of governmental and non-governmental organizations, communities and indigenous organizations that work for the conservation of the area stands out, such as: Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES), Municipality of Alto Verá, Guyra Paraguay, Pro Cordillera San Rafael Association (PROCOSARA), Federation for the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples (FAPI), Association of Indigenous Communities of the Department of Itapúa (ACIDI), Environmental Promoters, National Forestry Institute, among others. It is important to note that in 2024, MADES began a consultation process with various organizations to recategorize the SRNPRA to the Protected Landscape category, however, the proposal has not yet progressed.

Other site values: The site represents the ancestral cultural identity and is the home of the Mbya Guaraní ethnic group, the SRNPRA is recognized as the “Tekoha Guasu” (translated from Guaraní: the large place where life develops); 22 indigenous communities are settled there: Pindo, Pastoreo, Mbói Ka’ẽ, Paraiso, Arroyo Kora, Ñu Hovy, Santo Renda, Ka’aguy Poty, Ko’ẽ ju, Pindo ju, Arroyo Morotĩ, Pykasui, Taguato Sauco, Ysapy’y, Guapoy, Tapy Savy (Arroyo Claro), Jukeri (divided into sub communities: Agosto Poty y Kaaguy Porã), Pykasu ygua, Arasa Poty, Y’aka Marangatu, Arasa Poty, Makutínga (Plan de vida del Pueblo Mbya Guarani del Tekoha Guasu, 2024). This recognition was established by resolution No. 1178/2008 of the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute (INDI), where “Tekoha Guasu” is determined as Mbya Guaraní ancestral territory, declaring it to be of institutional interest due to the sociocultural importance that said area represents for the Mbya Guaraní. The forested remnants of San Rafael have a cultural, religious or subjective meaning for indigenous communities and constitute the basis of their cultural and social identity (De Egea y Balbuena 2011).

Delineation rationale: The site delineation corresponds to the Protected Area boundaries, with the shapefile presented based on Decree No. 16,610/2002 "By which the category of Managed Resource Reserve is assigned to the San Rafael National Park Reserve," which establishes the area's surface as 70,130 hectares; Decree No. 5,638/05 "By which the Area of the San Rafael National Park Reserve is Expanded," which increases the surface by 2,359 hectares; and the San Rafael White Paper, which was published in 2024, co-authored by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES), along with the Pro Cordillera San Rafael Association (PRO COSARA) and the Tropical Forest Conservation Fund (FCBT). Likewise, the boundaries of San Rafael can be viewed on the MADES website, although even a part of the polygon is missing there, the following link allows viewing the boundaries according to the mentioned page: https://apps.mades.gov.py/siam/portal/mapas. Regarding the difference with the WDPA, we are unaware of the reason for the discrepancy or perhaps the lack of updating on the platform. We also highlight that it appears with the source "Secretaria del Ambiente," however, since 2018, the Secretariat has been renamed the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, through Law No. 6123 / Elevates the Secretariat of the Environment to the rank of Ministry and is renamed the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: FOREST: Intervened forest: Forested areas that have been intervened with selective tree removals and modifications to the forest structure. It has characteristic species such as: Balfourodendron riedelíanum, Peltophorum dubium, Cedrela fissilís, Cabralea canjerana, Handroanthus heptaphyllus, Patagonula americana, Diatenopteryx sorbifolia, Holocalyx balansae, Nectandra megapotamica, Ocotea diospyrifolia, Myrocarpus frondosus and Anadenanthera colubrina. Riparian forest: They are forests that protect and accompany bodies of water, and are characterized by developing in very humid or periodically flooded soils. The flora species that characterize them are: Sorocea bonplandii, Pilocarpus pennatifolius, Sebastiania brasiliensis, Actinostemon concolor, Trichilia elegans, Piper hispidum, Miconia chamissois, Miconia pusilliflora, Psychotria leiocarpa, Psychotria sp., Justicia brasiliana, Olyra ciliatifolia, Chusquea ramosissima, Merostachys claussenii, Banara sp. And some herbaceous plants such as Adiantopsis radiata, Blechnum brasiliense, Adiantum raddíanum, and Pteris denticulata. Forest on islets: They develop naturally in micro reliefs in low floodable areas, dispersed among grasslands. SAVANNAH: Grasslands: composed mainly of herbaceous vegetation, which depending on the time of year may be flooded. Some of the species that characterize these ecosystems are: Andropogon lateralis, Axonopus siccus, Paspalum urvillei, Eriochysis cayennensis, Sorgastrum cfr. Pellitum, Luziola cfr. Peruviana, Otachyrium versicolor, Panicum parvifolium, Hypoginium virgatum, Setaria paucifolia, Rynchospora globosa, Bulbostylis hyrtefla, B. juncoides, Pycreus lanceolatus, Elocharis nudipes, E. elegans, Selería distans, Eriocaulon sp., Xyiris sp., X. jupicai, Cuphea campylocentra, C. lysimachioides, Ludwigia bonariensis, L. elegans, Polygala timoutoides, Malvastrum americanum, Centratherum punctatum, Vernonia rubricaulis, Conyza bonariensis y Eryngium ebracteatum. WETLANDS (INLAND): Water: represents bodies of water, such as springs, lagoons, streams and rivers. ARTIFICIAL LAND: Productive use: represents all anthropogenic areas that modified the natural cover of the site. These uses are distributed throughout the area, some of which are: extensive and intensive agriculture, livestock activities on grasslands and human settlements. Fallow: corresponds to clearings within forests that are mainly associated with illegal crops such as cannabis. Degraded forest: corresponds to forests that have suffered disturbances such as fires, or deforested areas that are in the process of regeneration and natural succession. These are forested areas with greater degradation than the previous one.

Land use: The land on the site has, on the one hand, conservation areas (forests and grasslands), and on the other hand, there is also a low and high intensity productive use, such as family farming (conventional and organic production) and intensive farming and livestock farming.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Savanna	15.72	Savanna - Moist
Artificial - Terrestrial	25.72	Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest
Artificial - Terrestrial	8.67	Arable Land
Forest	50.38	Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland
Wetlands(Inland)	0.11	Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls)

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The current pressures and threats are: illicit crops, tree felling, log extraction, hunting of wild animals, forest fires, property invasion, intensive use of natural resources, habitat degradation, environmental pollution, among others.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Small-holder farming	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas		Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Agro-industry farming	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads		Ongoing
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents	Herbicides and pesticides	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Temperature extremes		Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Gathering terrestrial plants	Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Other ecosystem modifications		Ongoing

Additional information

References: Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (MADES), Asociación Pro Cordillera San Rafael (PRO COSARA), Fondo de Conservación de Bosques Tropicales (FCBT). 2024. Libro Blanco San Rafael. Hohenau, Paraguay. 192 pp. Plan de Vida del Pueblo Mbya Guarani del Tekoha Guasu (2024). Propiedad Intelectual del Pueblo Mbya Guaraní. Elaborado por: Asociación de Comunidades Indígenas de Itapúa (ACIDI), Asociación de Comunidades Indígenas de Caazapá “Tekoha Yma”, con el apoyo de la Federación por la Autodeterminación de los Pueblos Indígenas (FAPI). Paraguay. Dirección Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil (DINAC). 2022. Anuario Climatológico. Asunción, Paraguay. De Egea, J. y C. Balbuena. 2011. Adopción de los Criterios de Altos Valores de Conservación de Recursos Naturales en la Reserva San Rafael. WWF - Guyra Paraguay. Asunción. 130 pp. Guyra Paraguay. 2008. Áreas de Importancia para la Conservación de las Aves en Paraguay. 1ra edición. Guyra Paraguay / BirdLife International Resolución N° 1178/2008 del Instituto Paraguayo del Indígena (INDI). Cartes, J. L. 2006. El Bosque Atlántico en Paraguay, Biodiversidad, Amenazas y Perspectivas. State of Hotspost Series. Conservation Internacional - Center for Applied Biodiversity Science - Guyra Paraguay. Asunción