The Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve or Thomas van der Hammen Forest Reserve is an area of the Bogotá savanna that is under environmental protection. The natural reserve was declared as such in year 2000 by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable development.[1] It takes its name from the Dutch-Colombian geologist Thomas van der Hammen who devoted his life to the research of the region. The surface area of the protected reserve is approximately 1,395 hectares (3,450 acres) and it is located in the north of Bogotá.
The protection area has the purpose of creating an urban forest that connects the Bogotá River and the Eastern Hills of Bogotá, to preserve the underground water sources, improve the quality of the air and protect the diversity and activities of the animal species that exist there.[2][3]
The Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve is a rich natural area important for the biodiversity of the Bogotá savanna. Several endemic species have been registered, and two newly described species of butterflies were discovered in the Reserve.[5]
Fauna
Birds
In the area of the reserve 187 species of birds have been registered, some of which are endangered.[6][7] Two species, registered in the past; Cistothorus apolinari and Polystictus pectoralis have not been reported recently.[8]
With 350 endemic species, Colombia occupies the first position worldwide in diversity of butterflies and after Peru, the second place in total number of registered butterfly species (3274).[12] The Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve contains 23 (new studies report more than 26 with two new species in the genus Satyrinae discovered) species of butterflies.[5][13] Other species of butterflies have been registered:[14]
Calderón Cangrejo, Nikolai, and Paula Andrea Gualtero Velasco. 2014. Memoria Simposio Reserva Thomas Van Der Hammen, 1–149. Accessed 2017-03-23.
CAR, .. s.a. Plan de Manejo Ambiental de la Reserva Forestal Regional Productora del Norte de Bogotá D.C. "Thomas van der Hammen" - Anexo 13 - fotos de las especies de mariposas del borde norte de Bogotá, 1–6. CAR.
Cortés, Oswaldo. 2016. Aves Reserva Van der Hammen, 1–3. Humedales de Bogotá. Accessed 2016-01-14.
Sánchez, Francisco. 2011. La heterogeneidad del paisaje del borde norte de Bogotá (Colombia) afecta la actividad de los murciélagos insectívoros - Landscape heterogeneity of Bogotá's northern border (Colombia) affects insectivorous bats' activity. Revista Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales 14. 71–80. Accessed 2016-01-14.
Map of the extent in 2016
La Conejera wetland, part of the reserve
Colombia portal
Environment portal
