Samuel Ecological Station

The Samuel State Ecological Station is in the northern portion of the state of Rondonia. It covers part of the Jamari River basin and a large part of the reservoir of the Samuel Hydroelectric Dam.[1] The conservation unit extends the east from this reservoir. It is bounded to the north by the Jequitibá Forestry Settlement Project (Projeto de Assentamento Florestal), to the north and east by the Jacundá National Forest and to the south by the Jamari National Forest.[2] The unit lies in the municipalities of Candeias do Jamari (76%} and Itapuã do Oeste (24%).[3]

The Samuel State Ecological Station lies in the lower plateau of the western Amazonia, with altitudes from 70 to 200 metres (230 to 660 ft) above sea level. The conservation unit is completely covered with open rainforest of the Amazon biome.[1][4] The unit has diverse flora, with up to 200 species of trees per hectare. Palm trees dominate the upper strata of poorly drained areas. There are typical lowland forests in the flooded areas and along streams adapted to flood periods of up to eight months.[1]

The Samuel Ecological Station was created as a form of compensation for the environmental impact of the Eletronorte's Samuel hydroelectric project, whose reservoir covers 56,000 hectares (140,000 acres).[5] The ecological station was created by decree on 18 July 1989 with an area of 20,865 hectares (51,560 acres). On 29 December 1997 the station's limits were defined with an area of 71,061 hectares (175,600 acres).[3]

The station has been threatened by illegal logging.[6] The Rondonia Environmental agency Secretaria de Estado do Desenvolvimento Ambiental (SEDAM) signed an agreement with Eletronorte in 2013 for mutual cooperation in protection and conservation actions for the Samuel station, without transfer of funds. On 2015 an advisory council was formed with members from government and non-government institutions of the Candeias do Jamari and Itapuã d'Oeste municipalities, Vila Nova Samuel and the Jequitibá PAF farmers association.[2]