Images
May 28, 2021 - Northern Bolivia
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Northern Bolivia, intensely rich in biodiversity, sits at the convergence of three biogeographical zones: the Amazon, the Chaco, and the Cerrado. The Amazon is a broadleaf rainforest, an irreplaceable treasure that some call the “lungs of the world” for the role the dense vegetation plays in taking up carbon and adding oxygen to the atmosphere. The Chaco region is a hot, semi-arid lowland region and the vast, tropical savanna is known as the Cerrado.
Recognizing the importance of these regions to the health of the Earth, much of the region has been preserved or protected, such as the Beni Biosphere Reserve where more than 100 species of mammal, 500 species of bird, and 2,000 species of vascular plant have been identified. Another reserve in this area is the Madidi National Park in the northeastern section of Bolivia, which covers parts of the Bolivian montane dry forest, Bolivian Yungas (a forested transitional zone at the foot of the mountains), the Tuichi River, rainforest, and the peaks of the Andes. The many ecoregions mean that about 272 species of mammal, 213 species of amphibian, 204 species of reptiles, 496 species of fish, and 1,254 species of birds, and over 120,000 species of insects have been counted in the sprawling Madidi National Park.
Despite the diversity of ecoregions and the incredible biodiversity found in northern Bolivia, the area continues to be under intense pressure to open lands to agriculture and other human uses. After the rainy season (December to May) ends and hot, dry weather sets in, many fires are set to fresh pasture, clear existing cropland, or bring down forests and wildlands to turn to other uses. According to Global Forest Watch, between 2002 to 2020, Bolivia lost 3.02 million hectares of humid primary forest, making up 51% of its total tree cover loss in the same period. Total area of humid primary forest in Bolivia decreased by 7.4% in this time period.
On May26, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA's Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of northern Bolivia. After a long wet season, numerous lakes and rivers are swollen with rain and snowmelt from the nearby Andes Mountains. The Rio Madre de Dios can be seen at the far left of the image traveling eastward to meet the Rio Beni. These two rivers converge at the city of Riberalta.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 5/26/2021
Resolutions:
1km (337.4 KB), 500m (924.7 KB), 250m (644.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Northern Bolivia, intensely rich in biodiversity, sits at the convergence of three biogeographical zones: the Amazon, the Chaco, and the Cerrado. The Amazon is a broadleaf rainforest, an irreplaceable treasure that some call the “lungs of the world” for the role the dense vegetation plays in taking up carbon and adding oxygen to the atmosphere. The Chaco region is a hot, semi-arid lowland region and the vast, tropical savanna is known as the Cerrado.
Recognizing the importance of these regions to the health of the Earth, much of the region has been preserved or protected, such as the Beni Biosphere Reserve where more than 100 species of mammal, 500 species of bird, and 2,000 species of vascular plant have been identified. Another reserve in this area is the Madidi National Park in the northeastern section of Bolivia, which covers parts of the Bolivian montane dry forest, Bolivian Yungas (a forested transitional zone at the foot of the mountains), the Tuichi River, rainforest, and the peaks of the Andes. The many ecoregions mean that about 272 species of mammal, 213 species of amphibian, 204 species of reptiles, 496 species of fish, and 1,254 species of birds, and over 120,000 species of insects have been counted in the sprawling Madidi National Park.
Despite the diversity of ecoregions and the incredible biodiversity found in northern Bolivia, the area continues to be under intense pressure to open lands to agriculture and other human uses. After the rainy season (December to May) ends and hot, dry weather sets in, many fires are set to fresh pasture, clear existing cropland, or bring down forests and wildlands to turn to other uses. According to Global Forest Watch, between 2002 to 2020, Bolivia lost 3.02 million hectares of humid primary forest, making up 51% of its total tree cover loss in the same period. Total area of humid primary forest in Bolivia decreased by 7.4% in this time period.
On May26, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA's Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of northern Bolivia. After a long wet season, numerous lakes and rivers are swollen with rain and snowmelt from the nearby Andes Mountains. The Rio Madre de Dios can be seen at the far left of the image traveling eastward to meet the Rio Beni. These two rivers converge at the city of Riberalta.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 5/26/2021
Resolutions:
1km (337.4 KB), 500m (924.7 KB), 250m (644.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
