Amboró National Park
Encyclopedia
Amboró National Park in central Bolivia
is a nature reserve with over 800 species of birds, over 125 mammalian species including puma, ocelot
, and the rare Spectacled Bear
. Covering an area of 4,425 km² (1,709 sq mi), it is protected from human settlements, hunting, mining and deforestation
, though problems with all these still exist within the park. The Carrasco National Park
is placed adjacent to Amboró, and together the two form a larger conservation unit.
, at the "Elbow of the Andes", where the eastern cordillera bends slightly westward from its northly course. Amboró National Park protects parts of several ecoregions: Southwest Amazon moist forests
and Chaco
at lower elevations and Bolivian Yungas
and Bolivian montane dry forests at higher elevations.
The peculiar features of the geography of the Amboró park area determine the biological makeup, with a great variety of flora and fauna. The altitude in the park ranges from 300 up to 3500 meters above sea level with an annual rainfall ranging between 1400 and 4000 mm. Amboró National Park holds some fine expressions of Yungas forests.
and Santa Cruz
. The southern road, built in the 1950s and once asphalted, was left decaying after the opening of the northern route in the 1980s. Today it has returned to gravel and dirt, limiting traffic and commercial exchange on south side of Amboró National Park.
Off of these two roads are a number of secondary gravel ones, allowing access to the more developed parts of the northern and southern Integrated Management Natural Areas or IMNAs. Small trails and river beds permit pedestrian access to the park, although this is limited by the rough topography. The principal access points to the northern zone are the towns of Buena Vista, Santa Fe, and Yapacani, along the northern Cochabamba-Santa Cruz road. Several dirt tracks lead off from there notably to Espejitos, Saguayó, La Chonta, Macuñucu and to the Yapacani river
. In the southern zone, the principal access points are also secondary roads principally departing from the towns of El Torno, Samaipata, Mairana, Pampa Grande, Mataral, and Comarapa which are located on the main highway.
In 1991, with its first significant grant, FAN formed a management committee, with headquarters in Buena Vista, with the CDF being officially in charge of the area’s management. That same year, the park size was extended to 637,000 ha without prior consultation of the local population and disregarding legitimate private property rights, a move which triggered serious protests and resistance against the park.
With funding from the Regional Alternative Development Program (Programa de Desarrollo Alternativo Regional - PDAR), a consensus was finally reached with the establishment of two different management categories, indicated on the ground by a so-called "Red Line", a narrow trail that marks the boundary between the National Park and the Integrated Management Natural Zone (IMNA), effectively a Multiple Use Zone.
In 1994, FAN was selected by the newly created Ministry of Sustainable Development and Environment to supervise the drafting of the area’s management plan. The "Red Line" was officially approved in 1995, allotting 442,500 ha to the national park and 195,100 ha to the IMNA, divided in various patches. Local conflicts have since forced a constant redefinition of limits, so the exact boundaries between the two categories are not precisely known.
In 1995, the National Directorate for Biodiversity Conservation (Dirección Nacional de Conservación de la Biodiversidad - DNCB, today’s SERNAP), the administration in charge of the country’s protected areas decided to reclaim supervision of the area. Despite the signings of a contract between DNCB and FAN for the co-administration of the area, since this date the government has been solely in charge of the protected area.
, black walnut
, limachu, khellu khellu, cebillo, bibosi, ambaiba, pacay
, and clavo rojo. In the cloud-enveloped forests there are extensive patches of giant arboreal ferns. In addition, there are pachiuva, açaí palm
s and several species of endemic orchids.
Among the large mammals we find the spectacled bear
(locally known as the jucumari), the jaguar
, and the Giant Anteater
. The park presents a high level of endemism, 105 species of amphibians with 50 species of toads alone.
The number of bird species observed within the area exceeds 840, or more than 60% of the country’s total. Two of the most interesting are arguably the Southern Helmeted Curassow
and the Military Macaw
.
Finally, 109 species of fish species have been identified by the IMNA alone, with a clear dependence on altitude. The largest specimens, which are the principal targets of commercial and subsistence fishing - such as sábalo
, barred surubim, and pacú
- are restricted to the alluvial plains, below 700 m. Above just 1000 m, the fish diversity diminishes dramatically.
Spanish:
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
is a nature reserve with over 800 species of birds, over 125 mammalian species including puma, ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
, and the rare Spectacled Bear
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...
. Covering an area of 4,425 km² (1,709 sq mi), it is protected from human settlements, hunting, mining and deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
, though problems with all these still exist within the park. The Carrasco National Park
Carrasco National Park
Carrasco National Park is a national park in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. It has a surface area of 6,226 square kilometers. More than 5,000 plant species have been registered in the area, placing the park among Bolivia's most biologically diverse. It is a protected area and people are prohibited...
is placed adjacent to Amboró, and together the two form a larger conservation unit.
Description and geography
Amboró National Park is in the western part of Santa Cruz DepartmentSanta Cruz Department
Santa Cruz, with an area of 370,621 km², is the largest of the nine constituent departments of Bolivia. In the 2001 census, it reported a population of 2,029,471. The capital is the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The state is one of the wealthiest states in Bolivia with huge reserves of...
, at the "Elbow of the Andes", where the eastern cordillera bends slightly westward from its northly course. Amboró National Park protects parts of several ecoregions: Southwest Amazon moist forests
Southwest Amazon moist forests
Southwest Amazon moist forests are an ecoregion located in the Upper Amazon Basin. The region is characterized by a relatively flat landscape with alluvial plains dissected by undulating hills or high terraces. The biota of the southwest Amazon moist forest is very rich because of these dramatic...
and Chaco
Chaco
Chaco may refer to:in South America:* Chaco Department, a historical department in Paraguay and proposed in Bolivia* Chaco Province, a province in the northeastern part of Argentina* Chaco , a native American tribe in Paraguay...
at lower elevations and Bolivian Yungas
Bolivian Yungas
The Bolivian Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of central Bolivia and eastern Peru.-Setting:The ecoregion occurs in elevations ranging from on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia...
and Bolivian montane dry forests at higher elevations.
The peculiar features of the geography of the Amboró park area determine the biological makeup, with a great variety of flora and fauna. The altitude in the park ranges from 300 up to 3500 meters above sea level with an annual rainfall ranging between 1400 and 4000 mm. Amboró National Park holds some fine expressions of Yungas forests.
Access
The area is bordered to the north and south by two roads that connect the cities of CochabambaCochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
. The southern road, built in the 1950s and once asphalted, was left decaying after the opening of the northern route in the 1980s. Today it has returned to gravel and dirt, limiting traffic and commercial exchange on south side of Amboró National Park.
Off of these two roads are a number of secondary gravel ones, allowing access to the more developed parts of the northern and southern Integrated Management Natural Areas or IMNAs. Small trails and river beds permit pedestrian access to the park, although this is limited by the rough topography. The principal access points to the northern zone are the towns of Buena Vista, Santa Fe, and Yapacani, along the northern Cochabamba-Santa Cruz road. Several dirt tracks lead off from there notably to Espejitos, Saguayó, La Chonta, Macuñucu and to the Yapacani river
Yapacaní River
The Yapacaní River is a river of Bolivia, part of the Amazon River basin.. The 335 kilometres river is a tributary of the Rio Grande. The river runs northwards through the Santa Cruz Department and joins the Mamoré River.-Geography:...
. In the southern zone, the principal access points are also secondary roads principally departing from the towns of El Torno, Samaipata, Mairana, Pampa Grande, Mataral, and Comarapa which are located on the main highway.
Creation
Initially created in 1973, the park was originally established as the Reserva de Vida Silvestre German Busch. In 1984, with the help of the native biologist Noel Kempff, British zoologist Robin Clark and others, the park became a national park protecting 1,800 km². In 1991, it expanded to 6,376 km2.; however in 1995 it was reduced to 4,425 km².Management
In 1989, from the town of Buena Vista and with a very limited budget, the Decentralized Unit of the Santa Cruz Forest Development Center took charge of the park’s first management, consisting essentially in flora and fauna inventories, a census of the park’s human population and a few information campaigns. This period saw the construction of the Mataracú, Saguayo, La Chonta, and Macuñucú ranger stations, administered by a liaison office, 10 park rangers, material and equipment. With support from TNC’s Parks in Peril (PiP) program, the Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) took part in the management of the park’s Southern Zone, with offices in Samaipata and Comarapa.In 1991, with its first significant grant, FAN formed a management committee, with headquarters in Buena Vista, with the CDF being officially in charge of the area’s management. That same year, the park size was extended to 637,000 ha without prior consultation of the local population and disregarding legitimate private property rights, a move which triggered serious protests and resistance against the park.
With funding from the Regional Alternative Development Program (Programa de Desarrollo Alternativo Regional - PDAR), a consensus was finally reached with the establishment of two different management categories, indicated on the ground by a so-called "Red Line", a narrow trail that marks the boundary between the National Park and the Integrated Management Natural Zone (IMNA), effectively a Multiple Use Zone.
In 1994, FAN was selected by the newly created Ministry of Sustainable Development and Environment to supervise the drafting of the area’s management plan. The "Red Line" was officially approved in 1995, allotting 442,500 ha to the national park and 195,100 ha to the IMNA, divided in various patches. Local conflicts have since forced a constant redefinition of limits, so the exact boundaries between the two categories are not precisely known.
In 1995, the National Directorate for Biodiversity Conservation (Dirección Nacional de Conservación de la Biodiversidad - DNCB, today’s SERNAP), the administration in charge of the country’s protected areas decided to reclaim supervision of the area. Despite the signings of a contract between DNCB and FAN for the co-administration of the area, since this date the government has been solely in charge of the protected area.
Flora
So far, 2659 plant species have been recognized in Amboró National Park. Some of the most noteworthy tree species are Bigleaf Mahogany, mountain pinePine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, black walnut
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra, the Eastern Black walnut, is a species of flowering tree in the hickory family, Juglandaceae, that is native to eastern North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central...
, limachu, khellu khellu, cebillo, bibosi, ambaiba, pacay
Pacay
Inga feuilleei , commonly known as pacay or ice-cream bean, is a perennial tree that contains a podded fruit cultivated often for its edible white pulp surrounding large seeds. It is a legume tree native to Central and South America. All legumes have their seed encased in pods, a few of which are...
, and clavo rojo. In the cloud-enveloped forests there are extensive patches of giant arboreal ferns. In addition, there are pachiuva, açaí palm
Açaí Palm
The açaí palm is a species of palm tree in the genus Euterpe cultivated for their fruit and superior hearts of palm. Its name comes from the Portuguese adaptation of the Tupian word ïwasa'i, '[fruit that] cries or expels water'. Global demand for the fruit has expanded rapidly in recent years,...
s and several species of endemic orchids.
Fauna
127 species of mammals have been registered; among them 43 species of bats.Among the large mammals we find the spectacled bear
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...
(locally known as the jucumari), the jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
, and the Giant Anteater
Giant Anteater
The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
. The park presents a high level of endemism, 105 species of amphibians with 50 species of toads alone.
The number of bird species observed within the area exceeds 840, or more than 60% of the country’s total. Two of the most interesting are arguably the Southern Helmeted Curassow
Southern Helmeted Curassow
The Horned Curassow or Southern Helmeted Curassow is a species of bird in the Cracidae family. It is found in Bolivia and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss...
and the Military Macaw
Military Macaw
The Military Macaw is a large parrot and a medium-sized member of the macaw genus. Though considered vulnerable as a wild species, it is still commonly found in the pet trade industry. A predominantly green bird, it is found in the forests of Mexico and South America.-Taxonomy:There are three...
.
Finally, 109 species of fish species have been identified by the IMNA alone, with a clear dependence on altitude. The largest specimens, which are the principal targets of commercial and subsistence fishing - such as sábalo
Sábalo
Sábalo or sabalo are Spanish common names of many fish species, most of them from South America, some from the rest of the Americas and others, such as:* Alosa alosa * Arius heudelotii...
, barred surubim, and pacú
Pacú
Pacu or pacú is the common name of several South American fishes.PACU, Pacu or pacú may also refer to:*Piaractus mesopotamicus , a South American ray-finned fish that is endemic to the Paraguay-Paraná River basin*Tambaqui , known as black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu*Philippine Association...
- are restricted to the alluvial plains, below 700 m. Above just 1000 m, the fish diversity diminishes dramatically.
Human population
In the northern area, colonial settlements originated in the highlands. The region on the southern boundary is inhabited by peasants from the valleys of the department; while toward the east Guarayas communities are settled. Surrounding the area are colorful towns like: Samaipata, Comarapa and Buena Vista.External links
English:- Derksen, Jonathan Amboro National Park, Bolivia Orbitz Away LLC
- Amboro National Park, Bolivia Bolivia Contact (2001)
- Amboro National Park, Bolivia Enjoy Bolivia
Spanish: