Location: Beni Department Map
Area: 18,957.5 km²
Madidi National Park is located in Beni Department of Western Central Bolivia. This national park covers an area of 18,957.5 km² and protects unique biosphere of the upper basin of Amazon river. It is mostly covered by dense rainforest, open savannah and Amazon river along with its many tributaries. It is inhabited by several species of monkeys, jaguar, puma, Cayman crocodile and over 1000 species of birds. Unfortunately the ecosystem in the region of Madidi National Park faces new dangers. On one hand there have been plans to erect a dam near Rurrenabaque near Bala Gorge. It would significantly affect the biosphere and many species that live here. Additionally new geologic exploration discovered oil in the region. It is possible that subsequent interventions by human development might affect nature even further.
Area: The National Park has an area of 1,895,740 ha (18,957.40
km²) of which 1,291,819 ha correspond to the category of National
Park and 603,921 ha to the category of Natural Area of Integrated
Management, is one of the largest protected areas in Bolivia. Its
limits are between 12º30 'and 14º44' south latitude and between
67º30 'and 69º51' west longitude.
Altitude range: from the
Altuncama mountain range to the pampas between the Heath and Madidi
rivers. The area covers an altitudinal range that ranges from 5,760
to 180 meters above sea level. Its geomorphology is essentially
mountainous, with steep reliefs and deep canyons, forms a great
diversity of ecological floors.
Hydrography: it is characterized
by having a large number of hydrological basins, especially
headwaters, located in areas of high rainfall and high fragility of
soils due to steep slopes. It is made up of the Tuichi, Madidi and
Quendeque rivers of the Beni basin and the Heath river basin of the
Madre de Díos river, having defined six main sub-basins: Heath
river, Beni, Madidi, Tuichi, Enapurera and Tumupasa-Beni.
The
river of greatest activity in the plain is the Madidi, whose
sediment drag from an important mountainous surface has constituted
an extensive alluvial fan, which reaches an average of about 400
meters above sea level.
Climate: the climate is diverse, varying
from the cold in the Andes, temperate in the intermediate lands, to
warm in the northern lowlands. In the seasonal plain it reaches
intermediate values of 1,800 mm per year and in the sub-Andean
rain mountains, as in the Alto Madidi area, in which extraordinary
levels of rainfall of more than 5,000 mm per year are observed. The
average temperature is 25 ° C, ranging between 33 ° C between
October and January and 10 to 20 ° C between March and June.
Access: the entry points in the Park are Pelechuco and Apollo to the
south, Rurrenabaque to the east, Tumupasa to the northeast and the
Madre de Dios river to the north. There are two weekly TAM flights
and three daily Amaszonas flights between Rurrenabaque and La Paz.
Characteristics of the area
The park is characterized mainly by
being the protected area with the greatest biodiversity both in
flora and fauna of the world, 1 as well as in ecological floors
since it goes from perpetual snows to the Amazonian plain and
housing community ethnic groups in its territory. It was declared by
the National Geographic magazine as one of the most biodiverse areas
on the planet and one of the 20 places with the greatest tourist
interest worldwide. Because of its enormous environmental quality,
it generates significant economic benefits to its region through
conservation and ecotourism (Fleck et al., 2006a; Malki et al.,
2007).
Flora
Due to the wide altitudinal range (200 to 6,000 meters
above sea level), the Madidi has several altitudinal floors,
associated with a wide variety of ecosystems. We find snowy areas
and periglacial environments, Yungueño Moorland, Ceja Cloud Forest,
Wet to Perhumid Forest of Yungas, Sub-Andean Rain Forest, Deciduous
Dry Forest of San Juan del Asariamas, Very Wet Pedemontane Forest,
Basal Seasonal Wetland, Savanna Floodplates and Palmares Marsh of
royal palm (Mauritia flexuosa and Mauritiella aculeata). 5,000 to
6,000 species of higher plants are estimated throughout the Area.
These include: queñua (Polylepis racemosa triacontranda), including
a new species for science, huaycha (Weinmannia microphylla), iotavio
(Weinmannia boliviensis and W. crassifolia), walnut (Juglans
boliviana), yuraj huaycha (Miconia theaezans), mountain pines
(Podocarpus spp.), wild coca (Eugenia sp.), alder (Alnus acuminata),
chachacoma (Escallonia myrtilloides), yarumas (Hesperomeles
ferruginea and H. lanuginosa), the red alder (Myrica pubescens), the
myrtle (Randia boliviana), the limachu (Myrsine coriacea), the elder
(Sambucus peruviana), the laurels (Ocotea spp. And Nectandra spp.),
The coloradillo del monte (Byrsonima indorum), the quina ( Cinchona
officinalis), isigo (Tetragastris altissima), bilka (Anadenanthera
colubrina), bibosi (Ficus spp.), Guitarist (Didymopanax morototoni)
and biscuit (Miconia multiflora). There are also numerous timber
species such as mara or mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), cedar
(Cedrela odorata), Maria stick (Calophyllum brasiliense) and Echo
(Hura crepitans). In addition, the Area has a great diversity of
palms, among which we can mention: Ceroxylon pityrophyllum (as very
rare), jatatas (Geonoma megalospatha, G. lindeniana and G. deversa),
pachiuva (Socratea exorrhiza), the cup (Iriartea deltoidea), motacú
(Scheelea princeps), several chontas (Astrocaryum spp.), Ivory palm
(Phytelephas macrocarpa), icho (Dictyocaryum lamarckianum), asaí
(Euterpe precatoria) and royal palm (Mauritia flexuosa).
Wildlife
The fauna of the park responds with similar diversity
patterns to this extraordinary variety of habitats.
Vertebrates: 2,000 vertebrate species have been recorded,
representing 66% of the vertebrates of Bolivia and 3.7% of the
world.
Mammals: among the 270 species of mammals reported,
jucumari, Andean cat, puma, jaguar, tiger, Taruca or Andean deer,
troop pig, swamp deer, London, and a variety of monkeys stand out:
marimono, manechi, Whistling monkey, squirrel monkey. In addition to
those, an endemic species has been identified for the country, the
rodent Akodon dayi and a new species of primate of the genus
Callicebus, the Callicebus aureipalatii whose name was recently
established by means of an international auction in favor of the
protected area Being the reserve with greater number of species of
mammals on the planet.
Birds: it has the presence of red paraba
and eight species of Macaws of the 14 that live in Bolivian
territory, tyranido, crested eagle, tunqui, harpy, and several
species of endangered birds such as Grallaria erythrotis endemic to
the region Being able to observe flocks of different species of
Macaws and parrots of more than 700 individuals (Group of a single
species but when they join with groups of other species their number
becomes impossible to enumerate arriving at estimates of more than
2500 individuals, being able to gather up to 8 Macaw species and
countless flocks of parrots and other birds of other species in clay
ravines to feed) and even more in roosts and feeding points Being
the place with the largest number of bird species on the planet. The
area contains more than 1,250 different species, which represents
83% of the country's poultry fauna.
Amphibians: (reserve with the
largest number of amphibian species on the planet) 213 species, the
Madidi is home to 85% of the country's amphibians. It is considered
that there are more than 30 endemic species.
Reptiles: (reserve
with the largest number of Reptile species on the planet) a total of
204, that is 70% of the country's reptiles. Many of the larger
species such as boas, anacondas, snakes, large sauriums and aquatic
and land turtles are threatened by hunting for subsistence,
obtaining hides or use as a pet.
Fish: (reserve with the largest
number of fish species on the planet) a total of 496, which
corresponds to 51% of the country's fauna.
The park is
home to more than 120,000 different species of Insects, so it
occupies the 1st place in diversity and number of species on the
planet.