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Bolivia has 12 ecoregions (with various
sub-ecoregions) and thousands of ecosystems. Some
of these ecosystems are particularly valuable and
important in conservation because they are centers
of biological diversity, of endemism and also due
to their condition or the degree of threat that
they are under. Among these ecosystems for
example, are the humid Amazonian and the Andean
forests.
According to still incomplete studies and
inventories, to date around 14,000 species of
native plants with seed (not including ferns, moss
and algae) have been recorded in the country.
However, it is estimated that there are more than
20,000 species. Also more than 1,200 species of
fern are known and more than 1,500 species of
liverwort or mosses. Although the inventory for
fungi is very preliminary, already approximately
800 species are known.
In Bolivia, 356 species of mammals have
been recorded, approximately 1,400 species of
birds, 203 species of amphibians, 266 species of
reptiles and around 600 species of fish. At least
100 endemic species of vertebrates are known.
Probably about 20-25% of the vascular plants
(approximately 4,000-5,000 species) could be
restricted to the country, which imposes a special
responsibility for Bolivia. Plant and animal
endemism is concentrated in a few ecoregions
related to the Andes: Yungas, Inter-Andean Dry
Forests and the Sub-Andean mountain
range.
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Given this richness, on an international
level, Bolivia is considered a "megadiversity"
country. It is one of the top ten countries with
the greatest richness of vertebrate species in the
world. It possibly holds the fourth place in the
world among the countries with the greatest
richness of butterflies. It is also among the
first ten countries with the greatest diversity of
birds and mammals, among the first eleven with the
greatest diversity of fresh water fish, and among
the top thirteen as regards richness in amphibian
species and tiger beetles.
On the other hand, about 50 species of
native domesticated plants are known and around
3,000 medicinal species are used at a local or
regional level. Bolivia is the center of origin of
important species like the chili peppers, locoto
peppers, sweet peppers, potatoes, peanuts, beans,
manioc and a variety of palms.
This wide range of unique biological
resources in the world, is actually threatened and
in risk of disappearing due to factors derived
from the demographic pressure originating from the
destruction of habitats, as a consequence of
deforestation, burning, contamination and
biodiversity use above its productive capacity.
Other determining factors in this crisis are: the
selective extraction of species, illegal hunting,
and also the loss of genetic variability at an
agrobiodiversity level due to the replacement of
local varieties with exotic
species.
The zones in the Amazon Basin are rich in
species; they have high resilience, are dynamic
and are characterized by having species with a
wide distribution. On the other hand, some Andean
zones have species with restricted distribution,
coinciding partially with areas of high human
pressure, especially transition zones in the high
parts of the central valleys.
The ecoregions that through time have
suffered the greatest impact are the Puna (high
Andean plateau) and the Inter-Andean Dry Forests.
Due to their biogeographical importance and their
fragility and potential, they are a priority for
the conservation of the more intact ecosystems. Of
particular importance are; the large areas, such
as the lowland forests and the slopes of the
Eastern Andes, the large and intact ecosystems
related to the hydroclimatic processes such as the
humid forests of the Yungas and the Southeast
Amazon, the centers rich in species and endemism
like the Yungas, Sub-Andean Amazonian Forests and
the Inter-Andean Dry Forests, centers of diversity
for the wild relatives of cultivated species and
the biological corridors.
Although it is important to identify
priorities at an ecoregion and ecosystem level, in
order to detect what threats affect the greatest
number of resources, it is also necessary to
consider particular species that are under threat.
Actually there are hundreds of species of flora
and fauna that are under different categories of
threats. However, the experts have not reached a
consensus yet on this subject. Similarly, many
wild "relatives" of domesticated species are in
uncertain situations regarding their conservation
state. Finally, the situation for the key areas
for conservation of genetic resources in situ, is
little known and not considered in actual policies
and norms.
The current most important conservation
tool in situ is the National System for Protected
Areas (Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas -
SNAP), whose main objective is the strategic
conservation of representative samples of
biodiversity components, both in quantity (area)
and in quality (conservation state). There are
dozens of protected areas in Bolivia, some created
legally and others with more uncertain status.
SNAP contains 21 areas, 17 of which are under
management and linked to more than 60
municipalities. These national protected areas
occupy a total of more than 175,000 km2,
equivalent to 17% of the total area of the
country.
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There
are ecosystems well represented within SNAP, for
example the humid montane forests of the Yungas,
the humid forests of the Sub-Andean Mountain Range
or the Chaco ecosystems. However, there are still
some ecosystems absent in SNAP that require
special protection. Many protected areas were
created in an arbitrary way and do not safeguard
relevant biological values; as such they should be
re-categorized or removed from the system. On the
other hand, many important conservation areas,
that safeguard biodiversity with local areas rich
in important remnants of vegetation and high
levels of endemism, are found close to densely
populated areas, with high anthropogenic pressure
and outside of protected areas.
In spite of the notable conservation
efforts in different ecosystems of national
interest, SNAP has still not been enriched with
areas important at a municipal or departmental
level. As such there is a need to develop
alternative mechanisms that allow the protection
of areas of local interest, inside and outside of
the SNAP.
Although there is a special system for
protected areas, its structure is actually weak
even in relation to other elements of conservation
and management of natural resources. The following
factors have hardly been considered: the rescue
and conservation of traditional knowledge on the
management of natural resources, the use of
adequate agricultural technologies and the
conditions of poverty in the local population, who
exercise most pressure on the natural resources to
satisfy their basic needs.
Likewise it has been identified that the
most important municipalities of the 14 main
protected areas have a population growth above the
national level and much above the average
population growth in rural areas.
An important strategic component of the
protected areas is their potential for providing
environmental services and the sustainable use of
biodiversity resources, within the framework of
their categorization and zoning. For this it is
important to strengthen the mechanisms of social
participation, such as the Steering Committees,
that still have some limitations and
deficiencies.
Another factor that limits
the adequate use of biodiversity resources is the
fact that the conservation tools are not
sufficiently articulated to the Regional Land Use
Plans and the National Planning System in general.
This problem does not allow the orientation of
strategic and sector planning on the basis of the
potential and recommended landuse and the
establishment of norms for the adequate use of
natural resources. National, departmental,
municipal and community landuse plans are needed
that considers the adequate conservation of the
biodiversity
On the other hand, the germplasm banks,
created with the objective of safeguarding the
native species and domesticated wild parents, that
are more susceptible to genetic erosion, and
complementing the conservation actions in situ,
present problems: There is a lack of legally
defined rights of the different organization as
regards genetic resources, there is also a lack of
sufficient economic resources to ensure the
conservation over the long-term and there is a
dependence on external resources necessary for its
maintenance. The herbarium and museum collections
of flora and fauna, the main places responsible
for the inventory of national biodiversity, also
have management problems linked especially to the
lack of infrastructure, trained personnel and the
absence of sustainable financing
policies. |
