Peru

MAAP #31: Deforestation Continues Expansion in La Pampa (buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve)

Posted on by dcadmin

Illegal gold mining deforestation continues to expand in La Pampa, an area located in the buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve in the Madre de Dios region. Here, we present a series of high-resolution (0.5 m) images that clearly illustrate this expansion. Image 31a shows the large, expanding mass of deforestation in La Pampa (as of November 2015) in relation to the Tambopata National Reserve and its buffer zone. Insets A and B indicate the high-resolution zoom areas, where further below we show the rapid deforestation of 76 hectares (188 acres) between November 2015 and April 2016.

Capture_main
Image 31a. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Zoom A: Rapid Advance of Deforestation

Image 31b shows the expansion of deforestation (28 hectares) between November 2015 (left panel) and April 2016 (right panel) in the eastern section of La Pampa. The red dot indicates the exact same point in both images across time.

DGapril_ZoomA_english_v2
Image 31b. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Zoom B: Formation of a Large Camp

Image 31c shows the formation of a large mining camp between November 2015 (left panel) and April 2016 (right panel) in the eastern section La Pampa. The red dot indicates the exact same point in both images across time. The image also shows the deforestation of 48 hectares around the camp.

DGapril_ZoomB_english_v2
Image 31c. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Citation

Finer M, Olexy T (2016) Deforestation Continues Expansion in La Pampa (buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve). MAAP: 31.

 

MAAP #30: Gold Mining Invasion of Tambopata National Reserve Intensifies

Posted on by dcadmin

As described previously in MAAP #21, the illegal gold mining invasion of the Tambopata National Reserve began in late 2015. Here in  MAAP #30, we confirm that this invasion continues to intensify in 2016.

Image 30a shows the invasion zone, where we document that the illegal mining is advancing on seven fronts within the northwest section of the reserve and has thus far directly caused the deforestation of 130 hectares (320 acres) since September 2015. Below, we show high-resolution zooms of fronts 1-5 (Inset A) and a major mining camp recently established just outside of the Reserve (Inset B).

Imagen 30a. Datos: Planet Labs, SERNANP
Image 30a. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP

Invasion of Tambopata: Fronts 1-5

Image 30b shows the rapid expansion of deforestation in 5 of the fronts inside the Reserve between the end of January (left panel) and March (right panel) of 2016. This image corresponds to Inset A in Image 30a. Further below, Images 30c and 30d show high-resolution zooms of these 5 fronts.

Image 30b. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP
Image 30b. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP

Zoom of Fronts 1 & 2

Image 30c shows a zoom of deforestation fronts 1 and 2 between January (left panel) and March (right panel) of 2016.

Image 30c. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP
Image 30c. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP

Zoom of Fronts 3, 4, & 5

Image 30d shows a zoom of fronts 3, 4, and 5 between January (left panel) and March (right panel) of 2016.

Image 30d. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP
Image 30d. Data: Planet Labs, SERNANP

Major Mining Camp Adjacent to Tambopata Reserve

Image 30e shows, in high-resolution, the establishment of a major mining camp in front of the invaded section of the Reserve (and within the Reserve’s official buffer zone). This Image corresponds to Inset B in Image 30a.

Image 30e. Data: WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 30e. Data: WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).

Using Radar to Confirm Invasion Continues

In early 2016, the Peruvian government led two major interventions (on January 21 and February 23, respectively) against the illegal miners operating in the interior of the Reserve. However, Image 30f shows in red the continued advance of deforestation (44 hectares) between March 1 (left panel) and March 25 (right panel). In other words, using radar technology (which can pierce through cloud-cover) we can confirm that deforestation continued to advance after the government interventions.

Imagen Xd. Datos: Sentinel-1, SERNANP
Image 30f. Data: Sentinel-1, SERNANP

Finer M, Novoa S, Olexy T (2016) Invasion of Tambopata National Reserve Intensifies. MAAP: 30.

MAAP #29: Construction of New Road between Manu National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (Madre de Dios)

Posted on by dcadmin

Here in MAAP #29, we describe the Nuevo Eden-Boca Manu-Boca Colorado road project in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region). The objective of this article is to show the current state of construction and quantify the direct and indirect deforestation caused thus far by the road. This is a controversial road project because it cuts through the buffer zones of two important protected areas, the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve and Manu National Park*.

MAAP_Manu_a_m_v1_en
Image 29a. Data: SERNANP, USGS, MINAGRI, IBC, CLASlite, PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, SPOT

Image 29a shows the general context of the area between Amarakaeri  and Manu where the road is being constructed. The yellow line indicates the section of road built in 2015 (11.6 km) between the towns of New Eden and Shipetiari (see right panel for high-resolution image of this construction). The red line indicates the new section under construction thus far in 2016 (21.8 km). Thus, in total, we have documented the construction of 33.4 km of road within the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve buffer zone. Finally, the pink line indicates the future road section planned to Boca Manu and then to Boca Colorado.

Road Construction in 2015

Image 29b shows a series of satellite images (Landsat) that illustrate the rapid road construction during 2015. The first two panels show the construction of 11.6 km between February (left panel) and October (central panel) 2015. The yellow arrows in the central panel indicate the direct deforestation (20 hectares) associated with construction of the route. The yellow circles in the right panel indicate the indirect (secondary) deforestation associated with the road (12 hectares). Thus, in total, we have documented the deforestation of 32 hectares (or 79 acres) associated with the road as of mid-March 2016.

MAAP_Manu_c_m_v1_en
Image 29b. Data: NASA/USGS.

New Road Construction in 2016

Image 29c shows the continued road construction (2.9 km) between January and mid-March 2016 (see orange arrows in the left panel). Moreover, using high-resolution imagery provided by Planet Labs, the right panel shows a new path (see red arrows) that is likely the leading edge of the current road construction. This path now extends an additional 19 km in the direction of Boca Manu (see Image 29d).

MAAP_Manu_e_m_v1_en
Image 29c. Data: NASA/USGS, Planet Labs
Imagen Xd. Datos: USGS
Image 29d. Data: NASA/USGS

References

*MINAM (2016) MINAM está en contra de predictamen que permitiría la construcción de la carretera en zona de amortiguamiento del Manu y de Amarakaeri. http://www.minam.gob.pe/perucrecimiento/2016/02/29/minam-esta-en-contra-de-predictamen-que-permitiria-la-construccion-de-la-carretera-en-zona-de-amortiguamiento-del-manu-y-de-amarakaeri/

MINAM (2015) MINAM y SERNANP manifiestan preocupación por aprobación de ley que declara de interés nacional carretera en zona de amortiguamiento del Manu y Amarakaeri. http://www.minam.gob.pe/notas-de-prensa/minam-y-sernanp-manifiestan-preocupacion-por-aprobacion-de-ley-que-declara-de-interes-nacional-carretera-en-zona-de-amortiguamiento-del-manu-y-amarakaeri/

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S, Olexy T (2016) Construction of a New Highway between Manu National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (Madre de Dios), 2016. MAAP: 29.

MAAP #28: New Deforestation Hotspot along Interoceanic Highway in Southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios)

Posted on by dcadmin

We have previously detailed the extensive illegal gold mining problem in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region), but here in MAAP #28 we detail the emergence of another deforestation hotspot in the region. Image 28a shows the intensification of this hotspot, located along the newly paved Interoceanic highway around the town of Iberia (see Inset F), between 2012-14 (left panel) and 2015 (right panel). Note that the gold mining hotspot, indicated by Inset E, remained consistently high among the two time frames.

Image 28a. UMD/GLAD, PNCB/MINAM
Image 28a. UMD/GLAD, PNCB/MINAM

2015 Deforestation Hotspot Base Map

Image 28 b. UMD/GLAD
Image 28 b. UMD/GLAD

This analysis builds off the previous MAAP #26, where we presented an initial map of “Deforestation hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon in 2015,” based on an analysis of data from the new GLAD* alerts.

Image 28b shows an updated version of the 2015 Peruvian Amazon deforestation hotspots map. Inset F shows the new hotspot featured in this article (see details below).

Note about the Hotspots: Insets A and B indicate two hotspots in the Ucayali region – see MAAP #26 for more detail. Insets C and D indicate two hotspots in Huánuco that we are currently analyzing. Inset E indicates the illegal gold mining zone known as La Pampa, described in various MAAP articles (for example, see MAAP #12). Inset F shows the area of interest in this article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Deforestation Front

Image 28c.
Image 28c. PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, UMD/GLAD, MTC, MINAGRI

Image 28c shows detailed information about the deforestation surrounding the town of Iberia in northeast Madre de Dios (see Inset F in Image 28a for context).

Note the extensive deforestation in both 2014 and 2015 along both sides of the Interoceanic highway (1,830 hectares, or 4,522 acres).

Also note that much of the deforestation is an agglomeration of small-scale patches and occurs within forestry concessions (timber and rubber harvesting).

Insets F1 and F2 show the zooms described in greater detail below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoom F1

Image 28d compares two satellite images of the area indicated in Inset F1 (see Image 28c for context) between September 2013 (left panel) and January 2016 (right panel). Note the large increase in newly deforested areas for what appears to be small-scale agricultural inside a timber concession.

Image 28d. Data: USGS, Planet Labs
Image 28d. Data: NASA/USGS, Planet Labs, PNCB/MINAM, UMD/GLAD

Zoom F2

Image 28e compares satellite images of the area indicated in Inset F2 (see Image 28c for context) between September 2013 (left panel) and December 2015 (right panel). Note the large increase in newly deforested areas for what appears to be small-scale agricultural within a rubber concession.

Image 28e. Data: USGS, PNCB/MINAM, UMD/GLAD
Image 28e. Data: NASA/USGS.

References

* Produced by the University of Maryland, Google, and WRI’s Global Forest Watch. http://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/5/-9.31/-75.01/PER/grayscale/umd_as_it_happens

*Hansen, M.C., A. Krylov, A. Tyukavina, P.V. Potapov, S. Turubanova, B. Zutta, S. Ifo, B. Margono, F. Stolle, and R. Moore. Humid tropical forest disturbance alerts using Landsat data. Environ. Res. Lett. 11: 034008.

Citation

Finer M & Novoa S (2016) New Deforestation Hotspot in Madre de Dios, 2016. MAAP: 28.

 

MAAP #27: United Cacao Continues Deforestation of Primary Forest in Tamshiyacu (Loreto, Peru)

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Deforestation continues to increase in the land owned and operated by United Cacao  near the town of Tamshiyacu in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Since 2013, we have documented the deforestation of 2,380 hectares (5,880 acres) related to this project, the vast majority at the expense of primary forest*. Of this total, 250 hectares were clear-cut after the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture ordered the “paralyzation” of the company’s agricultural activities in December 2014**. Here in MAAP #27, we present evidence that indicates the deforestation related to this project will continue to expand in the coming months.

Image 27a. Data: USGS.
Image 27a. Data: USGS.

Image 27a shows a series of satellite images (Landsat) that shows the advance of deforestation in in the northern part of the United Cacao project. The left panel shows this area contained a remnant of primary forest (see dark green color in Inset A) in July 2014. The central panel shows that, by September 2015, a new access road network was constructed in the southern part of this area (see pink color, which indicates recently deforested areas). Finally, the right panel shows that in February 2016 (the most recent image), the southern part of that same area is now deforested, while a new access road network has been constructed to the north. Thus, if this pattern continues (access roads followed by large-scale deforestation), we predict that deforestation will soon occur in this northern area.

High-Resolution View

Image 27b shows, in high-resolution, the deforestation of primary forest between June (left panel) and November (right panel) of 2015 in the northern part of the United Cacao project described above (see red box in both images). The image also shows the area of primary forest that is now threatened with additional deforesation (see yellow box in both images).

Image 27b. Data: WorldView-3 from Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 27b. Data: WorldView-3 from Digital Globe (NextView).
Data: PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Hansen et al 2016 (ERL)***
Data: PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Hansen et al 2016 (ERL)***

Deforestation Trend

The graph to the right shows the trend of accumulated deforestation in the United Cacao project area between 2012 and February 2016. The company began operations in early 2013, the same year as the large increase in deforestation. Also note that deforestation increased in 2015 despite the Ministry of Agriculture’s “paralyzation” order in late 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLAD weekly alerts

It is worth emphasizing how quickly and precisely the new GLAD weekly alert system picked up the new access road construction in 2016 (see Image 27c). Also, click here to see this view on Global Forest Watch.

Image 27c. Data: UMD/GLAD, GFW, UrtheCast
Image 27c. Data: UMD/GLAD, GFW, UrtheCast

Notes

*According to the Supreme Decree (No. 018-2015-MINAGRI) approving the Regulations for Forest Management under the framework of the new 2011 Forestry Act (No. 29763), the official definition of primary forest in Peru is: “Forest with original vegetation characterized by an abundance of mature trees with species of superior or dominant canopy, which has evolved naturally.” Using methods of remote sensing, our interpretation of that definition are areas that from the earliest available image (in this case, from 1985) are characterized by dense closed-canopy coverage and experienced no major clearing events. See MAAP #9 and MAAP #2 for more details.

** Resolución de Dirección General N° 462-2014-MINAGRI-DVDIAR-DGAAA. A recent press release from the organization Environmental Investigation Agency reports that the order is still in effect (http://eia-global.org/blog/united-cacao-linked-companies-ordered-to-stop-operations-by-peruvian-author).

***Hansen, M.C., A. Krylov, A. Tyukavina, P.V. Potapov, S. Turubanova, B. Zutta, S. Ifo, B. Margono, F. Stolle, and R. Moore (2016) Humid tropical forest disturbance alerts using Landsat data.  Environ. Res. Lett. 11: 034008. Accessed through Global Forest Watch: www.globalforestwatch.org

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2016) United Cacao Continues Deforestation of Primary Forest in Tamshiyacu (Loreto, Peru). MAAP: #27.

 

MAAP #26: Deforestation Hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon, 2015

Posted on by dcadmin

Thanks to the newly launched GLAD alerts (developed by the University of Maryland and Google1, and presented by Global Forest Watch), we now have weekly access to high-resolution forest loss data across Peru. Here in MAAP #26, we analyze the first batch of this data to better understand deforestation patterns in the Peruvian Amazon in 2015. In the coming weeks and months, we will use this map as a base for investigating major hotspots of forest loss in the country.

Kernell_2015a_v1_en
Image 26a. Kernel density map for forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon in 2015. Data: Hansen et al 2016 (ERL).

According to the GLAD alert data, total estimated forest loss in Peru in 2015 was 158,658 hectares (392,050 acres). If confirmed, that represents the second highest total on record, behind only 2014 (177,500 hectares).

To better understand where the GLAD alert data was concentrated in 2015, we conducted kernel density estimation, a type of analysis that calculates the magnitude per unit area of a particular phenomenon (in this case, forest loss). Image 26a shows the kernel density map for forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon in 2015. It reveals that recent deforestation was concentrated in a number of hotspots in the departments of Huánuco, Madre de Dios, and Ucayali.

Note that in MAAP #25, we conducted this same type of analysis for 2012 – 2014 forest loss data. Thus, with this latest analysis we can see how deforestation trends shifted in 2015.

Insets A and B highlight an area in central Peru (department of Ucayali) where deforestation intensified in 2015. See below for high-resolution images showing the deforestation in these areas. In the coming weeks and months, we will be publishing additional articles highlighting other key 2015 deforestation hotspots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inset A

MAAP_Coronel_Portillo_29a_v1_en
Image 26b. 2000-15 deforestation for area in Inset A. Data: Hansen et al 2016 (ERL), PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, USGS (Landsat 8)

Image 26b shows detailed deforestation information for the area indicated in Inset A (from Image 26a). Note the extensive 2015 deforestation just to the west of two large-scale oil palm plantations (201 hectares, see pink areas).

Further below, Image 26c shows a high-resolution satellite image of the area in Inset A1 before (left panel) and after (right panel) the recent deforestation events.

 

MAAP_Coronel_Portillo_29b_v1_m_en
Image 26c. High-resolution view of area in Inset A1 before (left panel) and after (right panel) recent deforestation events. Data: WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inset B

MAAP_Coronel_Portillo_29d_v1_en
Image 26d. 2000-15 deforestation for area in Inset B from Image Xa. Data: Hansen et al 2016 (ERL), PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, USGS (Landsat 8)

Image 26d shows detailed deforestation information for the area indicated in Inset B (from Image 26a). Note the extensive 2015 deforestation along the Aguaytia River (164 hectares, see pink areas). Recent deforestation (2012-14) appears to be associated with agricultural and logging activities.

Further below, Image 26e shows a high-resolution satellite image of the area in Inset B1 before (left panel) and after (right panel) the recent deforestation events.

MAAP_Coronel_Portillo_29c_v1_m_en
Image 26e. High-resolution view of area in Inset B1 before (left panel) and after (right panel) recent deforestation events. Data: WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Methodology

We conducted this analysis using the Kernel Density  tool from Spatial Analyst Tool Box of ArcGis 10.1 software. Our goal was to emphasize local concentrations of deforestation in the raw data while still representing overarching patterns of deforestation between 2012 and 2014. We accomplished this using the following parameters:

Search Radius: 15000 layer units (meters)

Kernel Density Function: Quartic kernel function

Cell Size in the map: 200 x 200 meters (4 hectares)

Everything else was left to the default setting.

Reference

1 Hansen, M.C., A. Krylov, A. Tyukavina, P.V. Potapov, S. Turubanova, B. Zutta, S. Ifo, B. Margono, F. Stolle, and R. Moore. Humid tropical forest disturbance alerts using Landsat data. Environmental Research Letters, in press. Accessed through Global Forest Watch on March 2, 2016. www.globalforestwatch.org

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S, Snelgrove C (2015) 2015 Deforestation Hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP: 26.

MAAP #24: Illegal Gold Mining Penetrates Deeper into Tambopata National Reserve

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*Note: During the preparation of this analysis, the Peruvian government conducted an operation against the illegal gold mining activity in the area described below (see this news article in Spanish for more information).

In MAAP #21, we revealed, using high-resolution images, the first sign of an invasion into the Tambopata National Reserve (an important natural protected area in the southern Peruvian Amazon) by illegal gold mining activities. Here in MAAP #24, we show two additional types of satellites imagery (due to lack of new high-resolution image) indicating that the illegal gold mining deforestation continues to penetrate deeper into the Reserve.

Image 24a. Landsat images showing the expansion of deforestation inside the Tambopata National Reserve between December 2015 (left panel) and January 2016 (right panel). Data: USGS, SERNANP.

Image 24a shows a comparison between two Landsat images (30 m resolution) indicating that the deforestation continued to increase within the Reserve between December 2015 (left panel) and January 2016 (right panel). The red circles indicate the general location of the newly deforested areas, which appear pink (soil without forest cover) and blue (wastewater pools) in contrast to the green (standing forest). The deforestation inside the Tambopata National Reserve between December 2015 and January 2016 is approximately 20 hectares (49 acres).

Image 24b is the base map showing the area described above in a larger context. The red inset box indicates the area shown in Image 24a.

Image 24b. Reference Map of mining area. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Radar: Powerful New Tool

Image 24c. Radar images showing the expansion of deforestation inside the Tambopata National Reserve between November 2015 (left panel) and January 2016 (right panel) Data: SERNANP, Sentinel-1
Image 24c. Radar images showing the expansion of deforestation inside the Tambopata National Reserve between November 2015 (left panel) and January 2016 (right panel) Data: SERNANP, Sentinel-1

Image 24c shows, for the first time in MAAP, information from a radar satellite (Sentinel-1 from the European Space Agency). Unlike multi-spectral Landsat imagery that is vulnerable to clouds blocking the view, radar imagery is useful year-round (even the Amazon rainy season) because it can penetrate through cloud cover. In the displayed images, the shades of gray are related to the topography and the height of the forest. Lower areas, such as recently deforested lands and bodies of water, appear darker (almost black) in color, while higher areas such as standing forests appear lighter in color. Image 24c confirms the increase in deforestation between November 2015 (left panel) and January 2016 (right panel) within the area indicated above (see the red boxes).

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S, Olexy T (2016) Illegal Gold Mining Penetrates Deeper into Tambopata National Reserve. MAAP: 24.

MAAP #23: Increasing Deforestation along lower Las Piedras River (Madre de Dios, Peru)

Posted on by dcadmin

The Las Piedras River in the southern Peruvian Amazon (department of Madre de Dios) is increasingly recognized for its outstanding wildlife (for example, see this video by naturalist and explorer Paul Rosolie, and this trailer for the upcoming film Uncharted Amazon). As seen in Image 23a, its headwaters are born in the Alto Purus National Park, but the lower Las Piedras is surrounded by a mix of different types of forestry concessions (logging, Brazil nut harvesting, ecotourism, and reforestation).

Here in MAAP #23, we document the growing deforestation on the lower Las Piedras River in the area surrounding the community of Lucerna (see red box in Image 23a for context).

Image Xa. Las Piedras River and surrounding designations. Data: MINAGRI, IBC, SERNANP.
Image 23a. Las Piedras River and surrounding designations. Data: MINAGRI, IBC, SERNANP.

Deforestation Analysis

Image 23b shows our deforestation analysis for an area along the lower Las Piedras River near the community of Lucerna (see red box in Image 23a for context). We found a sharp increase in deforestation starting in 2012. In the 11 years between 2000 and 2011, we detected the deforestation of 88 hectares (218 acres). In contrast, in the 4 years between 2012 and 2015, we detected the deforestation of 472 hectares (1,166 acres). 2015 had the highest deforestation total with 155 hectares (383 acres).

Image Xb. Lower Las Piedras River deforestation analysis. Data: MINAGRI, PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA.
Image 23b. Lower Las Piedras River deforestation analysis. Data: MINAGRI, CLASlite, PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA.

Note that the Las Piedras Amazon Center (LPAC) Ecotourism Concession represents an effective barrier to deforestation. However, note that two other, less active, ecotourism concessions are experiencing extensive deforestation. The 4,460 hectare LPAC concession (which was created in 2007 and transferred to ARCAmazon in March 2015) hosts an active tourist lodge, research center,  and Forest Ranger Protection Program, which employs local people to patrol the area while monitoring wildlife and human impacts.

Image Xc. Recent Landsat image showing deforestation along lower Las Piedras. Data: USGS,MINAGRI.
Image 23c. Recent Landsat image showing deforestation along lower Las Piedras. Data: USGS,MINAGRI.

Image 23c shows a very recent (December 2015) Landsat image of the deforestation highlighted in Image 23b. The pinkish-red areas indicate the most recently cleared forests. We have received information indicating that much of this new deforestation is associated with cacao plantations. Cacao is of course used to produce chocolate.

Citation

Finer M, Pena N (2015) Increasing Deforestation along lower Las Piedras River (Madre de Dios, Peru). MAAP #23

MAAP #22: Yaguas – Another Big Conservation Opportunity for Peru

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Peru recently celebrated a major conservation victory for 2015 with the creation of Sierra del Divisor National Park. Prior to this announcement, Sierra del Divisor was classified as a Reserved Zone, which is a temporary measure to protect an area of biological importance until the government is able to determine a final designation. In these cases, national park status represents the strongest possible final designation.

Now in 2016, there is the opportunity for another major conservation victory in Peru: creation of Yaguas National Park. Yaguas received Reserved Zone status in 2011 and is now awaiting its final designation. Yaguas Reserved Zone is both big (868,928 hectares or 2,147,168 acres) and remote, located in extreme northeast Peru within the department of Loreto (see Image 22a).

1. MAAP_Yaguas_2x_a_v4
Image 22a. Yaguas Reserved Zone. Data: USGS, SERNANP, PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA

Note that Yaguas is a critical part of a series of protected areas that provide landscape level biological connectivity in northeast Peru. In addition, Yaguas borders and complements a large protected Colombian landscape, forming one of the largest assemblies of protected areas and indigenous lands in the Amazon.

Deforestation Analysis

Yaguas Reserved Zone is the rare example of an area in extremely good conservation condition. As seen In Image 22b, we detected virtually no deforestation within or surrounding the reserve. Note that the background in Image 22b is a Landsat image (30 m resolution) from December 2015 showing the reserve is completely covered with intact forest.

2. MAAP_Yaguas_a_v2_es
Image 22b. Yaguas Deforestation analysis. Data: USGS, PNCB/MINAM, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, MINAGRI, SERNANP

Carbon Analysis

Dr. Greg Asner (Carnegie Institution for Science) and the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment recently produced a high-resolution carbon map of Peru (Asner et al. 2014 a,b). As seen in Image 22c, much of the reserve contains very high carbon levels. Using this data, we calculated that Yaguas Reserved Zone contains approximately 102 million metric tons of above-ground carbon, one of the highest totals for a protected area in all of Peru.

3. MAAP_Yaguas_carbono
Image 22c. High-resolution carbon geography of the Yaguas Reserved Zone. Data: Asner et al. 2014 a,b.

Asner GP, Knapp DE, Martin RE, Tupayachi R, Anderson CB, et al. (2014 a) Targeted carbon conservation at national scales with high-resolution monitoring. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(47), E5016-E5022.

Asner GP, Knapp DE, Martin RE, Tupayachi R, Anderson CB, et al. (2014 b) The high-resolution carbon geography of Peru. Berkeley, CA: Minuteman Press.

Biodiversity

The Yaguas Reserved Zone also contains extremely high levels of biodiversity, particularly for fish. In fact, according to a rapid biological inventory by the Field Museum in 2010, Yaguas may be home to the highest fish diversity in Peru. During the inventory, scientists recorded 337 fish species in three weeks, far more than any other rapid inventory in Peru (see Image 22d). Biologists estimate that Yaguas is home to around 550 fish species, making it one of South America’s most diverse aquatic ecosystems.

The Reserved Zone (and proposed national park) was specifically designed to protect this extraordinary aquatic diversity. It contains a complete gradient of lowland river aquatic habitats, from headwaters (first order and intermediate) and springs to lowland areas encompasing habitats such as floodplains, lakes, swamps, bogs, and a meandering main river (see Images 22e and 22f). Importantly, unlike most of the major rivers protected by Peruvian national parks, the Yaguas River is born in the Amazon lowlands, not in the Andes. Thus, it contains hydrological processes and riparian habitats that are not yet strictly protected by the Peruvian system of protected areas.

Image Xd. Number of fish species recorded in rapid inventories of the Yaguas Reserved Zone and 10 other sites in Loreto, Peru. Data: http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/rbi/results.asp
Image 22d. Number of fish species recorded in rapid inventories of the Yaguas Reserved Zone and 10 other sites in Loreto, Peru. Data: http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/rbi/results.asp

 

Image Xe. Aerial view of Yaguas River. Photo Credit: Alvaro del Campo (Field Museum)
Image 22e. Aerial view of Yaguas River. Photo Credit: Alvaro del Campo (Field Museum)
Quebrada_Cachimbo_1_ADC
Image 22f. Aerial view of Yaguas River and the Cachimbo tributary. Photo Credit: Alvaro del Campo (Field Museum)

References:

Hidalgo, M. H., y A. Ortega-Lara. 2011. Peces. Pp. 98–108 y 308–329 en N. Pitman, C. Vriesendorp, D. K. Moskovits, R. von May, D. Alvira, T. Wachter, D. F. Stotz y Á. del Campo, eds. Perú: Yaguas-Cotuhé. Rapid Biological and Social Inventories Report 23. The Field Museum, Chicago. http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/rbi/results_23.asp

Pitman, N., C. Vriesendorp, D. K. Moskovits, R. von May, D. Alvira, T. Wachter, D. F. Stotz y Á. del Campo, eds. 2011. Perú: Yaguas-Cotuhé. Rapid Biological and Social Inventories Report 23. The Field Museum, Chicago. http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/rbi/results_23.asp

Acknowledgments

We thank the Field Museum and Instituto del Bien Común for helpful comments and information.

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2015) Another Big Conservation Opportunity for Peru: Yaguas.

 

MAAP #21: Illegal Gold Mining Deforestation Enters Tambopata National Reserve (Madre de Dios, Peru) [High-Resolution View]

Posted on by dcadmin

*Note: During the review process for this article, a major operation against illegal mining activities was carried out by the Peruvian government in the area described below.

Image 21a illustrates a recent illegal gold mining invasion of the Tambopata National Reserve. Tambopata is an important protected area in the southern Peruvian Amazon (department of Madre de Dios). Image 21a compares two high-resolution (0.5 m) images taken two months apart over the same area along the northern border of the reserve. One can clearly see the beginning of the illegal gold mining activity and deforestation within the reserve between September (left panel) and November (right panel) 2015. For more context regarding the area in question, see the yellow box in Image 21b.

Image 20a. Recent invasion of Tambopata National Reserve. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 of Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 21a. Recent invasion of Tambopata National Reserve. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Reference Map

Image 21b is a reference map showing the above detailed area in the larger context between the northern border of the Tambopata National Reserve and the illegal gold mining zone known as La Pampa. The yellow box corresponds to the area detailed in Image 21a. Note that the original boundary of the reserve created in 2000 no longer coincides with the route of the Malinowski River due to its natural movement over time.

Image 20b. Reference Map. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 21b. Reference Map. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Deforestation Data

Image 21c presents an updated analysis of the deforestation in the area between La Pampa and the Tambopata National Reserve. In this specific area, we documented the deforestation of 2,518 hectares (6,222 acres) between 2013 and 2015, the vast majority of which is clearly linked to illegal gold mining activities. The majority of this recent deforestation has occurred in La Pampa, a bit north of the reserve (but within its buffer zone). However, recent deforestation has also occurred along the Malinowski river, which forms the northern boundary of the reserve in this area.

Imagen 3. Análisis de deforestacion. Fuentes: SERNANP, USGS, WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 21c. Analysis of deforestation. Data: CLASlite, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, SERNANP, USGS, WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

In Image 21c, the data from 2000-2014 came from Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, while the data from 2015 came from our own analysis using CLASlite.

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S, Snelgrove C, Peña N (2015) Confirming an Illegal Gold Mining Invasion of the Tambopata National Reserve (Madre de Dios, Peru) [High-Resolution View]. MAAP #21.