May 28, 2021 - Northern Bolivia

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   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



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-05-28
 
