Land use, Deforestation and Biodiversity Conservation in Bolivia

Land use, Deforestation and Biodiversity Conservation in Bolivia – Model-based analysis of recent history and future trends
Cooperation with: Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN)

Abstract
Bolivia is experiencing exponentially increasing rates of deforestation, mainly due to soy bean farming and cattle ranching. The project aims at understanding the recent development of land use change in the Bolivian lowlands and analysing its implications for biodiversity conservation. In a spatially explicit econometric model, multitemporal remote sensing data on land use change will be interrelated to potential drivers, i.e. geophysical, socioeconomic and political variables such as climate, proximity to roads or extension of protected areas. Based on the findings from the past, probable land use changes in the future will be forecasted. Expected impacts on ecosystems as well as possible strategies for biodiversity conservation will be discussed.