Changes in Landscape of Pampa Juliaca Grassland in Bahuaja-Sonene National Park by Fire Men-Made (1990-2010)

Ronald Mendoza-Robles1, Alarcón-Aguirre G.1, Perz S.2, and Correa-Núñez G.1

1. Madre de Dios Amazon National University, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Perú

2. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Abstract: One of the ecoregions of Peru according to the Peruvian scientist Antonio Brack Egg is the savanna of palm trees, also known as the ecosystem of the Heath Pampas, located in the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in Madre de Dios region, southeastern Amazon. The goal was to evaluate changes in the vegetation cover, in the Pampa Juliaca grassland and clarify their causal dynamics along time. Landsat TM 5 images were processed for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 using a supervised classification with a maximum likelihood algorithm. The analysis quantifies gains, losses and net change in grassland and forest cover. The results show that 27.6% of the study area experienced land cover change over the past 20years, of which 17.9% was due to a net change while 9.68% was attributable to “swap change”. The largest shift was the conversion of forest vegetation to non-forest (7.14%), followed by the revegetation of non-forest to forest (2.95%). Whereas the historical tendency is for forests to invade and replace grasslands, this study shows that grasslands in the study area have in fact persisted over time. The explanation for grassland persistence involves fires set by park staff and local indigenous communities.

Key words: grasslands, fire, land cover, Peru, Amazon