Our Co-Founder and Ecologist Enrique Ortiz made the news recently through an opinion piece on what can be done to reverse current trends in deforestation and ensure that economic development in the Amazon is not at odds with conservation. Although deforestation in the Amazon is on the rise, Ortiz highlights that recent success stories show that […]
Chocó endemic, Long-wattled Umbrellabird. ©Stephen Davies The Ecuadorian Chocó, located on the other (western) side of the Andes Mountains from its Amazonian neighbor, is renowned for its high levels of endemic species (those that live nowhere else on Earth). It is part of the “Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena” Biodiversity Hotspot, home to numerous endemic plants, mammals, and birds (1,2), such as the Long-wattled […]
A major deforestation surge continues in the northwest Colombian Amazon (MAAP #97). In 2018, it resulted in the loss of 199,000 hectares (491,700 acres)*, making it the most concentrated deforestation hotspot in the entire western Amazon (MAAP #100). Here, we provide a real-time update for 2019 based on early warning GLAD alerts.** The alerts indicate the loss of 56,300 hectares (139,100 acres) […]
Los Amigos Bird Observatory | Cotingas, manakins, and toucans are among the many fruit-eating birds found in the tropical forest. Unlike the species in temperate zones, tropical bird species have evolved to depend on this resource year-round. However, fruits are a food supply that can be highly patchy in time and space. In areas with […]
Through Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), we identify, analyze, track, and publicize deforestation taking place in the Amazon in real-time using high-tech, satellite imagery. We use this information to make local authorities, policymakers, and the general public aware of what is happening on the ground. Recently, we conducted an in-depth analysis of […]
For the 100th MAAP report, we present our first large-scale western Amazon analysis: Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and western Brazil (see Base Map). We use the new 2018 data for forest cover loss, generated by the University of Maryland (Hansen et al 2013) and presented by Global Forest Watch. These data indicate 2.5 million acres of forest cover […]
The Global Big Day (GBD) is a date in which amateurs and experts in birds from around the world seek to see the greatest number of species in their locality. However, it is not only a date in which healthy competition between countries is observed, but also a great opportunity to educate about the diversity […]
In the Peruvian Amazon, most of the logging is selective (not clearcutting), with the targets being higher-value species. Thus, illegal logging is difficult to detect with satellite imagery. In MAAP #85, however, we presented the potential of satellite imagery in identifying logging roads, which are one of the main indicators of logging activity in the remote Amazon. […]
The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) and the Shihuahuaco tree (Diptheryx micrantha) are iconic species of the Neotropics that play key roles in the health of the ecosystem. The harpy eagle is the heaviest and most powerful raptor inhabiting the canopy of rainforests. Its historic distribution ranges from southern Mexico to northeastern Argentina. While the variety in its diet suggests […]
Thanks to early warning forest loss alerts,* we are able to make an initial assessment of the 2018 deforestation hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon. The Base Map highlights the medium (yellow) to high (red) hotspots. In this context, hotspots are the areas with the highest density of forest loss alerts. Note that the most intense hotspots are concentrated in […]
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