ML110433

Media notes

NOTES: Between Alto Madidi and Ixiamus . A 14 day study within the lower tropical forest and the tropical hill forest of the first serrania of the Andes. Viable hill tropical forest only exists betwenn 500-650 m, with much of the area being very steep well drained forests. Many of the more common hill tropical bird species were not encountered with lower tropical species rising to some record heights. This forest is probably subject to higher levels of precipitation than the "still" expansive lower tropical forest north of the area. The area has suffered low to medium levels of selective logging, large mammal and bird hunting and recent (last 20 years) rubber tapping. The higher parts within the Serrania fall into Madidi National Park, and the lower areas may be absorbed into its still undeclared buffer zone. The area has a new dirt road and will be 90% destroyed in the next 20 years without protection. Much of the forest around the road is cut for "slash and burn" agriculture for single year plots of rice.