The Bolivian Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

in the Yungas of central

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

Setting

The ecoregion occurs in elevations ranging from on the eastern slopes of the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

in Bolivia, extending into a small portion of southeastern Peru. It forms a transition zone between the Southwest Amazon moist forests to the northeast and the Central Andean puna and wet puna to the southwest.

Climate

The climate in this ecoregion varies from

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are dense and warm rainforests with high rainfall typically found between 10° north and south of the Equator. They are a subset of the tropical forest biome that occurs roughly within the 28° latitudes (in the torrid zo ...

to tropical monsoon. Fog and rain deposited by northern trade winds contribute to the high humidity and precipitation of the Yungas.

Flora

Epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

s are abundant and include

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a Family (biology), family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the Tropics, tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and on ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s, and tree-ferns ('' Cyathea''). '' Chusquea'' bamboo is an indicator species of the ecoregion.

Fauna

Mammals found in this ecoregion include the spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus''), Geoffroy's cat (''Leopardus geoffroyi''), lowland tapir (''Tapirus terrestris''),

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

(''Panthera onca''),

jaguarundi The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi''; or ) is a wild felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central America, Central and South America east of the Andes. T ...

(''Herpailurus yagouaroundi''), pacarana (''Dinomys branickii''), and dwarf brocket deer (''Mazama chunyi''). Interesting bird species include the diademed tapaculo (''Scytalopus schulenbergi''), green-capped tanager (''Stilpnia meyerdeschauenseei''), Andean cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola peruvianus''), and southern helmeted curassow (''Pauxi unicornis'').

Human use

The Bolivian Yungas is the center of the Afro-Bolivian community. The

Yungas Road The Yungas Road, popularly known as the Death Road, is a long cycle route linking the city of La Paz, Bolivia, La Paz with the Yungas region of Bolivia. It was conceived in the 1930s by the Politics of Bolivia, Bolivian government to connect ...

, known for being dangerous, connects

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

to the Bolivian Yungas.

Protected areas

Steep terrain, high precipitation, and difficult access have kept much of this ecoregion in a natural state. 49.37% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. They include: * Amboró National Park * Bahuaja-Sonene National Park * Carrasco National Park * Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area * Espejillos Natural Monument * Incacasani Altamachi National Park * Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory * Madidi National Park * Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands * Tunari National Park

References

{{Coord missing, Peru Bolivian Yungas Ecoregions of the Andes Ecoregions of Peru Ecoregions of Bolivia Forests of Bolivia Forests of Peru Neotropical tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Subtropical rainforests Montane forests