Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia Photograph by John Morrison   Central South America: Bolivia into Brazil Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   About 89,000 square miles (230,600 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Pennsylvania. Critical/Endangered

· Dryland Forests
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Dryland Forests

When most people think about the forests of Brazil and Bolivia, the first image that pops to mind is the warm, moist Amazonian rain forest. But stretching out from the southern border of the Amazonian forests is a different habitat altogether: the Chiquitano Dry Forests. Characterized by dry, thorny, scrub vegetation, the Chiquitano Dry Forests are nonethless bursting with life. And this ecoregion is considered one of the most biodiverse dry forests in the world!

Special Features

Although temperatures are mild in this region, rainfall is quite variable. Local plants have adapted to a strong dry season during the winter months, so the plants that grow here, particularly the trees, depend on drainage patterns. Depending on the topography, you'll find forests dominated by soto, curupau, cuchi, cuta, ajo-ajo, tajibo, and tuseque trees. Flooding and fires are both common in this region, so many of these trees can withstand temporary flooding or have fire-resistant bark.

	Giant armadillos can grow to weigh more than 120 pounds (54 kg)!

Wild Side

Scientists have not finished cataloging the biological richness of this ecoregion, but they already know it's a special place. In fact, it's the largest patch of healthy dry forest in the world. Jaguars, ocelots, and crowned eagles roam the ecoregion searching for prey. Giant armadillos poke about for ants and termites, marsh deer browse on plants, and white-lipped peccaries and tapirs trot through the undergrowth. The Sunsas Ridge, located in this ecoregion, is known to contain many limestone caves rich in bat colonies, but they have yet to be studied. The ecoregion also harbors an endangered caiman and numerous threatened bird species.

Cause for Concern

In general, dry forests are considered the most endangered type of tropical forest in the world, and the Chiquitano Dry Forest is no exception. Major threats include agricultural expansion, commerical hunting, uncontrolled logging, fires, new road construction, and new energy-related projects, such as pipelines and powerlines.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.