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National Parks >
Carrasco National Park
LOCATION
It is located in the eastern part of the Department of Cochabamba,
occupying part of the provinces of Chapare-Carrasco Tiraque. It
limits with the Amboro Park in the Department of Santa Cruz. It has
a surface of 622,600 hectares.
CLIMATE
The climate is cold in the high parts that are in the west and south (Tiraque
- Pojo) and warm in the lower zones in the northern region. Most of
the area is characterized by its high rainfall, which can surpass 5000
mm a year.
HYDROLOGY
The area is crossed by numerous rivers and streams. Among the most
important there are the Ivirizu, Chimore, Sajta and San Mateo, Ichilo,
Ichoa.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE AREA
The Park is in the eastern range of the Andes, in a sub-Andean region
called Chapare, and it has a marked altitudinal gradient which means
there is the presence of numerous eco-systems, habitats, and an
enormous diversity of flora and fauna. The are representative samples
of the humid, high Andean prairies, glacial lagoons, marshes and peat
bogs, Yungas Moors, Clouded Forest of the Yungas Rim (extremely humid),
humid forests and very humid Yungas Mountains, extremely humid sub-Andean
rain forest, very humid foothills forest of basal transition and spots
of Puya raimonii thistles in the southern area of influence of the
Park (Karayani).
FLORA
Over 5,000 species of superior plants are known to exist
there. The keñua forests (Polylepis spp.) stand out in the high
barren plains of Yungas and several species of Podocarpus, Walnut,
Copal, palm trees and giant ferns, as well as a reservoir of genetic
resources of such economically important varieties as cedar and
mahogany. Over 200 species of orchids have also been found.
FAUNA
The fauna in the region is outstanding. Jucumaris or Andean bears
(Tremarctos ornatus), guemals (Hippocamelus antisiensis), jaguars (Panthera
onca), marmosets (Felis jacobita) live there. One of the Park’s most
important attractions is the birds, especially the oilbird (Steatornis
caripensis) which nests in caverns inside the park. It is also
estimated that over 800 species of birds live in the park, among which
we can highlight the large number of threatened species - Terenura
sharpei, Leptasthenura andicola, Cnemarchus erythropygius, Catamenia
homochroa, Idiopsar brachyurus, Tangara ruficervix - and endemic
species such as the Simoxenops striatus,
GENETIC RESOURCES
The area is a reservoir for a large diversity of wild genetic
resources, especially economically important timber-yielding species
that are on the way to commercial extinction, such as mara (Swietenia
macrophyla), cedar and walnut (Juglans boliviana).
SCENIC VALUES
The area has very beautiful mountainous scenery, with deep valleys and
canyons, torrential rivers and waterfalls, as well as exuberant
vegetation.
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