UNDERSTANDING AND MAPPING LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE ALONG BOLIVIA‟S ...

399 Pages·2010·10.68 MB·English

UNDERSTANDING AND MAPPING
LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE ALONG
BOLIVIA‟S CORREDOR BIOCEÁNICO

A Dissertation
by
DANIEL J. REDO

Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of
Texas A&M University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

May 2010

Major Subject: Geography
UNDERSTANDING AND MAPPING
LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE ALONG
BOLIVIA‟S CORREDOR BIOCEÁNICO

A Dissertation
by
DANIEL J. REDO

Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of
Texas A&M University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Approved by:
Chair of Committee, Andrew Millington
Committee Members, Christian Brannstrom
Anthony Filippi
Wendy Jepson
Amanda Stronza
Head of Department, Douglas Sherman

May 2010
Major Subject: Geography
iii
ABSTRACT

Understanding and Mapping Land-Use and Land-Cover Change
along Bolivia‘s Corredor Bioceánico. (May 2010)
Daniel J. Redo, B.S.; M.S., The University of Southern Mississippi
Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Andrew Millington

The Corredor Bioceánico is a major transportation project connecting the
agricultural heartlands of South America to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The final
link is in southeastern Bolivia – an underdeveloped area that is home to two indigenous
groups and globally-significant woodlands and wetlands. Infrastructure developments –
comprising a major highway upgrade, revitalized railway services and increased flows
along gas pipelines to Brazil – pose major threats to livelihoods and the region‘s
ecological integrity. There are two broad objectives: (i) to map and quantify the spatial
patterns of land change using a time-series of coarse and medium resolution satellite
imagery; and (ii) to understand the socio-economic and political drivers of change by
linking household surveys and interviews with farmers; environmental, climatic, and
political data; and classified satellite imagery.
Overall, large-scale deforestation has occurred along the Corredor Bioceánico for
mechanized commercial production of oil-seed crops such as soybeans and sunflower.
The significance of these findings is that agriculture-driven deforestation is pushing into
sensitive areas threatening world-renowned ecosystems such as the Chaco, Chiquitano
iv
and Pantanal as well as noteworthy national parks. Though quantity remains relatively
small compared to other parts of South America, rates of forest loss match or exceed
those of more publicized regions such as Rondônia or Mato Grosso, Brazil. Moreover,
rates of forest loss are accelerating linearly with time due to policies implemented by
incumbent president Evo Morales. Results also show that in the first years of
cultivation, pasture is the dominant land-use, but it quickly gives way to intensively
cropped farmland. The main findings in terms of percentage area cleared according to
forest type is that farmers appear to be favoring transitional forest types on deep and
poorly drained soils of alluvial plains. Semi-structured interviews with farmers and
representatives of key institutions illustrate that price determined by the global market is
not proportionally the most dominant motive driving LULCC in the lowlands of Santa
Cruz, Bolivia – an area seen as a quintessential neoliberal frontier.
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This dissertation was funded by the National Science Foundation, SBE DDRI
Geography and Regional Science and Office of International Science and Engineering
(Grant: BCS-0802672), and was additionally funded by Texas A&M University. I thank
both institutions for their support. My particular thanks to Don Lucho Rámirez, who
drove me for hours on end on unpaved, dusty, and potholed roads with much good
humor; and Phil Bender who patiently set up interviews with farmers, producer
organizations, helped with the inevitable translation issues, and helped us achieve one of
our holy grails – to interview Mennonite farmers. My advisor, Andrew Millington,
challenged me to write a dissertation that was beyond my scholarly ability. I greatly
appreciate your ability to serve as a teacher, advisor, mentor, counselor, and friend, and
to direct me through the trials and tribulations of the Ph.D. experience. I also thank
committee members Christian Brannstrom, Wendy Jepson and Amanda Stronza. Their
efforts have been truly instrumental in my academic achievements and my professional
development.
I would also like to thank my family, whom I love dearly and who have always
encouraged me in my endeavors. I would never made it this far without their support
and patience. Finally, I thank my wife Katherine, who accompanied me on my first
expedition to Latin America many years ago. For me to have adventures is lucky
enough, but to share them with a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful woman like her is
all a man could ever ask for. You have also been willing to endure the difficulties of
student life today for a more promising tomorrow. To all of you, words cannot express
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my gratitude – my accomplishments would not have been possible without your support.
I hope that I have made all of you proud.
vii
NOMENCLATURE

ANAPO Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo
(Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers)

AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
CAF Corporación Andina de Fomento (Andean Development
Corporation)

CAO Cámara Agropecuaria del Oriente (Agricultural Chamber of the
East)

CBERS Chinese-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite
DN Digital Number
ETM+ Enhanced Thematic Mapper
GLCF Global Land Cover Facility
HRCCD High-Resolution Charge Coupled Device
IADB Inter-American Development Bank
IMA Integrated Management Area
INPE Brazilian National Space Research Institute
IRS Indian Remote Sensing Satellite
KINP Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park
LULC Land-Use and Land-Cover
LULCC Land-Use and Land-Cover Change
MAS Movimiento al Socialismo (Movement Towards Socialism)
MERCOSUR Mercado Común del Sur (Common Market of the South)
MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
viii
MSS Multispectral Scanner
MVC Maximum Value Composite
NDVI Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NP National Park
LP DAAC Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center
RMSE Root Mean Square Error
SEA Strategic Environmental Studies
SEF Socio-Economic Function

SPOT Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (Earth Observation
Satellite)

TM Thematic Mapper
USGS United States Geological Survey
WB World Bank
WWF World Wildlife Fund
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... v
NOMENCLATURE .................................................................................................. vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ix
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... xii
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... xvi
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1
1.1 Context and Statement of the Problem ................................................. 1
1.2 Research Objectives/Questions ............................................................ 5
1.3 Research Significance and Intellectual Merit ....................................... 6
1.4 Broad Impacts of Research................................................................... 7
1.5 Dissertation Organization/Overview .................................................... 9

2. STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ................................................................................ 12
2.1 Mapping Land-Use and Land-Cover Change ...................................... 12
2.2 Mapping Land-Use and Land-Cover Classes ....................................... 19
2.3 Drivers of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change .................................... 22

3. STUDY AREA .................................................................................................... 27
3.1 Structural Elements .............................................................................. 27
3.2 Physical Environment .......................................................................... 37
3.3 Peoples ................................................................................................. 47

4. METHODS .......................................................................................................... 57
4.1 Mapping Land-Use and Land-Cover Change ...................................... 57
4.2 Mapping Detailed Land-Use and Land-Cover Classes ........................ 61
4.3 Drivers of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change .................................... 68
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Page

5. MAPPING LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE ALONG
BOLIVIA‘S CORREDOR BIOCEÁNICO: 1975-2008 ..................................... 76

5.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 76
5.2 Study Area ............................................................................................ 79
5.3 Previous Approaches to Mapping Land Change .................................. 80
5.4. Data Description and Methodology ..................................................... 84
5.5 Results .................................................................................................. 92
5.6 Discussion ............................................................................................ 94
5.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 98

6. LAND-USE MODIFICATION AND LAND-COVER TRANSITION IN
THE BOLIVIAN SEASONAL TROPICS ......................................................... 100

6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 100
6.2 Study Area ............................................................................................ 104
6.3 Previous Approaches to Mapping LULC Classes ................................ 110
6.4 Data Description and Classification Protocol ...................................... 112
6.5 Results .................................................................................................. 118
6.6 Discussion ............................................................................................ 124
6.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 131

7. THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS, INSTITUTIONS AND
ORGANIZATIONS IN LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE ............ 133

7.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 133
7.2 Land Change Linked to Neoliberalism ................................................ 137
7.3 The Post-Neoliberal Era ...................................................................... 141
7.4 Fieldwork and Methodology ................................................................ 145
7.5 Results and Discussion ......................................................................... 149
7.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 163

8. DEFORESTATION DYNAMICS AND POLICY CHANGES IN
BOLIVIA‘S POST-NEOLIBERAL ERA ........................................................... 165

8.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 165
8.2 Study Area ............................................................................................ 169
8.3 Data Description and Methodology ..................................................... 170
8.4 Deforestation under Neoliberalism: 1985-2005 ................................... 173
8.5 Post-Neoliberal Policy Changes and Deforestation: 2005-Present ...... 180
8.6 Discussion ............................................................................................ 186