Growth of Nucleos A Santa Cruz, Bolivia story
Deforestation
Forests
In the 1975 image, the initial clearing for the San Julian settlements is visible along the highway—the pink line heading north-south. Later images show a well-defined 3x3 box pattern with roads connecting them. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) helped fund new roads along with wells and community center clearing.
In the middle of the two groupings of nucleos is a clearing of a different pattern. This is the Zapito private farm, which is not part of the San Julian colonies.
Location
June 17, 1975, Landsat 2 (path/row 247/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
July 2, 1986, Landsat 5 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
Aug. 11, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
July 27, 1995, Landsat 5 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
Aug. 1, 2000, Landsat 7 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
Aug. 23, 2005, Landsat 5 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
July 20, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
July 23, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
July 29, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
Aug. 19, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 230/72) — San Julian resettlement, Bolivia
Santa Cruz, Bolivia Additional Imagery & Stories
Deforestation
Every year in Bolivia, a swath of forest two-thirds the size of Delaware is cleared of trees. Most of this deforestation has taken place in lowlands a...
San Julian
Taking a closer look at the San Julian settlements reveals the pattern of deforestation more clearly. Most of the settlers were from Bolivia’s western...