LAND USE ON THE ALTIPLANO IN THE HIGH ANDES OF BOLIVIA

Abstract

Land use on the Altiplano in the High Andes of Bolivia was reviewed to propose reasons why the Altiplano supports a dense population, focusing on the environmental differences between the area’s lower and upper potential tree limit. From the temperate climate review associated with the observed landscape, the boundary between the lower and upper puna was examined, and the location of the potential tree limit was determined to be situated at 4,200 m elevation. On the lower puna, cultivation, which is commercially most profitable, ensures high productivity. The potential tree limit plays a dominant role in differentiating the land use pattern on the Altiplano. It is one reason for the dense population of the Altiplano.