B E S T O F T H E W I L D : W I L D L I F E c O n S E r v a T I O n S O c I E T y and the
M a y a B I O S p H E r E r E S E r v E
photo credits (counter-clockwise from left): cover: julie larsen maher/wcs; inside cover: wcs guatemala; page 3: wcs guatemala; page 4; wcs guatemala; page 5: wcs guatemala (2); cemec/wcs; page 7: wcs guatemala (3); page 9: rafael reyna; wcs guatemala (2); page 11: wcs guatemala; julie larsen maher/wcs; wcs guatemala; cemec/wcs; page 13: victor hugo ramos, wcs guatemala
B E S T O F T H E W I L D : W I L D L I F E c O n S E r v a T I O n S O c I E T y and the
M a y a B I O S p H E r E r E S E r v E
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Inside cover: Scarlet macaw nesting
habitat in the Maya Biosphere
Reserve Landscape. Right, from
top and counterclockwise:
Eastern MBR aerial view; WCS
area of focus, including human
impacts in the MBR (least
human impact = green;
greatest impact = red).
The MBR is a stronghold for wide ranging and iconic species—jaguar, puma, Baird’s tapir, white-lipped peccary, scarlet macaw, and king vulture. Species endemic to the region fill the forest: the raucous Guatemalan black howler monkey, Morelet’s croco-dile, and the spectacular ocellated turkey. Millions of migratory birds from the US and Canada, more than 80 species, depend on these forests during the northern winter. At 8,100 square miles (nearly one-sixth the size of New York State), the MBR anchors the largest block of broadleaf forest north of the Amazon. Securing its future is an impor-tant conservation imperative.
The forest is a major carbon sink for the planet and a critical water catchment for the region. The reserve provides Guatemala with 90% of its petroleum and timber. And the area was the epicenter of the Maya civilization—its 200 archaeological sites are a power-ful international draw for a lucrative and growing tourism industry.
Though Guatemala is embracing democracy and is slowly recovering from decades of internal conflict, the MBR still lacks the institutions needed to govern the use of its natural assets. Illegal settlements, unsustainable rural land uses, uncontrolled hunting of wildlife and annual burning have severely degraded much of the western third of the reserve, and resulted in a vast loss of economic opportunities for local people.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is partnering with local organizations and government to integrate conservation and development in the MBR. Over the last 20 years we have developed innovative approaches to improve local governance of natural and cultural resources and resist destructive practices. We have supported the efforts of local people to manage their forests, which has reduced the threats of deforestation and fire, and ensured that the habitat for jaguars and scarlet macaws, and a host of other magnificent species, remains intact.
WCS has the knowledge, long-standing presence, experience, and a vision for the coming decade: forested parks teeming with wildlife and a managed landscape where fire is controlled and resource extraction is legal and sustainable.
With conservation leadership, scientific knowledge and field presence from WCS, we can together conserve this magnificent landscape.
Viewed from space the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR)
appears largely pristine, with minimal evidence of human
impact. It is one of the last remaining rainforest strongholds
in the region, situated at the heart of the Selva Maya, a tri-
national forest spanning Guatemala, Belize and Mexico.
W C S a n d t h E M a y a B I o S p h E R E R E S E R v E
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National park
Biotope
Buffer zone
Multiple use zone
Cultural monument
International boundary
New York, USA
0 50 10025
Kilometers0 200 400100
Kilometers
Site Scale Reference
Sierra delLancadon
Laguna delTigre
Dos Lagunas
Mirador - Rio Azul
TikalYaxhá
NakúmNaranjo
SanMiguel
laPalotadaEl Zotz
Lagunadel
Tigre-RíoEscondido
El Pilar
Zona de Uso Múltiple Reservade Biosfera Maya
Zona de Amortiguamiento Reservade Biosfera Maya
GUATEMALA
MEXICO
BELIZE
MEXICO
(Background shade represents topography)
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left, uncontrolled hunting—
jaguar killed by poacher. in this
case, the poacher was caught by
the community patrol and expelled
from the village. right, from top
and counter-clockwise: aerial view
of fires; wildlife destruction due
to fire (ocellated turkey nests);
illegal settlements in the mBr
Fire is the principal agent of forest degra-dation. Colonists clear small patches of forest and use fire to burn off the organic debris and create nutrient rich ash. During El Niño years, the fires spread into the surrounding forest, furthering and widening the destruc-tion. In 2002, the resulting smoke traveled north in such density that the Houston International Airport was closed. Dry years are becoming increasingly common—a pre-
diction of climate change scientists—suggesting that fire will become a more severe threat in the future.
Conserving the Maya Forest will attain the twin goals of biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development. Planned land-use and zoning allow ecotour-ism development, sustainable forest extraction and biodiversity protection to co-exist within the same landscape. Management authority for specific areas is conferred to local communities, national NGOs or government agencies (See Zoning Map, previ-ous page).
Yet management authorities lack sufficient skills, experience and financial resources to effectively govern use of the region’s resources and respond to the growing threats. Concurrently, the Guatemalan Government is limited in its ability to respond to biodi-versity conservation goals due to the overwhelming social needs of the country.
The eastern MBR is still primarily intact, though is increasingly at risk from threats spreading from the west. It is in the east that WCS is focusing its efforts and is commit-ted to ensure that this subtropical forest stronghold remains intact.
The western reaches of the MBR, particularly Laguna del
Tigre and Sierra del Lacandon National Parks, are under
severe threat. Illegal colonization is rapidly moving west
to east, resulting in forest clearing, uncontrolled hunting
of wildlife and fire. At the industrial scale, roads built to
facilitate timber and petroleum extraction provide easy
avenues for hunters and new colonists into remote sections
of the forest.
u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e c h a l l e n g e s a n d r i s k s
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right, from top and counter-
clockwise: a vision of the eastern
mBr (mahogany); studying scarlet
macaws; scarlet macaw, Ara macao
To achieve this vision, we will hold ourselves accountable for:
n 90% of the intact eastern MBR protected and managed (more than 3,300 square miles);
n The eastern MBR a stronghold for jaguars, with a stable and ecologically functional population across the landscape;
n Scarlet macaw breeding areas protected and the population demographically robust.
Jaguars and scarlet macaws range widely, rely on different parts of the forest, and are put in jeopardy by the most acute and widespread threats to the region. They are symbols of the forest and their conservation is a measure of our success. By maintaining intact habitat for jaguars and scarlet macaws, we ensure the conservation of thousands of other forest dependent species.
To maintain that intact habitat, our focus must be threefold: ensuring that protected areas are effectively managed by government and other stakeholders; providing training and support so that communities are positioned to manage their forest concessions; and tracking the species and landscape trends that indicate success or need for adaptive management. Our conservation objectives will be met when a key set of management programs and circumstances are in place:
n Local management of community forest concessions reduces forest fires and illegal colonization, with 90% of concession areas free of fire, deforestation and illegal colonization;
n Protected areas of the eastern MBR are well managed by government and NGO partners, with intact forest cover free of fire and colonization;
n Trends in habitat and key landscape species are used by government and na-tional institutions to improve the adaptive management of the eastern MBR landscape, as measured by abundance of wildlife and government resource allocation in the reserve.
WCS has a 10-year vision for the eastern MBR: Forested
parks teeming with wildlife, and effectively managed
protected areas and forest concessions where fire is
controlled and resource extraction is legal and sustainable.
v i s i o n f o r t h e f u t u r e
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right, from top and counter-
clockwise: the causal chain:
a causal chain helps prioritize
conservation actions to address
threats to mBr’s wildlife;
ancient maya city of tikal;
working with communities;
communities creating a firebreak
To ensure effective local management of community forest concessions, WCS is: n Helping three keystone community management areas (Uaxactún, Car-
melita, and Paso Caballos) conserve habitat by improving local capacity and promoting alternative livelihoods;
n Leading fire prevention programs in eight community forest concessions;n Providing integrated education programs as strong local incentives for habitat
conservation in five keystone communities. To ensure that protected areas of the eastern MBR are well managed by govern-
ment and NGO partners, WCS is: n Supporting local partners to protect Laguna del Tigre macaw nesting areas
from fire and colonization;n Supporting national government and NGO leadership of the Mirador Rio
Azul Roundtable (see Building Consensus box, opposite page) process to develop ecotourism potential of the area;
n Strengthening a national NGO, Asociación Balam, to co-administer Mira-dor-Rio Azul National Park effectively;
n Leveraging resources to improve Guatemalan National Park Service (CON-AP) capacity.
To ensure trends in habitat and key landscape species are used to improve adaptive management of the eastern MBR landscape, WCS is:
n Coordinating seasonal over-flights to monitor illegal activities and fire, and raise awareness about threats;
n Monitoring and publicizing annual trends in habitat and fire;n Monitoring jaguar and macaw trends in collaboration with local partners and
communities;n Increasing scarlet macaw populations through population management
and research.
The growing conservation constituency in the eastern MBR
is a critical ingredient to well-managed forest concessions,
fire control, local NGO engagement and a government able
and willing to play its management and enforcement roles
in protected areas. WCS is building on that opportunity,
and has designed core activities around each of the three
areas described above:
a d d r e s s i n g t h e r i s k s
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B u I L D I n g c O n S E n S u S
WcS supports and nurtures a local, consensus-
building network (The Mirador-rio azul round-
table), comprising more than 30 government,
community, ngO and private sector institutions,
all working together toward the development
and conservation of El Mirador. This ancient Maya
site is poised to become a unEScO World Heri-
tage Site, and the next great archaeological tourist
attraction in the region, while providing intact
habitat for the region’s wildlife, and opportunities
for local income.
Intact forest habitatFires to clear landIllegal colonization
Weak management andlaw enforcement
Law enforcement &management training
Fire prevention & training patrols
Lack of awareness
Monitor & publicizeincidence of fire
Monitor & publicizeillegal colonization
Training & resources forpark staff & NGOs
1 0
right, from top and counter-
clockwise: Biologist at work
in the field; jaguar, Panthera
onca; fires in the western MBR
and inset satellite image
Studies of prey species in Tikal National Park and the Uaxactún community forests followed, along with assessments of the impacts of non-timber forest product harvest-ers on MBR wildlife. This research informed design and focus of initial conservation interventions, including an initiative to strengthen public use of Tikal National Park and a community-based conservation program in the village of Uaxactún.
In 1999, WCS and Lighthawk began to assess illegal activities through aerial over-flights, and to bring these activities to the attention of authorities positioned to respond. WCS then supported the formation of Asociación Balam, a national NGO conceived to co-administer Mirador-Rio Azul National Park. This support affirmed the WCS commitment to build the necessary local capacity and institutions for the long-term viability and ecosystem health of the Maya Forest. Since that time, WCS engagement has evolved into long-term biological monitoring, support for community concessions to ensure equitable and sustainable management of forest resources, fire monitoring and management to secure the western border of the eastern MBR, and facilitation of government, community and private-sector stakeholder dialogues to promote best practice, equity and sustainability in the landscape.
These efforts have resulted in a number of conservation achievements. WCS has helped the Uaxactún community to develop non-destructive business practices for harvesting and sale of non-timber forest products. Today, local forest loss is negligible despite significant population increase and economic development. Since 2004, burn-ing around the Paso Caballos community management unit has decreased significantly, due to support provided by WCS to arrest the forest fires that threaten this scarlet macaw habitat. The forest is reestablishing its functionality as habitat for wildlife. More broadly, WCS has helped the Guatemalan Government and local communities to stop the march of seasonal fires from west to east—first by monitoring the fires using satellite imagery, then in 2003 by establishing and patrolling a narrow but effective 40-mile fire break. Annual burn areas have been reduced by more than 90% close to this corridor, with little or no burning to the east.
With 20 years of experience in the region, a permanent field
office and strong partnerships, WCS is positioned to deliver
its conservation objectives. WCS engagement in the eastern
MBR began with support for the first MBR wildlife surveys
in 1988.
w c s : p o s i t i o n e d t o d e l i v e r
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W c S I S g r a T E F u L T O T H E F O L L O W I n g F O r L E a D E r S H I p S u p p O r T O F O u r W O r k I n T H E M a y a B I O S p H E r E r E S E r v E L a n D S c a p E :
anonymous
British Broadcasting corporation
critical ecosystem partnership fund
conservation international
department for international development (dfid) governance
and transparency fund
global heritage fund
edith s. mcBean
moriah fund
edward john noble foundation
panthera foundation
plant family foundation
prospect hill foundation
the nature conservancy
us agency for international development (usaid)
us department of interior
For further information please contact:
wildlife conservation societyLatin america & the caribbean program
2300 Southern BoulevardBronx, ny 10460-1099
(718) 220-7158
W c S ’ S S u c c E S S I n T H E L a n D S c a p E c a n B E a T T r I B u T E D I n p a r T T O O u r S T r O n g L O c a L p a r T n E r S H I p S :
asociación Balam
association of forest communities of petén (acofop)
asociación de amigos del patrimonio cultural y natural de guatemala (apanac)
centro para estudios de conservación (cecon)
centro de monitoreo y evaluación de conap (cemec)
cooperativa carmelita (carmelita village)
el peru-wa’ka archaeological project
foundation for archaeological research and environmental science (fares)
gibor, s.a.
guatemalan fire prevention service (sipecif)
guatemalan national park service (conap)
guatemalan archaeological institute (idaeh)
guatemalan ministry of the environment (marn)
la corona archaeological project
mesa multisectorial (i.e. mirador-rio azul roundtable)
organización manejo y conservación (omyc, uaxactún village)
paso caballos village
tikal national park
trópico verde
universidad de san carlos-guatemala
F E B r u a r y 2 0 0 9