Lake Atitlan Research Articles

Secondary Analysis Assesses Dietary Diversity Changes among Maya Guatemalan Women Post-Nutrition Interventions.

This study aimed to evaluate the change in the Dietary Diversity (DD) Index of Maya women of reproductive age living in rural areas of the Western Highlands of Guatemala after nutrition, health, and agroecology interventions. This is a secondary analysis study on DD from two matched groups from three villages in the Lake Atitlan area in the department of Sololá. The first cohort was recruited in 2017 (sample of n = 77). The second cohort was recruited in 2020 (sample of n = 61). Both were followed until 2021. The program provided various resources for assistance for food production and home improvements (sessions from 2018 to 2022). Agroecology sessions were conducted in the test farm. Due to the COVID-19, adjustments were made to continue the education and training sessions. Both cohort samples had a statistically significant increase in participants who consumed at least 15g from five groups of foods (2017: p = .00002; 2020: p = .045). There was a statistically significant increase in mean food groups consumed daily (2017: p < .00001; 2020: p = .005). Implementing interventions that include nutrition, health, and agroecology practices in the long term has demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the Dietary Diversity Index of Maya women in their reproductive years living in rural villages in the Western Highlands.

Microbiological assessment of drinking water around lake atitlan, guatemala

Microbiological assessment of drinking water around lake atitlan, guatemala

The role of macrophyte-associated microbiomes in lacustrine wetlands: an example of the littoral zone of lake Atitlan, Guatemala

The role of macrophyte-associated microbiomes in lacustrine wetlands: an example of the littoral zone of lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Friends of the Lake? Ontological Politics and the Megacolector Conflict

There is growing recognition that radical ontological difference underlies Indigenous communities’ opposition to extractivist development within their territories. Scholars writing from a political ontology (PO) framework excitedly posit the possibility of the pluriverse emerging from the ‘ontological openings’ (de la Cadena 2015a) that these struggles are forming in the project of modernity. While such accounts are useful in elucidating how such struggles are more than ‘mere resource conflicts’ (Coombes et al. 2012a), they also risk reifying ontological difference and losing sight of the power asymmetries which shape its pragmatic and strategic articulation. More than just a matter of academic debate, overstating the ontological difference of Indigenous opposition to extractivism is a ‘cosmopolitical risk’ (Cepek 2016) that has the potential to limit Indigenous communities’ particular aspirations for self-determination. As a consequence, this article suggests a way forward can be found in ‘ontologizing political economy’ (Burman 2016) whilst also paying closer attention to the contingent nature of worlding, as well as ontological ambiguities and ‘partial connections’ (de la Cadena 2015a). This article fleshes out these theoretical concerns through drawing upon my ethnographic research about an ongoing ‘resource’ conflict in Guatemala. Over the last few years, the Maya Tz’utujil community of San Pedro la Laguna has been strongly opposing the ‘megacolector’ – a wastewater megaproject being advanced as a solution to Lake Atitlan’s contamination by the environmental NGO ‘Asociación de Amigos del Lago de Atitlán’ (Association of Friends of Lake Atitlán). Through engaging with a range of Pedrano community members, I reflect upon the usefulness of a PO framework for understanding the megacolector conflict’s ontological dimensions and the motivations of San Pedro’s opposition movement.

Lake Atitlan: A Review of the Food, Energy, and Water Sustainability of a Mountain Lake in Guatemala

This paper summarizes the findings of an extensive review of literature that was conducted to understand the historical state of the food, energy, and water nexus in the Lake Atitlan basin and to recommend incentive-based, long-term sustainable policies to become a significant driver to Guatemala’s tourism industry and GDP growth. The SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) was implemented in the basin to work towards the goal of simulating nutrient loading. A key conclusion of this review study is for the local population to have advocacy for the “zero wastewater discharge to Lake Atitlan” initiative to bring long-term benefits to lake water quality. One of the recommended policy decisions is to seek external financing from international agencies like the World Bank at low-cost interest (IDA Loans) to implement waste management systems and pay this external debt by putting a small but affordable tax on tourists visiting the lake. Once a culture of zero municipal effluent discharge to Lake Atitlan is adopted by the local population, the livelihood of residents will become sustainable and the standard of living will increase because of improved water and air quality, making Lake Atitlan a haven of tourism for Guatemala and lifting its economy.

Hyperspectral Satellite Remote Sensing of Water Quality in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

In this study we evaluated the applicability of a space-borne hyperspectral sensor, Hyperion, to resolve for chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration in Lake Atitlan, a tropical mountain lake in Guatemala. In situ water quality samples of Chl a concentration were collected and correlated with water surface reflectance derived from Hyperion images, to develop a semi-empirical algorithm. Existing operational algorithms were tested and the continuous bands of Hyperion were evaluated in an iterative manner. A third order polynomial regression provided a good fit to model Chl a. The final algorithm uses a blue (467 nm) to green (559 nm) band ratio to successfully model Chl a concentrations in Lake Atitlan during the dry season, with a relative error of 33%. This analysis confirmed the suitability of hyperspectral imagers like Hyperion, to model Chl a concentrations in Lake Atitlan. This study also highlights the need to test and update this algorithm with operational multispectral sensors such as Landsat and Sentinel-2.

Risk Factors for Stunting in Children under the Age of 5 in Rural Guatemalan Highlands.

Background:Previously, a study conducted by UNICEF found that malnutrition affects approximately 80% of the indigenous children in Guatemala.Objective:Identify prevalence and risk factors for stunted growth in communities surrounding Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.Methods:Height-for-age measurements of children under the age of five, N = 84, determined stunting prevalence and presumed burden of malnutrition in this region of the Guatemalan highlands. Mothers of a subset of this sample, N = 29, were interviewed to assess factors contributing to stunting. Analysis assessed the following risk factors: inadequate nutrition, increased infectious disease risk, high rate self-report illness, inadequate breastfeeding, and inadequate utilization of prenatal care.Findings:The majority of children under the age of five were stunted (65.6%) and likely malnourished. ANOVA analysis showed significant differences in mean height-for-age Z scores (HAZs) between groups with and without adequate nutrition (F = 7.069, p = 0.013), as well has with and without high rates of self-report illness (F = 6.894, p = 0.014). Both groups with inadequate nutrition (mean HAZs = –2.9, 95% CI = [–3.58, –2.24]) and high rates of self-report illness (mean HAZs = –2.8, 95% CI = [–3.13, –2.38]) had mean HAZs that are indicative of stunting. No other risk factors were associated with stunting.Conclusion:These pilot study results offer methods by which to obtain baseline data for assessing nutritional and public health interventions to improve stunting and malnutrition status as well as the health outcomes of children in rural, indigenous communities.

Selecting sustainable sewage sludge reuse options through a systematic assessment framework: Methodology and case study in Latin America

Abstract Sewage sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment and has a complex composition including organic matter and nutrients. The recovery of the useful components can partially buffer the continuous depletion of natural resources. However, due to a range of many complex variables, such as concerns on safe-use practices and lack of technical capacities, sludge recovery is classified as a wicked problem. To facilitate the decision-making process, this study intends to provide a decision support framework (DSF) to guide decision making towards selecting sustainable options to handle sewage sludge in Latin America. The framework was tested and refined through a case study in Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Sludge disposal solutions are missing in the municipality and the pathogen content highly exceeds national and international standards. The framework was used to evaluate possible recovery scenarios. The results show that the most sustainable ways to use sewage sludge in Panajachel are through agricultural use and soil conditioning. Composting is suggested as a conversion process to eliminate pathogens and obtain stable fertilisers.

De la tradición y la modernidad: San Pedro, un pueblo maya del lago Atitlán de Guatemala

Los pueblos del lago Atitlán y, especialmente San Pedro, en estos últimos años han creado estrategias de sobrevivencia frente al avance de la modernidad. Sin embargo, no lo han hecho en forma homogénea ni conjunta. Las posibilidades de elección que ofrece la modernidad implican aperturas hacia otras formas de existencia pero también riesgo de fragmentación tanto a nivel individual como social. Los papeles sociales se han multiplicado dando lugar a una sociedad cada vez más diferenciada a nivel religioso (evangelistas, carismáticos, católicos “de antes”...) como laboral (agricultores, hoteleros, maestros, comerciantes, guías turísticos, universitarios, tejedoras, curanderos, peones, médicos…). Todos ellos mantienen lazos sociales pero escasos contactos culturales. Por ese motivo la fiesta del santo patrono cobra gran importancia. Durante la fiesta los pobladores logran establecer lazos entre el presente y el pasado y actualizan una pertenencia territorial y por ende identitaria.Abstract: In recent years, the villages of Lake Atitlan, and especially San Pedro, have created strategies for survival with the advance of modernity. Nonetheless, they have not done this in a homogenous manner, nor together. The possibilities of choice that modernity offers imply openings to other forms of existence but also the risk of fragmentation, not only at an individual level, but also in society. Social roles have multiplied, giving way to a much more differentiated society on the religious level (evangelists, charismatics, “traditional” catholics...) as well as on the professional (farmers, hotel personnel, teachers, doctors, businessmen, tourist guides, university students, weavers, folk healers...). All of the villagers maintain social relations, but few cultural contacts. Consequently, the celebration of the patron saint takes on great importance. During the “fiesta” the locals are able to establish a relationship between the present and the past and to regain a sense of territorial belonging and identity.Résumé : Ces dernières années, les villages du lac Atitlan, et en particulier San Pedro ont développé des stratégies de survie devant l’avance de la modernité. Or ils l’ont fait de manière ni homogène ni coordonnée. La modernité offre des possibilités de choix qui entraînent des ouvertures à d’autres formes d’existence, mais aussi un risque de fragmentation au niveau individuel et collectif. Les rôles sociaux se sont multipliés, donnant lieu à une société de plus en plus différenciée tant sur le plan religieux (évangélistes, charismatiques, catholiques traditionnels) que sur le plan professionnel (agriculteurs, hôteliers, instituteurs, commerçants, guides touristiques, universitaires, tisserands, guérisseurs, médecins…). Tous maintiennent des liens sociaux, mais peu de contacts culturels. Cette situation fait que la fête du saint patron prend une grande importance. Pendant la fête, les villageois réussissent à établir des liens entre le présent et le passé, entretiennent leur appartenance à un territoire et finalement leur identité.

Significance of variable selection and scaling issues for probabilistic modeling of rainfall-induced landslide susceptibility

Identifying the input variables/attributes for probabilistic modeling of rainfall-induced landslides is critical for effective landslide susceptibility characterization. This study evaluates the capabilities of different attribute selectors available in Weka, an open source machine learning software, for identifying the most landslide-predictive combination of attributes. The study area is located in the Lake Atitlan watershed in Guatemala, which is highly susceptible to landslides during the rainy season. Landslide initiation points were delineated in the field as well as in the ortho-photos, which were taken following Hurricane Stan of October 2005. Two datasets spanning different sized areas were used to compare the success of attribute selectors and to determine if the model results from the smaller area could be successfully applied to the larger one. The Weka Bayesian network classification algorithm was used to evaluate the success of different attribute selection methods and to identify the combination of attributes with the highest rate of landslide prediction for the two study areas. Filtered subset proved to be the most successful in identifying the ideal combination for both the smaller and the larger scale datasets.

TOURISM AND TERRITORY ON THE BANKS OF LAKE ATITLÁN, GUATEMALA

The purpose of this paper is to explain the territorial syntax of tourism in one of the most emblematic places in Guatemala: Lake Atitlan. Located on the banks of this body of water and set against a spectacular natural background are ten small settlements, all of Mayan origin with a predominately kaqchikel- or tz’utujil-speaking population and a diverse living culture. These communities are trying to gain access to a niche segment of a highly competitive tourism market. In order to achieve our research objective, we frst examine the geographical setting of tourism at both the national and local levels and also pinpoint some of the relevant features of protected areas in Guatemala, given Lake Atitlan’s location in the Lake Atitlan Watershed Multiple-Use Reserve, connecting it all back to tourism. Finally, we reveal the major tourist centers at the lake and end with a remark on the apparent non-existent relationship between tourism and the natural protected area in question

“This Isn't Underground; This Is Highlands”: Mayan-Language Hip Hop, Cultural Resilience, and Youth Education in Guatemala

The Maya hip hop scene that is currently growing around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala seeks to educate Maya youth about their culture by way of lyrics in Mayan languages as well as references to historical Maya texts such as the Popol Wuj and the Chilam Balam . This musical genre combines ancestral local knowledge, accessed by way of pre-Colombian texts and sacred fire ceremonies, with popular music in a manner that attracts Maya youth who may otherwise receive little formal education about their own Maya culture. Through the use of storytelling in hip hop, these songs construe meaning through a combination of the text and their context, empowering Maya youth to reflect upon and critically consider their social, economic, and cultural milieu. By adapting an international music form to a local context, a characteristic endemic to hip hop across the globe, Maya hip hop produced by MC Tz’utu Kan and the group Balam Ajpu is an indicator of a cultural resilience that subverts traditional power structures and offers otherwise disenfranchised youth an opportunity to exercise agency.

Power, altruism and communitarian tourism: A comparative study

Residents of San Juan La Laguna and San Pedro La Laguna, two neighboring towns on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, have followed very different trajectories of tourism development despite their close proximity. This study explores the appropriateness of Social Exchange Theory (SET) to explain residents' perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of tourism development under two differing economic models. Findings from this mixed-methods comparative case study indicate that SET might explain exchanges in destinations following a liberal economic model, but it has limited usefulness in communitarian tourism development contexts. Findings also suggest that strong community collaboration guided by governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can help to maintain tourism benefits locally, while at the same time preventing some of the costs of tourism development in destination communities.

Cyanobacterial water bloom of Limnoraphis robusta in the Lago Mayor of Lake Titicaca. Can it develop?

Cyanobacterial blooms are commonly associated with high concentrations of nutrients in waters. An exception among the species forming heavy water blooms is Limnoraphis robusta Komarek et al. (Fottea 13:39–52, 2013). Until now, heavy water blooms of this species were found only in tropical, rather oligotrophic waters. Filaments of L. robusta contain diazocytes and thus are able to fix molecular nitrogen during night. This ability gives L. robusta an advantage over other phytoplankters to explore nitrogen-poor habitats. In 2014, filaments of this cyanobacterium appeared also in plankton and periphyton in the Bay of Puno, Lake Titicaca, Peru. Accessible data on water chemistry, chlorophyll a concentration, and phytoplankton composition were compared with those from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, where this cyanobacterium formed a thick brownish layer on the water surface in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Except for shallow bays, both lakes (Atitlan and Lago Mayor of Titicaca) are still oligotrophic in some periods, and phytoplankton growth is limited by lack of nitrogen. In this paper, we are discussing factors which might allow development of heavy bloom of this cyanobacterium in the Lago Mayor and other clear parts of the Lake Titicaca.

Freshwater crabs in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala: not a single-species fishery

Guatemala harbors a rich fauna of freshwater crabs of Pseudothelphusidae, consisting of 11 currently valid species in six genera. As far as we know, the only freshwater crab fishery in the Americas takes place in Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, and the species sustaining the artisanal crab fishery is supposedly Potamocarcinus guatemalensis (Rathbun, 1905). However, a close examination of the gonopods from specimens recently captured in Lake Atitlan revealed that they belonged to Raddaus bocourti (A. Milne-Edwards, 1866) and Potamocarcinus magnus (Rathbun, 1896). Another species, R. tuberculatus (Rathbun, 1897) has been reported from the surroundings of Lake Atitlan, but its occurrence in the lake itself remains to be confirmed. The presence of at least two freshwater crab species of two different genera has important implications for the management of this artisanal fishing activity, because local and regional authorities erroneously assumed to deal with a single-species fishery.

Identification of harmful cyanobacteria in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Clear Lake, California by DNA barcoding.

Accurate identification of cyanobacteria using traditional morphological taxonomy is challenging due to the magnitude of phenotypic plasticity among natural algal assemblages. In this study, molecular approach was utilized to facilitate the accurate identification of cyanobacteria in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and in Clear Lake in Northern California where recurring blooms have been observed over the past decades. Algal samples were collected from both water bodies in 2011 and the samples containing diverse cyanobacteria as identified by morphological taxonomy were chosen for the molecular analysis. The 16S ribosomal RNA genes (16S rDNA) and the adjacent internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were amplified by PCR from the mixed algal samples using cyanobacteria generic primers. The obtained sequences were analyzed by similarity search (BLASTN) and phylogenetic analysis (16S rDNA) to differentiate species sharing significantly similar sequences. A total of 185 plasmid clones were obtained of which 77 were successfully identified to the species level: Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Dolichospermum lemmermannii (taxonomic synonym: Anabaena lemmermannii), Limnoraphis robusta (taxonomic synonym: Lyngbya hieronymusii f. robusta) and Microcystis aeruginosa. To date, Dolichospermum and Limnoraphis found in Clear Lake have only been identified to the genus lavel by microscopy. During the course of this study, morphological identification and DNA barcoding confirmed A. flos-aquae as the predominant cyanobacterium in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta indicating a shift from M. aeruginosa that have dominated the blooms in the past decade. Lastly, the species-specific identification of Limnoraphis robusta in Clear Lake is another significant finding as this cyanobacterium has, thus far, only been reported in Lake Atitlan blooms in Guatemala.

El negro del volcán y El origen del lago Atitlán en Maya-Tzutujil

he first of these texts in the Maya-tzutujil language of Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, deals with the adventures of a woman who was abducted by a black devil and hidden inside the volcano of Atitlan. Eventually the evil Itzel Binak is killed thanks to the magic arts of two local witch doctors. The other text is the story of how Lake Atitlan was born, and how certain evil spirits still live there.

Polyphasic evaluation of Limnoraphis robusta, a water-bloom forming cyanobacterium from Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, with a description of Limnoraphis gen. nov.

A tropical planktic filamentous cyanobacterium, tentatively identified as Lyngbya robusta, recently increased in abundance in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, and since 2008 annual water-blooms occurred. This was one from the first known cases of L. robusta water-blooms worldwide. A polyphasic evaluation of L. robusta using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, cytomorphological markers, and ecological characteristics was made. This species had several unique features. It produced aerotopes that were irregularly spaced in cells; cyanotoxins were not found, and it fixed nitrogen in spite of the lack of heterocytes. It contained a high amount of carotenoids, which caused an unusual brown color of the macroscopic scum on the water level. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using the 16S rRNA gene showed that L. robusta, together with few other planktic species, formed a clade, separated from typical Lyngbya species. The main diacritical markers of this clade were the planktic type of life and formation of gas vesicles in cells. Based upon molecular, morphological and ecological data, a new genus Limnoraphis was proposed with four species.

Microbial diversity and diazotrophy associated with the freshwater non-heterocyst forming cyanobacterium Lyngbya robusta

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, a freshwater lake in South America, experiences annually recurring blooms comprised of the planktic filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya robusta. Previous physiochemical characterisation of the bloom identified diurnal nitrogenase activity typical of non-heterocystous cyanobacteria, in addition to the low-level detection of the cyanotoxins cylindrospermopsin and saxitoxin. A molecular approach, combining deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA and nifH genes, was applied to a cyanobacteria-dominated sample collected during the extensive 2009 bloom. Lyngbya accounted for over 60 % of the total 16S rRNA sequences with the only other cyanobacterial species detected being the picophytoplankton Synechococcus. The remaining bacterial population was comprised of organisms typical of other eutrophic freshwater bodies, although the proportionate abundances were atypical. An obligate anaerobe Opitutus, not typically found in freshwater systems, was identified within the community which suggests it may have a role in enhancing nitrogen fixation. Primary nitrogen fixation was attributed to Lyngbya, with other putative nitrogen fixers, Desulfovibrio, Clostridium and Methylomonas, present at very low abundance.

Carbon stocks in coffee agroforests and mixed dry tropical forests in the western highlands of Guatemala

Tree removal in Latin American coffee agroforestry systems has been widespread due to complex and interacting factors that include fluctuat- ing international markets, government-supported agri- cultural policies, and climate change. Despite shade tree removal and land conversion risks, there is currently no widespread policy incentive encouraging the maintenance of shade trees for the benefit of carbon sequestration. In facilitation of such incentives, an understanding of the capacity of coffee agroforests to store carbon relative to tropical forests must be developed. Drawing on ecological inventories con- ducted in 2007 and 2010 in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala, this research examines the carbon pools of smallholder coffee agroforests (CAFs) as they com- pare to a mixed dry forest (MDF) system. Data from 61 plots, covering a total area of 2.24 ha, was used to assess the aboveground, coarse root, and soil carbon reservoirs of the two land-use systems. Results of this research demonstrate the total carbon stocks of CAFs to range from 74.0 to 259.0 Megagrams (Mg) C ha -1 with a mean of 127.6 ± 6.6 (SE) Mg C ha -1 . The average carbon stocks of CAFs was significantly lower than estimated for the MDF (198.7 ± 32.1 Mg C ha -1 ); however, individual tree and soil pools were not significantly different suggesting that agro- forest shade trees play an important role in facilitating carbon sequestration and soil conservation. This research demonstrates the need for conservation-based initiatives which recognize the carbon sequestration benefits of coffee agroforests alongside natural forest systems.