Mesoamerican Biological Corridor Research Articles

Jaguar conservation is caught in the crossfire of America's 'War on Drugs'

International conservation efforts and prohibitionary drug intersect in unexpected ways throughout the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC). US-led counterdrug interdiction of transnational cocaine trafficking, or ‘narco-trafficking’, is increasingly pushing narco-traffickers and their associated environmental destruction into protected areas (PAs) to establish new smuggling routes. These locations are also where the greatest densities of jaguars (Panthera onca), an iconic and declining species, are found in Central America. Intersecting two geospatial datasets estimating 1) jaguar densities and 2) changes in landscape suitability for drug trafficking following counterdrug interdiction pressure, we estimated that roughly 69 % of the estimated population of jaguars in the MBC were found in areas of increased suitability for narco-traffickers. Moreover, jaguar populations within PAs were 2.5 and 34 times more likely to be in increased narco-trafficking suitability areas than those in jaguar corridors or other area without conservation designations, respectively. These findings illustrate the full costs of continuing current counterdrug interdiction policies alongside conventional conservation strategies and suggest that community-based conservation governance may more effectively discourage narco-trafficking activities and enhance conservation outcomes.

UNDERSTANDING GOVERNMENT AGRARIAN PROGRAMS AND SMALLHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON FOREST COVER DYNAMICS IN MEXICO’S MESOAMERICAN BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR*

ABSTRACT Agrarian programs implemented since the 1990s in Mexico (for example, PROCAMPO, a cash transfer program to increase production) often promote agricultural intensification, permanent land use, and regulations for shifting agriculture, making broad claims that these practices improved livelihoods and supported forest conservation. Meanwhile, smallholders in Mexico’s Mesoamerican Biological Corridor interpreted and implemented federal program goals based on their own experiences of how local land use supports sustainable production and forest maintenance. This paper examines if one community’s understanding of land use, forest cover dynamics aligns with that of Mexico’s recent federal agroforestry program, Sembrando Vida (“sowing life”). Using in-depth discourse analysis of agrarian program documents and smallholder interviews, we highlight a misalignment between federal agricultural programs and smallholder perspectives over land use and forest cover dynamics. Implications include increased forest fragmentation and loss of access to regions of traditional land use, suggesting a need for meaningful and inclusive smallholder engagement throughout agrarian program development.

Effectiveness of management of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Mexico

As a project of regional conservation, the purpose of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Mexico (MMBC) was to maintain landscape connectivity to ensure the permanence of species and ecological processes. This study appraised the effectiveness of the MMBC management implemented in two Mexican states: Chiapas and Tabasco. The analysis covered the period from design to termination of the project (2000-2018). An evaluation of the MMBC management effectiveness was conducted based on documentary research, mapping of actors, structured interviews, qualitative analysis and application of indicators. The conceptualization of the MMBC had its origin in international organizations and was implemented with a top-down approach at local scale and support from various stakeholders, including governmental and nongovernmental organizations, consultancy agencies and private and community landowners. In both states, the effectiveness of the MMBC management was considered as good, based on strengths such as the adequate design and implementation of actions and the multi-level participation of the stakeholders. However, the consultancy agencies responsible for the management of the MMBC were unable to become self-financed, limiting the long-term continuity of corridor projects. The configuration of the corridor landscapes, which was initially based on ecological criteria, later became subordinate to the acceptance of some landowners, as a key aspect. Implementation became governed by the technical and political processes of negotiation among the stakeholders involved. Ultimately, corridors remained only within the lands where landowners had accepted and cooperated with the MMBC projects.

Dynamics of tropical forest regeneration in the Mexican Mesoamerican Biological Corridor from 2000 to 2020: does forest regeneration maintain continuous forest cover?

Dynamics of tropical forest regeneration in the Mexican Mesoamerican Biological Corridor from 2000 to 2020: does forest regeneration maintain continuous forest cover?

Human-wildlife conflicts and drought in the greater Calakmul Region, Mexico: implications for tapir conservation

Wildlife conservation efforts in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor have focused on reducing negative interactions between humans and charismatic species. In recent years, droughts have increased in frequency and intensity in southeastern Mexico exacerbating conflicts with wildlife as they compete with humans for limited water. In the Yucatan Peninsula, Greater Calakmul Region of southeastern Mexico, Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) are increasingly encroaching into local villages (ejidos) in search of water. This behavior could increase tapir mortality from hunting by Calakmul ejidos residents. We evaluated the trends between annual precipitation and tapir sightings near or within Calakmul ejidos from 2008 to 2019 to determine if the frequency of reported conflicts increased relative to decreased precipitation. In addition, with community participation, from 2016 to 2018 we monitored one of the ejidos where human-tapir conflicts were reported to be increasing to better describe the nature of conflicts. We did not find any relationship between the number of tapir sightings reported and annual precipitation. However, more tapirs were documented near ejidos in 2019, which is one of the years with the lowest rainfall (626.6 mm) in the last decade. Tapirs were reported as the most common wildlife species observed at waterholes (35.4%) and apiaries (32.1%). Our findings suggested that water scarcity has increased tapirs’ incursions into human-populated areas and subsequently the potential for human-tapir conflicts. We recommend that managers consider developing alternative water sources that could mitigate human-tapir conflicts and contribute to the long-term viability of other wildlife species that inhabit the Greater Calakmul Region of southeastern Mexico.

Modelling the potential distribution of two tropical freshwater fish species under climate change scenarios

Abstract Climate change is causing shifts in the distribution patterns of freshwater fish at various spatio‐temporal scales. Tropical freshwater fish are vulnerable, especially in areas where a high impact of climate change is predicted; thus, there is an increasing need to predict these shifts to determine conservation and adaptation strategies. Ecological niche models offer a reliable way to predict the effects of climate change on species distribution. Potential shifts in the distribution of tropical fish were tested under two scenarios (4.5 – moderate and 8.5 – extreme) with three general circulation models for years 2050 and 2070 using maximum entropy software using as models two predatory species – the tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus and the giant cichlid Petenia splendida. The potential distribution of both species was associated with warm and humid–sub‐humid conditions. Future projections showed a higher availability of suitable areas for both species resulting from the expansion of warmer conditions in the middle and upper basins of the Central American mountain range and centre of the Yucatan Peninsula. Ecological niche models of keystone or umbrella species such as A. tropicus and P. splendida could be useful to support conservation plans of protected areas. The potential distribution of both species covers areas of high suitability including six important biosphere reserves in Mexico, three protected areas in Guatemala and part of the Mesoamerican biological corridor. Despite the potential expansion of the present distribution range suggested by the models, it is important to consider the biological and ecological requirements of the species and the ecological implications of these potential shifts in distribution. Both scenarios could have several implications at genetic, population, and ecosystem levels.

Transversalidad en políticas mexicanas de conservación de la biodiversidad: Coinbio y Corredor Biológico Mesoamericano

The goal of this investigation is to identify elements and attributes for the establishment of interinstitutional and intersectoral collaboration strategies based on the analysis of two biodiversity conservation case studies: COINBIO and the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Both cases highlight the importance of local adoption and crosscutting implementation. They share the participation of local communities and their incorporation into formal decision-making spaces, contributing proposals for solving environmental problems, and for the design and implementation of public policies related to regional community development based on collaboration.

Forest cover mediates large and medium-sized mammal occurrence in a critical link of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Connectivity of natural areas through biological corridors is essential for ecosystem resilience and biodiversity conservation. However, robust assessments of biodiversity in corridor areas are often hindered by logistical constraints and the statistical challenges of modeling data from multiple species. Herein, we used a hierarchical community occupancy model in a Bayesian framework to evaluate the status of medium and large-sized mammals in a critical link of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) in Costa Rica. We used camera traps deployed from 2013-2017 to detect 18 medium (1-15 kg) and 6 large (>15 kg) mammal species in a portion of two Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs) and the Corridor linking them. Camera traps operated for 16,904 trap nights across 209 stations, covering an area of 880 km2. Forest cover was the most important driver of medium and large-sized mammal habitat use, with forest specialists such as jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) strongly associated with high forest cover, while habitat generalists such as coyotes (Canis latrans) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) were associated with low forest cover. Medium and large-sized mammal species richness was lower in the Corridor area ([Formula: see text] = 9.78±1.84) than in the portions evaluated of the two JCUs ([Formula: see text] = 11.50±1.52). Puma and jaguar habitat use probabilities were strongly correlated with large prey species richness (jaguar, r = 0.59, p<0.001; puma, r = 0.72, p<0.001), and correlated to a lesser extent with medium prey species richness (jaguar, r = 0.36, p = 0.003; puma, r = 0.23, p = 0.064). Low estimated jaguar habitat use probability in one JCU (Central Volcanic Cordillera: [Formula: see text] = 0.15±0.11) suggests that this is not the jaguar stronghold previously assumed. In addition, the western half of the Corridor has low richness of large mammals, making it necessary to take urgent actions to secure habitat connectivity for mammal populations.

Willingness to Coexist with Jaguars and Pumas in Costa Rica

Abstract Shrinking habitat, depleted prey sources, and hunting increase conflict between humans and jaguars in Latin America. Participant observation was used for 131 open-ended interviews in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor of Costa Rica to describe and provide recommendations for Panthera’s rancher outreach program. Changing husbandry practices is different than wanting to relocate jaguars or pumas, which suggests willingness to coexist is based on geo-physical proximities. Further, perceived attacks on livestock may be unreliable creating a perception of more predation, villainizing large felines, and challenging coexistence. This study urges wildlife managers to evaluate the effectiveness of relocation; suggests systematic recordkeeping of jaguar and puma attacks; encourages researchers to measure willingness to co-exist with large carnivores based on geo-physical distance; suggests strategies of coexistence may have both cultural and regional differences; and recommends a communication strategy through a citizen science approach, in order to educate ranchers and create social investment among communities.

Does patch quality drive arboreal mammal assemblages in fragmented rainforests?

Patch size is considered a major driver of species diversity in fragmented landscapes. Yet, assemblages of forest-dependent species, such as tropical arboreal mammals, can also depend on vegetation characteristics within the patch, i.e. patch quality. To test this, we assessed the influence of patch size and quality (measured through six attributes of vegetation structure) on arboreal mammals in 20 forest patches in the Lacandona rainforest – a biodiversity hotspot in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. We placed camera traps in 100 trees and registered arboreal mammals for one year. We used generalized linear models with a multimodel averaging approach and a distance-based redundancy analysis to identify the relative importance of patch size and quality on arboreal mammal diversity and composition. Species diversity was mainly and positively influenced by tree basal area – a vegetation attribute indicative of older and better-preserved forests – while species composition was driven by both patch size and quality. Patch size was negatively related to the abundance of kinkajous and Deppei’s squirrels, likely due to a higher density (and detectability) of individuals in small patches. The abundance of kinkajous and Deppei’s squirrels was lower in patches with higher tree density – an attribute typically related to forest disturbance. Therefore, to effectively preserve this highly endangered and ecologically relevant group of mammals, both patch size and quality should be considered, paying special attention to the conservation of large trees.

Paper plans and possibility: A critical analysis of landscape conservation policy in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor

In a move toward the integration of social and ecological goals in land management, landscape approaches are now a part of mainstream conservation and development policy discourses worldwide. Policies for integrated landscape management in Mesoamerica have long promoted biological corridors as a way to enhance biodiversity conservation and habitat connectivity while improving livelihoods in the surrounding landscape matrix. Recently, though, the policy focus throughout the region has shifted toward landscape restoration, which subsumes and expands upon the former approach to respond more explicitly to concerns about climate change. However, the limited success and challenges of translating corridors from paper into practice raise questions about the potential of landscape restoration policies to achieve intended outcomes. Centering on the experience of El Salvador, this paper draws on policy and document analysis and interviews with professionals to compare the two approaches and explore the implications of the transition toward landscape restoration based on lessons learned from past corridor implementation challenges. The paper argues that while the two approaches share many core components and objectives, landscape restoration has different spatial and distributional implications in terms of priority-setting, distribution of resources and benefits, and the promotion of conservation management strategies and alternatives. Nevertheless, unresolved challenges of integrated landscape management revealed by decades of unsuccessful corridor implementation must be addressed if restoration policies are to make headway. Through a critical analysis of shifting policy frameworks in El Salvador, the research offers crucial insight into the limitations and possibilities of integrated landscape management in Mesoamerica and globally.

Towards the restoration of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor for large mammals in Panama: comparing multi-species occupancy to movement models

BackgroundHabitat fragmentation is a primary driver of wildlife loss, and the establishment of biological corridors is a conservation strategy to mitigate this problem. Identifying areas with high potential functional connectivity typically relies on the assessment of landscape resistance to movement. Many modeling approaches exist to estimate resistance surfaces but to date only a handful of studies compared the outputs resulting from different methods. Moreover, as many species are threatened by fragmentation, effective biodiversity conservation requires that corridors simultaneously meet the needs of multiple species. While many corridor planning initiatives focus on single species, we here used a combination of data types and analytical approaches to identify and compare corridors for several large mammal species within the Panama portion of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.MethodsWe divided a large mammal assemblage into two groups depending on the species sensitivity to habitat disturbance. We subsequently used cost-distance methods to produce multi-species corridors which were modeled on the basis of (i) occupancy of nine species derived from camera trapping data collected across Panama, and (ii) step selection functions based on GPS telemetry data from white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, puma Puma concolor, and ocelot Leopardus pardalis. In addition to different data sources and species groups, we also used different transformation curves to convert occupancy and step-selection results into landscape resistance values.ResultsCorridors modeled differed between sensitive and tolerant species, between the data sets, and between the transformation curves. There were more corridors identified for tolerant species than for sensitive species. For tolerant species, several corridors developed with occupancy data overlapped with corridors produced with step selection functions, but this was not the case for sensitive species.ConclusionOur study represents the first comparison of multispecies corridors parametrized with step selection functions versus occupancy models. Given the wide variability in output corridors, our findings underscore the need to consider the ecological requirements of several species. Our results also suggest that occupancy models can be used for estimating connectivity of generalist species. Finally, this effort allowed to identify important corridors within the MBC (i) at a country scale and (ii) for several species simultaneously to accurately inform the local authorities in conservation planning. The approach we present is reproducible in other sites and/or for other species.

Synthesis and perspectives of bibliographic information on Tapirella bairdii in Mexico

Tapirella bairdii participates in the dynamics of tropical forests through herbivory and seed dispersal. The objective of the present study was to review and analyze the literature published on T. bairdii in Mexico between 1865 and 2018 aiming to identify information gaps and advances in knowledge and propose future research perspectives. The literature references on T. bairdii in Mexico published in periodic scientific journals between 1865 (year of description of the species) and 2018 were organized in the software Endnote Plus. Articles were arranged into 5-year periods to identify publication trends. Articles were grouped according to 1) the 11 main topics, 2) the Mexican state where the study was carried out, 3) country of origin (national or foreign) of the first author, and 4) country of origin of the journal (national or foreign). A total of 136 published articles were recorded, more than eighty-eight percent between 1995 and 2018. Eighty-one percent of studies were carried out by Mexican researchers. These articles were published in 43 foreign and 11 national journals. Seventy-three percent of the studies were carried out in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Campeche. A total of 233 records of occurrence of T. bairdii in Mexico have been documented. The topics most frequently addressed include ecology, taxonomy and phylogeny, and distribution. No research has been published on physiology and ethology. The most productive years of research (1995-2018) can be explained by the increase in the number of Mexican researchers, with more funds allocated to research projects, information dissemination about the tapir, and the greater economic, scientific, and technological developments in different areas. The participation of national researchers is highlighted, with most articles published in foreign journals. The compilation of published information highlights the need to continue preserving Natural Protected Areas (NPAs), the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, and unprotected regions that are home to tapir populations. Also, the connectivity between tapir populations should be improved, and the availability of tapir habitats in the country should be warranted. Research is needed to cover information gaps on basic aspects of the biology of the species, including physiology, ethology, diseases and parasitism, genetics, anatomy, reproduction, and evolutionary history, among others. Our findings reveal that no research on the physiology and ethology of tapirs has been conducted. Finally, the formation of a collaborative network to define and prioritize efforts and set guidelines is a priority.

Effectiveness of Panama as an intercontinental land bridge for large mammals.

Habitat fragmentation is a primary driver of wildlife loss, and establishment of biological corridors is a common strategy to mitigate this problem. A flagship example is the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC), which aims to connect protected forest areas between Mexico and Panama to allow dispersal and gene flow of forest organisms. Because forests across Central America have continued to degrade, the functioning of the MBC has been questioned, but reliable estimates of species occurrence were unavailable. Large mammals are suitable indicators of forest functioning, so we assessed their conservation status across the Isthmus of Panama, the narrowest section of the MBC. We used large-scale camera-trap surveys and hierarchical multispecies occupancy models in a Bayesian framework to estimate the occupancy of 9 medium to large mammals and developed an occupancy-weighted connectivity metric to evaluate species-specific functional connectivity. White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), jaguar (Panthera onca), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and tapir (Tapirus bairdii) had low expected occupancy along the MBC in Panama. Puma (Puma concolor), red brocket deer (Mazama temama), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), which are more adaptable, had higher occupancy, even in areas with low forest cover near infrastructure. However, the majority of species were subject to ≥1 gap that was larger than their known dispersal distances, suggesting poor connectivity along the MBC in Panama. Based on our results, forests in Darien, Donoso-Santa Fe, and La Amistad International Park are critical for survival of large terrestrial mammals in Panama and 2 areas need restoration.

A Sociocultural Perspective: Human Conflict with Jaguars and Pumas in Costa Rica

This paper presents data about the sociocultural construction of conflict and the killing of jaguars and pumas in a part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) of Costa Rica. Results from participant observation and 131 interviews revealed cultural differences between Ticos (non-Indigenous people) and Cabecar (Indigenous people) on four separate dimensions of conflict, where large felines were constructed as competitors, food, man-eaters, real and imagined. When compared to Ticos, Cabecar had more conflict, most likely because they live off the land and have frequent “real” encounters with felines. This study makes several contributions: 1) evidence suggests competition is not the only reason for killing large felines; motivations also include constructing them as man-eaters and as food, raising questions about the important role social and cultural factors play in solutions to conflict; 2) meanings from Cabecar are products of a traditional and modernised relationship with large felines; 3) Cabecar include jaguars as food, suggesting future research and conservation management must understand Indigenous Peoples' relations with large predators, including their diets and traditions; 4) potential for conflict may increase between Ticos and large felines as they repopulate; 5) culture is crucial to examine prior to management implementation.

Violent Green Spaces in Neoliberal Central America

Violent Green Spaces in Neoliberal Central America Mary Finley-Brook Correction: The last line of the first paragraph has been updated to read "...roles in mitigating climate change, supplying clean air and water,...". In the ten years since i wrote ‘green Neoliberal Space,’ international finance institutions (IFIs) have continued to intervene in Central America, but regional challenges are greater than ever. A decade ago, I never imagined per capita homicide rates in many Central American countries would rival the world’s deadliest war zones, as they do currently, with violence occurring even in protected areas. Similarly, I did not appreciate how grave Mesoamerican ecological threats were because it seemed these concerns were finally gaining overdue attention. In hindsight, I wish I had advocated for biological corridors and pointed out their essential roles in mitigating climate change, supplying clean air and water, and supporting rural livelihoods. spatializing and fragmenting conservation A vision for a Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) was nascent when I critically assessed planning processes in Nicaragua’s portion of the regional initiative (see Finley-Brook 2007). Subprojects proposed to lower rural poverty and reduce extraction pressures in protected areas seemed likely to expand markets without biodiversity protection. Corridor-related projects in indigenous and Mestizo communities allowed inadequate consultation and replicated ‘cookie cutter’ plans for resource use and entrepreneurship. Indeed, just as I suggested, experts with the Independent Evaluation Group examining MBC implementation across the region found community initiatives poorly aligned with conservation objectives and local benefits unverifiable (IEG 2011: 21–23). Following more than $500 million in donor investment in the MBC, ambitious plans for regional networks of corridors quietly scaled back to support a small number of transboundary reserves (Holland 2012). While it was easy to find fault with the donor-driven MBC, regional corridors have merit. Many species require habitat protection beyond official parks, as the majority of their territory remains outside of protected areas (Mendoza et al. 2013). Yet ecological and technical capacity in Central America is often insufficient to design and implement landscape connectivity (IEG 2011), thus encouraging indiscriminate application [End Page 267] of corridors and increasing risk that poorly executed plans fail. The MBC’s paired goals of conservation and development remain in tension in the few places where successful corridor projects emerged. For example, deforestation remains high in Costa Rican corridors surrounded by road building and resource marketization (Wood et al. 2017). In much of Central America, economic development initiatives disrupt habitat and place rural livelihoods at risk without creating viable, accessible, or acceptable alternatives. Following construction of a highway connecting southern and northern Panama, intersecting the country’s major east-west biological corridor, an initiative offensively dubbed the ‘Conquest of the Atlantic’ promotes global investment in new mining, tourism, and energy projects in northern Panama (Bilbao 2017). Throughout Central America, infrastructure expansion intersects high biodiversity zones, which are generally racially and ethnically diverse, instigating land and resource conflicts between local inhabitants and developers. green violence: securitization and racialized dispossession “Inside the protected area, inside the bubble, social welfare would be assured. Outside, it was hell” (Carr quoted in Finley-Brook 2007: 102). In 2004, ecologist Archie Carr III, an early advocate for biological corridors throughout the Western hemisphere, suggested that protected areas forming the backbone of the MBC might become “little green enclaves of social justice and opportunity” or utopian “bubbles” (Carr quoted in Finley-Brook 2007: 102). Such idealized socio-spatial constructs have proven inaccurate as wildlife poaching, deforestation, drug cultivation and trafficking, and mining transgress the region’s porous and contested green spaces. Newcomers, often labelled as colonists, encroach in even the core of large reserves. Indigenous inhabitants with territorial rights within Nicaragua’s Bosawas Reserve confront illegal homesteaders at gunpoint. Meanwhile, Mayangna Sauni As, an indigenous territory traversing the Bosawas, recently declared a state of emergency and community members fled to Honduras to avoid violent exchanges with colonists (Ariel Artola 2017). This border area includes the transboundary biosphere reserve El Corazón (the Heart), the largest remaining area of natural habitat in Mesoamerica, which pairs the Bosawas with Honduran reserves. Sadly, transborder protected areas are some of the most insecure and violent spaces in Mesoamerica (Ybarra 2016). Depicting...

Land use and cover change scenarios in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor-Chiapas, México

Background. Human impact over natural ecosystems located in Southern Mexico is increasingly evident. We generated a spatially explicit land use and cover change (LUCC) model to assess current and potential impact of human activities and to identify the influence of variables such as: distance to paved and unpaved roads, human settlements, rivers, slope and protected areas.&#x0D; Study site. Mesoamerican Biological Corridor located in the state of Chiapas (MBC-Ch), Mexico.&#x0D; Methods. We calibrated a model for the period 1993-2002 and ran a simulation for 2007 which we compared against the real 2007 land use and cover map to evaluate model’s performance. We then projected LUCC to 2030 under three different scenarios: 1) Agriculture and Livestock (AGL), 2) Business As Usual (BAU) and, 3) Conservation (CON).&#x0D; Results. Proximity to roads and settlements increased deforestation probabilities whereas the presence of natural protected areas had the opposite effect. The AGL scenario predicted a reduction of 43 % and 41 % in the extent of closed tropical and temperate forests, respectively. In comparison, the BAU scenario predicted a reduction of 19.5 % in the area covered by closed tropical forest and of 30.1 % in temperate forests. The extent of land destined to farming and forestry increased by 22 % and 15 % in the AGL and BAU scenarios, respectively. In contrast, the CON scenario predicted slight changes in the landscape.&#x0D; Conclusions. Our simulations indicate that it is highly probable to see a marked decay in the extent (and likely integrity) of natural habitats in the MBC-Ch region if a comprehensive series of management actions are not urgently implemented.

Beyond Biodiversity Conservation: Why Policy Needs Social Theory, Social Theory Needs Justice, and Justice Needs Policy

Beyond Biodiversity Conservation: Why Policy Needs Social Theory, Social Theory Needs Justice, and Justice Needs Policy

Evaluación de la conectividad del paisaje en la región Puuc-Chenes, México, con base en los requerimientos de hábitat del jaguar (Panthera onca)

The Yucatan Peninsula is included as part of the initiative for the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. In its central area, are located three Protected Natural Areas (PNA): the Biocultural Puuc Reserve (RBP, by its Spanish acronym), the Bala’an K’aax flora and fauna protected area (APB, by its Spanish acronym), Quintana Roo, and the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (RBC, by its Spanish acronym), Campeche. The Puuc-Chenes region is located in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula - among these PNAs - which included important fragments of vegetation that in the past formed a continuum through the forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, constituting an important link to keep the connectivity of the Mayan forest. However, the expansion of the agricultural frontier is causing the fragmentation of the habitat. In the present study, the structural and functional connectivity of the Puuc-Chenes region is analyzed, based on habitat requirements of the Panthera onca (jaguar) by sex. Both, male and female, prefer tropical forest, however, P. onca males dare to transit in secondary vegetation and inclusively in agricultural areas. Males make inroads to villages more often than females, coming close to, and even crossing roads. P. onca males have a home range of 60 km2. In the present study, the ArcMap, FRAGSTATS and IDRISI software were used to analyses the structural and functional connectivity of the landscape, based on the known differences of habitat requirements for P. onca males and females. A vegetation and land use map of the studied area was elaborated, based on Landsat 7 ETM+ images, with 30 m size pixels. The following cover classes were differentiated: tropical forest, secondary forest, agriculture, urban, and water polls, which were validated in the fields. The Puuc-Chenes has an extension of 972 578 ha. Tropical forest was the dominant vegetation cover (49.8%) with the largest patch index covering 19.7% of the total landscape. The landscape had 2 509 fragments, from which 1 254 y 935 corresponded to secondary forest and anthropic patches, respectively. The contagion index was 62.5%, which indicates the existence oflarge and contiguous fragments. The total edge contrast index indicates the degree of landscape connectivity was 43.7%, meaning a medium contrast among the different class fragments. Likewise, forest had the highest area-weighted mean proximity index (PROX_AM de 8 701), confirming that the forest had bigger and less isolated fragments than the rest of the classes. The area of study, still have high value for the conservation of the habitat of the P onca. According to the results, we conclude that the Puuc-Chenes region has intermediate structural landscape connectivity, since a suitable corridor was identified for males and three corridors for both, males and females. Four priority fragments of forest were identified in the Puuc-Chenes landscape to be protected: the Puuc fragment with 1 916 km2, the Chenes fragment with 1 380 km2, the X’Panzil fragment with 679 km2 and the Noh-Ha fragment with 88.5 km2, which in total adds 4 063 km2 of identified landscape for the conservation of the jaguar. It is important to stress that the Puuc fragment — which has the largest extension — presents a high degree of perforation, this means, it does not conform a continuum forest mass, since other class of patches are immerse in it, which affects its connectivity and quality as a jaguar habitat. It was found that the habitat extension for the P. onca in the Puuc-Chenes landscape added to the adjacent ANPs’ area conform 15 943 km2, this ensure the persistence of the jaguar in the region. However, this zone has strong anthropic pressures, due to the expansion of ethnic groups and the establishment of new agricultural colonies in the Hopelchén municipality, resulting in extensive agriculture and use of heavy machinery, application of inorganic fertilizer and pesticides, which have detrimental effects in soil restoration and therefore in forest restoration. These changes are producing a cascade of negative effects for the habitat and game of the jaguar. For the reason that the jaguar is a cryptic organism, it is suggested to carry out more research in order to validate the identified corridors in the present study, utilizing field methods that enable to determine the presence and absence of the P. onca. It is also important, to elaborate habitat quality maps using variables such as game density, ecological conditions of the fragments and minor water sources, among them provisioning of minor water sources. This study provides robust elements based on scientific evidences that justified the conservation of four forest fragments in the Puuc-Chenes region that will help to preserve the habitat of the Panthera onca in this region.

The Trifinio Region: a case study of transboundary forest change in Central America

ABSTRACTStrategic planning to increase forest cover in Central American transboundary areas of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor requires understanding land-cover and land-use change trends and drivers. We estimated forest cover change from remotely sensed land-cover and land-use classifications from 1986, 2001, and 2010, in the tri-national Trifinio Region, bordering El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Our analysis spanned subnational, national, regional, and protected border areas. We determined correlations with direct drivers of deforestation, developing a multilevel linear regression model. Higher population density significantly correlated with deforestation; coffee, agroforestry, and pasture replaced forests. The tri-national park retained forests compared to neighboring areas, but additionality requires more research. The literature on drivers suggests similar processes and factors in other tropical regions. Forest cover governance efficacy is highly variable. Results indicate relationship between governance and forest cover though more comprehensive understanding of this complex region is needed to determine their causality.