Montes Azules Research Articles

Long-term changes in the bird community of Palenque, Chiapas, in response to rainforest loss

With increased human populations and subsequent pressure to develop or farm land, the rate of fragmentation of tropical rainforests has accelerated in the past several decades. How native organisms respond to such fragmentation has been the subject of intense study in temperate ecosystems and at several tropical sites in Central and South America, but there has been little study of this phenomenon in Mexico, the country bridging the Neotropics and temperate North America. A reason for this neglect is an apparent lack of long-term data; however, such data can be obtained from “non-traditional” sources, such as birders and tour leaders. We make innovative use of such data, combining them with more traditional data (e.g., museum specimens) to create a record of occurrence for Palenque, Mexico, from 1900 to 2009, including a near-continuous presence–absence record since 1970. We analyzed these data using logistic regression and, importantly, recent statistical advances expressly for sighting records. As recently as the 1960s Palenque’s forest was contiguous with that of Selva Lacandona to the east, but the protected area surrounding the famous ruins is now a forested island. As a result, various species formerly known from the site have disappeared, including species both large (Crax rubra, Penelope purpurascens, and Ara macao) and small (Notharchus hyperrhynchos, Malacoptila panamensis, Microrhopias quixensis, and Pachyramphus cinnamomeus). By contrast, several species of open areas or second growth have apparently colonized the area (e.g., Thryothorus modestus, Mimus gilvus, Euphonia affinis). Some species turnover has occurred within particular families, such as Columbidae, Trochilidae, and Troglodytidae. Losses and declines we documented at Palenque correspond with those reported from other sites in Mesoamerica, suggesting the soundness of our approach and the general vulnerability of certain species. Compilation and analysis of sighting record data holds great promise for tracking trends in many regions and across many taxa for which long-term census data are lacking.

Pandora's Box: The Implications of Social Movements on Development. Lessons from the Lacandona Jungle in Chiapas

This paper's objective is twofold. First, it aims to demonstrate that the emergence of a powerful social movement in a rural region triggers a period of intense transformations with unpredictable outcomes and widely varied, even contradictory, implications for development – which can be positive and negative, intentional and unintentional. The second objective is to improve the understanding of causes explaining such diverse implications in order to identify the factors and processes that promote and thwart alternative development agendas. While social movements often strengthen traditionally excluded groups, they can also give rise to identities and events that limit a territory's economic prospects. Such is the case of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) in Chiapas, Mexico. This social movement has won respect for the indigenous peoples and weakened political clientelism in the region. However, the EZLN has also hindered development initiatives involving cooperation with public institutions and market links. Nonetheless, several communities in the Lacandona Jungle (Selva Lacandona) are exploring alternative paths to development, largely thanks to the Zapatista movement. This trend is due to the movement's unexpected effects: increasing interest in the jungle; public investment in infrastructure; the presence of several government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the area; and the creation of new incentives and opportunities for establishing indigenous microenterprises. Based on this paradox and on-site fieldwork in the Frontera Corozal indigenous community, this paper discusses the contributions, contradictions, and dilemmas of social movements facing local development.

A New Phylogenetic Diversity Measure Generalizing the Shannon Index and Its Application to Phyllostomid Bats

Protecting biodiversity involves preserving the maximum number and abundance of species while giving special attention to species with unique genetic or morphological characteristics. In balancing different priorities, conservation policymakers may consider quantitative measures that compare diversity across ecological communities. To serve this purpose, a measure should increase or decrease with changes in community composition in a way that reflects what is valued, including species richness, evenness, and distinctness. However, counterintuitively, studies have shown that established indices, including those that emphasize average interspecies phylogenetic distance, may increase with the elimination of species. We introduce a new diversity index, the phylogenetic entropy, which generalizes in a natural way the Shannon index to incorporate species relatedness. Phylogenetic entropy favors communities in which highly distinct species are more abundant, but it does not advocate decreasing any species proportion below a community structure-dependent threshold. We contrast the behavior of multiple indices on a community of phyllostomid bats in the Selva Lacandona. The optimal genus distribution for phylogenetic entropy populates all genera in a linear relationship to their total phylogenetic distance to other genera. Two other indices favor eliminating 12 out of the 23 genera.

Subsistence fishing in two communities of the Lacandon Forest, Mexico

Abstract Subsistence fishing was surveyed in the communities of Nueva Esperanza and Loma Bonita of the Lacandon Forest in the Usumacinta River Basin of Chiapas, Mexico from March to August 2005. Thirty fish species, four turtles and two crustaceans were harvested. The most prevalent species in terms of biomass extracted were the pantano cichlid, Herichthys pearsei (Hubbs), grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes), northern checkmark cichlid, Vieja intermedia (Günther), bigmouth sleeper, Gobiomorus dormitor Lacepède, machaca, Brycon guatemalensis Regan, and blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus (Lesueur). Ten fishing gears were employed in four habitat types. Fishing patterns, fishing gears employed, species harvested, biomass extracted and catch rates differed between localities. The uniqueness of local fisheries should be considered in further studies and management policies for conservation of fish populations.

Un Mundo Donde Quepan Muchos Mundos: A Postcolonial Legal Perspective Inspired by the Zapatistas

Abstract On January 1, 1994, the day when NAFTA entered into force, a group of indigenous appeared from the Lacandon jungle in Chiapas, occupied the city hall of San Cristóbal de las Casas, presented themselves as the Zapatista Army and announced: "We are the product of 500 years of fighting. [] But today we say: It is enough." This was the beginning of a rebellion which attracted international attention and is still going on today. Taking the announcement seriously, this article traces the history of 500 years from a legal perspective. By considering also the international dimension of this history, it shall be revealed that the reasons for the Zapatista revolt range from the Lacandon jungle through Chiapas, Mexico, Latin America, to the world and its global order. The article will focus on their demand for "land and freedom" which leads to the so-called agrarian question and the long history of bloody disputes about land, means of existence, natural resources, autonomy, sovereignty, power, dominance, oppression, life and death.The history of Mexican land law (sometimes as a legal reflection, sometimes as a result and sometimes as an origin of these disputes) shows with outstanding clarity international structures of hegemony. Foreign influence and legal transfer in accordance with European and U.S. economic interest have been shaping this area of law since colonization. On the other hand, history also gave birth to strong counter-hegemonic movements: the Mexican Revolution at the beginning of the 20th century and today the Zapatista rebellion.The objective of the article is the following: By putting the Zapatista struggle for land in the historical and global context, their “anti-systemic" or “postcolonial" quality shall be revealed. Against this background, the legal analysis of their rebellion shall be used to develop cornerstones of a postcolonial legal perspective. Hence, independent from the chronological order, the theoretical starting point is January 1, 1994. History will be approached as a memory that flashes on this day in the moment of uprising.

Habitat use of wild ungulates in fragmented landscapes of the Lacandon Forest, Southern Mexico

Habitat use of five ungulate species was assessed in two fragmented sites in the Lacandon Forest, Southern Mexico. Differential habitat use was expected according to the habitat requirements of each species. Repeated track counts were carried out from September 2005 to December 2006 along 19 line transects totaling 683 km, obtaining 2271 ungulate records. We found that Baird's tapir and the white-lipped peccary are actually rainforest specialists avoiding disturbed habitats in the Lacandon Forest, while the red brocket deer, the collared peccary, and the white-tailed deer show different degrees of success in using habitat mosaic derived from human activities. Given that fragmentation patterns have an effect on habitat use of ungulate species in our study area, more information about the effects of landscape configuration on the distribution and abundance of those species is needed. In order to favor conservation of the ungulate species array in the Lacandon Forest, we recommend enforcement of mature rainforest protection and maintenance of heterogeneous landscapes in human settlements through traditional agricultural practices, agroforestry, and intensive pastureland management.

Nuevos registros de grisón (<i>Galictis vittata</i>) para la selva Lacandona, Chiapas, México.

Abstract: The distribution of the greater grison (Galictis vittata) in México goes from southern Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosí, to the south along the Gulf coast to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, continuing through Chiapas and all of the Yucatán Peninsula. However, this species has not been recorded for the Selva Lacandona region, Chiapas, México. The purpose of this note is to report the first two reliable records of the species for this region of México. These records also constitute a contribution to the ecological knowledge of this species, as they demonstrate their presence in landscapes altered by human activity. Keywords: Mustelidae, Selva Lacandona, camera-trapping, greater grison.

Evaluación de la diversidad de plantas en el Monumento Natural Yaxchilán, Chiapas, México

Se evaluó la diversidad de plantas vasculares presentes en el Monumento Natural Yaxchilán, un área natural protegida del estado de Chiapas, sur de México. La lista florística, que incluye 547 especies (337 géneros y 102 familias) de plantas vasculares, fue elaborada a partir de la compilación de información derivada de tres fuentes: (l) una lista parcial obtenida a partir de un estudio ecológico de la estructura del bosque en una parcela de 1 ha en esta localidad; (2) una exploración sistemática realizada en siete viajes al sitio en un periodo de 18 meses; y (3) una visita extra al sitio como parte de una investigación más ambiciosa que abarca toda la Selva Lacandona. Los mayores números de ejemplares fértiles por visita fueron recolectados en el mes de febrero de dos años consecutivos. Las familias con mayor riqueza de especies fueron Fabaceae (47 especies), Orchidaceae (34), Rubiaceae (23), y Asteraceae (22). Los géneros más ricos en especies fueron Piper (13 especies), Psychotria (9), Adiantum y Peperomia (8). La categoría de forma de crecimiento más grande fue la de los árboles (203 especies), seguido por el de las hierbas terrestres (129). La mayoría de las especies (459) fueron halladas en la vegetación de selva primaria, aunque la vegetación secundaria también tuvo una contribución sustancial (125 especies). Se estimó que el tamaño de la flora total en Yaxchilán puede ser de alrededor de 850 especies de plantas, según el procedimiento de Chao 2. A pesar de su tamaño relativamente pequeño, el Monumento Natural Yaxchilán alberga una biodiversidad vegetal considerable, cuyo número representa 16.2% de Ja flora en toda la Selva Lacandona y alrededor de 7.2% de la flora conocida para el estado.

Labor allocation to non-timber extraction in a Mexican rainforest community

This paper analyzes the determinants of participation in the extraction of xate palm, the most important non-timber forest product in the Mexican Lacandona Rainforest ( Selva Lacandona) in terms of its contribution to cash income for households. Results show that low opportunity costs and low human capital, two strong correlates of rural poverty, significantly explain the degree of participation in xate extraction. This gives reasons to be moderately optimistic about the poverty-reduction potential of programs that successfully increase the price of xate received by extractors.

Spatial distribution of cichlids in Tzendales River, Biosphere Reserve Montes Azules, Chiapas, Mexico

Located within Mexico’s Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, the Tzendales River is part of the Usumacinta River Basin, which supports the largest diversity of cichlid fishes in Middle America. We evaluated temporal and spatial variation of species richness and distribution of cichlids in the Tzendales River; we collected 14 species with nine native and five endemic. The species with greatest relative abundances and broadest spatial distributions were Vieja intermedia and Amphilophus nourissati; and the rarest and most spatially restricted species were Thorichthys meeki and Parachromis friedrichsthalii. Environmental characteristics varied seasonally although fish assemblages and distributions were relatively stable over time. Based on habitat use patterns, three species associations were observed: (1) Amphilophus nourissati, Petenia splendida, Vieja argentea, V. bifasciata, V. intermedia, V. pearsei, V. synspila and V. ufermanni; (2) ‘Cichlasoma’ salvini and Parachromis friedrichsthalii; and (3) Thorichthys helleri and Thorichthys meeki. Two rheophilic species, Theraps lentiginosus and Theraps irregularis, had low habitat overlap with all of the other cichlid species. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that the depth, current speed and quantity of rocks in the substrate defined the spatial distribution of species in dry season. Cichlids of the Tzendales River appear to partition habitat in a manner that reduces resource competition.

Dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) diversity in continuous forest, forest fragments and cattle pastures in a landscape of Chiapas, Mexico: the effects of anthropogenic changes

We studied the diversity of dung beetles in three different habitats in the Lacandona Forest, Chiapas, Mexico. We found a total of 49 species. Of these, 44 were in well-preserved forests (SC) within the limits of the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, 42 in fragmented forests (SF), and 13 in cattle pastures (PZ). These two latter habitats were part of a fragmented landscape. Even though the species richness between the two forest habitats is similar, there is a change in guild composition and structure. About 12% of the species were exclusively found in SC, while 4.1% and 2% were exclusive of SF and PZ respectively. β diversity was the most important element for overall diversity (γ), above that of the local richness (α). Within well-preserved forests, species composition changes substantially, even among neighboring sites. Species diversity within the landscape seems to depend on canopy coverage, soil temperature and geographic distance between sites. Functional groups vary with the habitat. Large-bodied, nocturnal species with specific requirements of soil temperature and compaction are more sensitive to anthropogenic changes. In cattle pastures there is a larger number of heliophilic species, with a higher percentage of small-bodied and roller beetles.

Diet and Trophic Structure in a Community of Fruit-Eating Bats in Lacandon Forest, México

Assemblages of neotropical frugivorous bats display a trophic structure composed of groups of species reflecting diet preferences. The structure is hypothesized to be an ancestral trait, suggesting that very similar diets would be observed throughout a species' range. We examined the frequency of occurrence of seeds in feces of a community of frugivorous bats in Lacandon Forest, Mexico. Using metric multidimensional scaling, we found 3 groups of species, similar to those found in other regions and congruent with phylogenetic groupings, lending support to a historical origin of this structure. However, the diets of some species differed from those observed in other regions, in particular Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Here, we found species of the tribe Ectophyllini to be specialized on plants of the genus Cecropia, rather than Ficus-specialists as on BCI. This discrepancy can be related to differences in plant composition or in disturbance regimes, and we suggest that Ectophyllini (including Artibeus) are facultative specialists of the genera Ficus and Cecropia rather than strict Ficus-specialists.

Comparative Parasitology of Wild and Domestic Ungulates in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

We surveyed gastrointestinal and ectoparasites in wild and domestic ungulates in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico, including Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), red brocket deer (Mazama americana), horses (Equus caballus), cattle (Bos taurus), and pigs (Sus scrofa). We collected 97 fresh fecal samples from the domestic species and 46 from the wild species and examined digestive tracts of 21 wild specimens. We identified 18 species of nematodes and 7 species of protozoans in feces and 3 nematode species, 2 trematode species, and 1 cestode species during postmortem examination. Paramphistomid infections in peccaries and deer were both prevalent and intense, representing a potential risk to populations of these ungulates. Ectoparasites included 14 species of Ixodidae and a hippoboscid. Of the endoparasites, 10 are new host records and 15 are new geographic records for Mexico. Ectoparasites included 7 new host records and 14 new geographic records for Mexico. Morisita's similarity index revealed the greatest similarity between the 2 deer species and between the 2 peccary species, while the greatest similarity between wild and domestic species was between B. taurus and O. virginianus .W e discuss possible routes of interspecific transmission as well as the potential of the ectoparasites identified as disease vectors.

Pérdida de diversidad florística ante un gradiente de intensificación del sistemaagrícola de roza-tumba-quema: un estudio de caso en la Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, México

Se analizó la dinámica del sistema agrícola de roza-tumba-quema (r-t-q) bajo un proceso de alargamiento de los años de cultivo de la parcela y un incremento de los periodos de cultivo, y se determinó bajo qué intensidad y frecuencia de uso los acahuales conservan especies propias de la flora leñosa nativa en la Zona Norte de la Selva Lacandona. Se levantaron 39 inventarios en acahuales de diferentes edades (EA) e historias de uso. Se generó un índice de integridad (II) que combina la intensidad y la frecuencia de uso de las parcelas. Mediante un análisis canónico de correspondencia se evaluó la relación de las especies con EA e II. Se encontró que los acahuales de mayores edades e II funcionan como reservorios de especies nativas propias del bosque maduro. Las tendencias del sistema de r-t-q son de incremento de su intensidad y frecuencia de uso, por lo que la matriz será mas homogénea y de mayor contraste con las áreas forestales, lo cual impedirá la dispersión, el establecimiento y el mantenimiento de la porción de flora nativa propia de estos hábitats, comprometiendo su sobrevivencia.

Protracted drought during the late Holocene in the Lacandon rain forest, Mexico

A 3.4 m core was obtained for paleoecological analysis from Naja Lake in the Lacandon region of southeastern Mexico. This is the first study of the Lacandon area aimed at reconstructing late Holocene environmental history. The basal section of the core yielded an AMS date of 2020 14C years b.p. The Naja pollen record shows that the lower montane rain forest characterized by Moraceae, Mimosoideae, Leguminosae and Combretaceae/Melastomataceae, coexisted with a pine-oak forest throughout the late Holocene. No Zea mays pollen was found during routine pollen counts, but the presence of both secondary pollen taxa and abundant charcoal particles suggest some degree of regional human impact. A marked increase in Pinus pollen, together with a reduction in lower montane rain forest taxa, is interpreted as evidence for a strong, protracted drought from 1260 to 730 14C years b.p.

L'expérience zapatiste, á treize ans du soulevement armé de 1994

The article is an attempt to situate the zapatist struggle in relation to its Mexican and Latin American models, and to chart its trajectory since January 1 1994. The emphasis is on the conceptions of power proper to the zapatists, both from a theoretical perspective (their refusal to « take power ») and from a practical perspective (the precedent of the autonomy of the Councils of good government). In conclusion, the article addresses the question of the uncertainties surrounding the present phase of the struggle, a phase which began with the Sixth Declaration of Selva Lacandona (2005). It also examines the possible meaning of a new intercontinental meeting for humanity and against neoliberalism, for which the declaration calls.

Source–sink systems and conservation of hunted ungulates in the Lacandon Forest, Mexico

Native ungulate species constitute an important source of protein for Mesoamerican subsistence hunters. In this study, we (1) provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that source–sink systems help maintain some of the ungulate populations in the Lacandon Forest, Mexico; and (2) test the assumptions that density, age structure, and sex ratios are different in slightly hunted (potential sources) and persistently hunted (potential sinks) populations. From May 1998 to March 2001 we observed 1144 individuals and 1153 tracks of five ungulate species (Baird’s tapir, collared peccary, white-lipped peccary, red brocket deer, and white-tailed deer) along 1908 km of line transects in slightly and persistently hunted sites of Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (MABR) and adjacent community lands. Densities of Baird’s tapir and white-lipped peccary were lower in persistently hunted sites, where there were higher proportions of young tapirs and white-tailed deer. The sustainability of hunting was evaluated in five communities using information on harvest rates, production rates, and density of each population. Our results suggest that persistently hunted populations of Baird’s tapir and white-lipped peccary are at risk of local extinction, while collared peccary hunting appears to be sustainable. The red brocket deer, although locally overhunted, maintains a relatively safe status probably through a source–sink system in which MABR functions as the source of individuals which are readily hunted in adjacent community lands. Source–sink systems may be also important in maintaining Baird’s tapir and white-lipped peccary populations outside protected areas of the Lacandon Forest, from evidence of migration observed during this study.

Sucesión ecológica y restauración de las selvas húmedas

Las selvas húmedas han sufrido una intensa deforestación y degradación debido a las actividades antropogénicas. Grandes áreas antes cubiertas por estos bosques de elevada diversidad actualmente se encuentran transformadas en campos agropecuarios, bosques secundarios, campos degradados abandonados y, en menor proporción, remanentes aislados de selva. La teoría clásica de la regeneración natural en claros resulta insuficiente para el estudio de la sucesión y la restauración ecológica de selvas en los extensos campos deforestados. Se requieren nuevos principios ecológicos que permitan el desarrollo de tecnologías eficientes para la recuperación de selvas en campos degradados. El presente artículo desarrolla un esquema conceptual que considera el nivel de disponibilidad de propágulos de especies nativas y el grado de alteración ambiental (calidad de sitio) como dos ejes determinantes de la capacidad de regeneración de la vegetación de selva en campos degradados. La historia de uso del suelo es un promotor importante del estado de los ejes anteriores al modificar con un cierto nivel de intensidad, extensión y duración al ecosistema original. Nuestro marco conceptual identifica factores clave que es importante considerar en la restauración de campos degradados. Según nuestro modelo, la tasa y la magnitud de la regeneración natural (capacidad de regeneración) disminuyen con una reducción en la disponibilidad de propágulos (i.e. banco y lluvia de semillas, regeneración de avanzada, meristemos en raíces y tocones) y la disminución de la calidad sitio (por ejemplo, al aumentar la compactación y la fertilidad del suelo , y la abundancia de plantas exóticas). Dife rentes tipos de uso de suelo reducen diferencialmente la capacidad de regeneración de la vegetación nativa. Por ejemplo, predecimos que la capacidad de regeneración en milpas abandonadas (las cuales reducen en mucho menor grado la disponibilidad de propágulos y la calidad de sitio) debería ser mayor que en pastizales ganaderos abandonados. Las predicciones se evalúan con información proveniente de la literatura y de un proyecto de investigación de largo plazo llevado a cabo en la región de La Selva Lacandona (Chiapas), México. Finalmente, se hace una reflexión sobre los costos asociados a la restauración y se ofrecen recomendaciones que pueden ayudar a promover la sucesión ecológica en campos degradados

Diversity and conservation status of the Ichthyofauna of the Río Lacantún basin in the Biosphere Reserve Montes Azules, Chiapas, México

The Biosphere Reserve Montes Azules (RBMA), located in the Mexican southeastern state of Chiapas, is the most important floral and faunal reserve in México and Mesoamerica, The reserve contains the largest and best preserved forests in the region, as well as the few remaining pristine rivers. The primary objective of this paper is to update the fish diversity along the southern part of this important reserve, based on material collected during eight expeditions carried out from 2004 to 2006. Fish samples were obtained from 20 localities, of which seven were inside the protected natural area. A total of 8, 977 specimens were collected, representing 55 species (including one unidentified and three aliens) in 41 genera and 23 families. This paper adds 9 more species to the regional fish fauna, one of them are exotic. According to their zoogeographic origin, three are Nearctic, 32 are Neotropical, and 17 are in other groups; ecologically, nine species are of primary derivation, 26 are Secondary, and 17 are Peripheral or Vicarious, according to Myers’ (1938) classification based on historical salinity tolerance. The most diverse fish families were the Cichlidae and Poeciliidae, with 15 and eight species, respectively. Compared to other Mexican hydrological regions, the study area contains a fish fauna that is still well preserved in terms of diversity, but ecological damage is due to humans living adjacent to the reserve. If this situation continues unchecked, it could threaten the survival of some species.

DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORDS FOR MAMMALS FROM CHIAPAS, MEXICO

New distributional mammal records are reported for Yaxchilán, Chiapas, Mexico, and Belize. Nicéforo's large-eared bat Trinycteris nicefori (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) is documented for the first time for Mexico, providing the northwesternmost locality for the species. A new Belizean locality also is reported and constitutes the northernmost record. The dark Mexican shrew Cryptotis griseoventris (Soricomorpha, Soricidae) has been reported previously from the highlands from Chiapas, in coniferous forest at elevations above 2,100 m; its presence in the lowland Selva Lacandona (below 90 m) is surprising and raises questions about its specific identify. Further studies are warranted.