Protected Natural Areas and the Conservation of Amphibians in a Highly Transformed Mountainous Region in Mexico
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Herpetological Conservation and Biology 11(1):19–28. Submitted: 12 February 2015; Accepted: 24 November 2015; Published: 30 April 2016. PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS AND THE CONSERVATION OF AMPHIBIANS IN A HIGHLY TRANSFORMED MOUNTAINOUS REGION IN MEXICO 1 2 2,3 MARÍA CHANEL JUÁREZ-RAMÍREZ , JOSÉ L. AGUILAR-LÓPEZ , AND EDUARDO PINEDA 1Laboratorio de Herpetología, Escuela de Biología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla 72570, Puebla, México 2Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, Col. El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, México 3Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]. Abstract.—Protected natural areas (PNAs) help protect biological diversity in the face of different threats. The efficacy of each PNA at protecting and maintaining varies as a function of the current characteristics of each reserve, the environment in which it is located, and the taxonomic group to be protected. In this study we evaluated the role of three PNAs (two state-run, and one private) in the conservation of the amphibians in the mountains of central Veracruz, Mexico, a region of high species diversity and turnover. During field work carried out from July to December 2012, we recorded 1262 amphibians belonging to 15 species (10 salamanders and five frogs), with 53% in a high risk conservation category. We found significant differences among the three PNAs in species richness, abundance, assemblage structure, and species composition. This is the first report of the presence of the endangered salamanders Pseudoeurycea gigantea, Thorius munificus, and Chiropterotriton lavae in a PNA. Each of the three reserves differs in its contribution to amphibian conservation in central Veracruz and, collectively, the three reserves function in a complementary manner to conserve the regional amphibian fauna, including endangered species, some of which are in imminent danger of extinction. Key Words.—complementarity; endangered species; frogs; salamanders; species diversity; Veracruz INTRODUCTION community, and private natural areas. Together, these areas represent approximately 80% of the PNAs in The protection of natural areas is one of the most Mexico (Bezaury-Creel et al. 2007; CONANP, widespread strategies to protect biodiversity, threatened Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas. 2014. by human activities (Margules and Pressey 2000). The Áreas Protegidas Decretadas. Available from term Protected Natural Area (PNA) was defined at the http://www.conanp.gob.mx [Accessed 1 October 2014]). IVth World Congress on National Parks and Protected The role of non-federally protected areas could be of Areas (Caracas, Venezuela, 1992) as “An area of land great importance for the conservation of biodiversity, and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and especially in regions where the degree of species maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and turnover (beta diversity) is high and the federal protected associated cultural resources, and managed through legal areas are insufficient to protect all of the species or other effective means” (cited in Rodrigues et al. (Halffter 2007). Thus, it is necessary to assess the role 2003). The efficacy of each PNA at protecting and of these PNAs to protect the biodiversity, especially in maintaining biodiversity may vary as a function of the regions where the original habitat has been or is being local characteristics of the reserve including reserve size, transformed dramatically. shape, and management strategy, land use history, and The mountainous region in central Veracruz, Mexico the environment in which it is located. is known for its high degree of biodiversity, specifically In Mexico, PNAs are currently managed by different that of amphibians. Central Veracruz is home to 72 levels of government. These include federal PNAs amphibian species, representing 19% of the including Ramsar sites (wetlands of international approximately 380 species recorded for all of Mexico. importance), state and municipal PNAs, and more Of the 72 amphibian species of the region (see Wake et recently PNAs run as community or private initiatives al. 1992; Parra-Olea et al. 2001; Pineda and Halffter (Ochoa-Ochoa et al. 2009). Evaluating the role and 2004; Meza-Parral and Pineda 2015), 27 are endemic to conservation success of PNAs has focused mainly on the Mexico and limited to this region (Frost D.R. 2014. federal reserve system (Figueroa and Sánchez-Cordero Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. 2008; Urbina-Cardona and Flores-Villela 2010), with Version 6.0. Available from http://research.amnh.org/ little evaluation of regional or local, and state, municipal, herpetology/amphibia/ index.html. [Accessed 1 October Copyright © 2016. María Chanel Juárez-Ramírez 19 All Rights Reserved. Juárez-Ramírez et al.—Amphibians and protected areas in Mexico. 2014]). Although the region is characterized by its high San Juan del Monte Reserve (SJM).—This reserve is amphibian beta diversity (Pineda and Halffter 2004; located in the municipality of Las Vigas de Ramírez, Meza-Parral and Pineda 2015), 39 species (54% of the Veracruz (19°39'00'' and 19°35'00''N, and 97°05'00'' and regional pool) are assigned to an IUCN high 97°07'30''W) and was established by decree in 1980 as a endangerment risk category (IUCN. 2014. The IUCN Green Area Reserved for Ecological Education (Área Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014-2. Verde Reservada para la Educación Ecológica). The Available from http://www.iucnredlist.org [Accessed 15 SJM PNA covers an area of 609 ha at an elevational October 2014]), and 34 species (47 % of the regional gradient of 2,327–2,600 m a.s.l. The climate is cool, pool) are at risk of extinction according to the Mexican with a mean annual temperature (± SD) of 11.7 ± 1.4° C; government (SEMARNAT 2010). Because of the dire the mean annual precipitation is 1,170 mm (calculations conservation status of so many species, the region is of made with data from 1981 to 2010; CONAGUA, high amphibian conservation priority (Ricketts et al. Comisión Nacional del Agua-Servicio Meteorológico 2005; Alliance for Zero Extinction. 2010. Available Nacional. 2012. Normales Climatológicas por Estación, from http://www.zeroextinction.org [Accessed 20 Estadística Descriptiva. Available from February 2012]; EDGE, Evolutionarily Distinct & http://smn.cna.gob.mx [Accessed 10 December 2014]). Globally Endangered. 2014. Focal Species. Available Approximately 90% of the reserve is covered with from mixed pine-oak forests of different ages, and 10% of the http://www.edgeofexistence.org/amphibians/top_100.ph area is covered with small pastures. Agricultural land, p [Accessed 10 July 2014]). Conservation of pastures, and residential areas surround the protected amphibians in this region is complicated because much area of the PNA. Furthermore, a highway runs through of the original forests of this region have been converted part of it. The SJM is used primarily for ecological to agriculture land and urban areas (Arriaga et al. 2000), education, and access to the reserve is limited to students federally run PNAs are scarce, and those that do exist are from educational institutions. The only study previously generally located above 3,000 m a.s.l. (CONANP, conducted in SJM was a preliminary inventory compiled Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas. 2014. by Bello-Sánchez (2008), who also analyzed some of the op. cit.) where there are few amphibian species. In this ecological attributes of the herpetofauna of the reserve. study, we examined the role of three protected natural areas (two state-run and one private) in the conservation Pancho Poza Ecological Reserve (PPR).—This of amphibians in the mountainous central region of the reserve is located in the municipality of Altotonga, state of Veracruz, Mexico, a region with high species Veracruz (19°43'33'' and 19°46'66''N, 97°14'57'' and diversity and turnover and a high degree of forest 97°15'71''W) and was established by decree in 1992 as transformation. Specifically, we evaluated species the Ecological Reserve of the Pancho Poza River. The richness, abundance, assemblage structure, species PPR covers an area of 57 ha at an elevational gradient of composition, and the conservation status of the species 1,984–2,095 m a.s.l. The climate is temperate semi-dry that inhabit these reserves. and temperate subhumid with year-round rains. Mean annual temperature (± SD) is 14.3 ± 1.1° C, and mean MATERIALS AND METHODS annual precipitation is 1,495 mm (calculations made with data from 1981 to 2010; CONAGUA, Comisión Study site.—The study region is located in central- Nacional del Agua-Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. eastern Veracruz, Mexico, within an elevation band from 2012. op. cit.). Approximately 60% of the reserve is roughly 1,950 to 3,300 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1). Pine and mixed covered by pine-oak forest with differing degrees of pine-oak were the original forest covers of the region. disturbance. The remaining 40% of the reserve is After decades of deforestation, the region is now covered with pastures, orchards, and residential areas dominated by a matrix of cattle pastures, agricultural (SEDEMA 2001). Tours of the reserve are given by crops (e.g., potato, corn, tree plantations), open pit local people and because of its proximity to an urban mines, and human settlements (Castillo-Campos et al. area and used by many people as a right-of-way, the land 2011). Two of the study PNAs (San Juan del Monte is crossed by footpaths. Agricultural fields, highways, Reserve and the Pancho Poza Ecological Reserve) are and an urban zone surround this protected area. regulated by the state of Veracruz, and the third (Ocelotl Previous studies conducted in this PNA include an Ecological Park) is regulated by a private owner. The inventory of the herpetofauna by Lambert-Izquierdo distances separating the three PNAs are relatively small, (2000) and a management plan with lists of potential ranging from approximately 12 to 23 km straight-line species by SEDEMA (2001).