Developing a Monitoring Protocol for the Monkey River Watershed, Belize, Central America Sean Elliott Olc Lins Sean E [email protected]

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Developing a Monitoring Protocol for the Monkey River Watershed, Belize, Central America Sean Elliott Olc Lins Sean E Collins@Hotmail.Com Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Theses, Dissertations and Capstones 1-1-2009 Developing a Monitoring Protocol for the Monkey River Watershed, Belize, Central America Sean Elliott olC lins [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://mds.marshall.edu/etd Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Collins, Sean Elliott, "Developing a Monitoring Protocol for the Monkey River Watershed, Belize, Central America" (2009). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. Paper 349. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEVELOPING A MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR THE MONKEY RIVER WATERSHED, BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA A Thesis submitted to the Graduate College of Marshall University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Biological Sciences: Watershed Resource Sciences by Sean Elliott Collins Approved by Dr. Thomas G. Jones, Ph.D., Committee Chairperson Dr. Frank S. Gilliam, Ph.D., Committee Member Dr. John J. Enz, Ph.D., Committee Member Marshall University December 2009 Acknowledgements This thesis was funded in part by the Marshall University Graduate College through their summer thesis research grant. Dr. Tom Jones used part of his start-up monies for further funding. Other institutions played key roles in the completion of the project. The Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education was my home in the jungle for the many weeks of field sampling. To all of you at BFREE, many thanks! Jacob and Kelly, Judy and Dan, Tom, Marcelino, Conti, Satranino, Carolina, Salana and Maria… you all were wonderful during my time in Belize. You became like family to me. To Ya‟axche Conservation Trust, thanks for your help getting all the necessary permits in order and for help brainstorming on this project. Thanks also to Toledo Institute for Development and Environment for collaboration and sharing of unpublished reports. I could not have completed this project without the help of Manuel Zuniga from Medina Bank, Belize. Thank you for spending many hours and days with me in the bush. I certainly learned a lot from you, and I hope that you learned something from me, as well. I appreciate not only your hard work in the field but also your company during some rather demanding times. I would also like to express thanks to my lab mates during my time as a graduate student at Marshall. Brian Bridgewater, Tyler Hern, Nathan Hoxie, Paul Hughes, Brad Musser, Casey Swecker, and Emily Vargo all played the role of peer to me during this time. To Matt Kinsey and Sean Reese, my experience at MU would not have been the same without you both. I cannot thank you two enough for everything. To my committee go many thanks for time well-spent in offices learning from you all. I would like to thank Dr. Gilliam for all his help with the final analyses and composition of this thesis. I would also like to thank Dr. John Enz for his help in Belize, especially with macroinvertebrate identification. I just hope that I was not too bothersome during these last few months. I also have to say a special word of thanks to my advisor, Tom Jones. You have given me so many tools for my future. I hope that I can learn to put them all to good use. I would also like to thank my family. My parents and my brother and sister-in-law are incredibly supportive. Last but certainly not least, I have to thank my fiancée. Kelly, you are my better half. This experience was trying for both of us in many ways. I know, though, that what we have ahead of us can only be amazing. ii Table of Contents TITLE PAGE …………………….……………….……….…………….…….………………..… i AKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………………………………. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………………………………. iii LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………………………. iv LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………………….. v LIST OF SYMBOLS ……………………………………………………………………….. v ABSTRACT ……………………………………………….………………..……………….…….. vi CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………….. 1 CHAPTER II – LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION ………………………………………….. 5 CHAPTER III – STREAM CHARACTERISTICS …………………………………………….. 18 CHAPTER IV – DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ………………………………….…….. 37 APPENDIX A – GIS IMAGES ………………………………………………………….……... 41 APPENDIX B – BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES …………………………….………. 182 LITERATURE CITED……………………………………………………………………….…… 186 CURRICULUM VITAE ………………………………………………………………….………. 193 iii List of Figures Figure 2.1. False color composite (bands 4, 5, 3) of Belize from Landsat ETM+ taken in 2004 .… 11 Figure 2.2. Supervised classification of Belize, Central America. This only depicts continental Belize as the barrier islands were removed from analysis ………………………………………… 12 Figure 2.3. Supervised classification of Monkey River watershed. Behind the clipped image is the false color composite (2004 Landsat ETM+ 4, 5, 3) of the surrounding area. This composite shows the effects of cloud cover (pink) on classification within Monkey River watershed …….… 13 Figure 2.4. Comparison between land cover of continental Belize and Monkey River watershed in southern Belize. Barrier islands and sea were removed from calculations …….……………….. 14 Figure 2.5. Initial dendrogram created using all six land cover types where class 1 = water, 2 = urban, 3 = savannah, 4 = banana agriculture, 5 = citrus agriculture, and 6 = broadleaf forest. Low distance between classes 2 and 4 and between classes 3 and 5 led to the combination of agriculture land cover types into one broad group ………………………………... 15 Figure 2.6. Final dendrogram created using combined agriculture land cover type where 1 = water, 2 = urban, 3 = savannah, 5 = agriculture, and 6 = broadleaf forest. Combination of agriculture types lead to more distance between classes. This resulted in more accurate classification ………. 16 Figure 3.1. Political boundaries of Belize showing Monkey River watershed outlined in blue……. 29 Figure 3.2. Map showing study sites within the Monkey River watershed. Sites sampled are indicated in blue. Sites not sampled are indicated in red ………………….…….…….……..….…. 30 Figure 3.3. US EPA rapid bioassessment protocol worksheet for wadeable streams ………. 31 Figure 3.4. Explanation of inverse distance weighting (IDW) process. A. Map of B08 site showing arbitrary sample locations. Each location received a categorical substrate score. B. Map of B08 site showing interpolated substrate raster created from IDW of collected scores …………………………………………………………………………….. 33 Figure 3.5. Expected local stress intensity score map (Esselman and Buck 2007). Overall scores were a combination of thermal alteration, habitat alteration, flow alteration, contaminants, nutrient loading, and sedimentation scores ………………………………… 34 Figure 3.6. Principle components analysis of log(10) transformed mean values for each variable from each site ………………………………………………………………………………………. 35 iv List of Tables Table 2.1. Comparison between land cover of continental Belize and Monkey River watershed in southern Belize. Barrier islands and sea were removed from calculations ……………….….…. 17 Table 3.1. Comparison of categorical scores from B04 site. If-then logic was applied to test for correlations between categorical scores of various categories …………………………….….…… 36 Table 3.2 Comparison of categorical scores from B07 site. If-then logic was applied to test for correlations between categorical scores of various categories …………………………….….…… 36 List of Symbols BERDS – Biodiversity and Environmental Resource Data System of Belize ELSI – Expected Local Stress Intensity EPA – Environmental Protection Agency ESRI – Environmental Systems Research Institute FWPCA – Federal Water Pollution Control Act GDP – Gross domestic product GIS – Geographic information system Landsat ETM+ – Landsat Enhanced Thermal Mapping Plus LCC – Land cover classification MMMC – Maya Mountain Marine Corridor MSS – Multispectral scanner system PCA – Principle components analysis RBP – Rapid biomonitoring protocol WVSOS – West Virginia Save Our Streams v Abstract Developing a monitoring protocol for the Monkey River watershed, Belize, Central America SEAN E. COLLINS. Dept. of Biological Science, Marshall University, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington, West Virginia 25755. The study of tropical aquatic systems has been limited. Research in developing countries can be challenging due to inadequate resources and cultural variety. Generally, efforts are concentrated on developing and maintaining economic stability rather than ecological sustainability. The aim of this project was to preliminarily develop and utilize a rapid bioassessment protocol (RBP) for the Monkey River watershed in Belize by determining which metrics best described overall stream health. Like biomonitoring protocols already established for temperate systems, a regional tropical aquatic watershed monitoring program should provide information including stream and watershed health. These protocols score systems on a variety of parameters including water chemistry, land use, stream physiognomy, and biological components. Since an understanding of tropical aquatic environments cannot be gained through studying temperate systems, this project was necessary. Human impacts are an important factor in aquatic systems. Changes in land use practices in a watershed can drastically alter stream processes. The RPB used measures of basic water chemistry and stream
Recommended publications
  • Support for the Implementation of the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (NSTMP) BL-T1054
    Destination Development Plan & Small Scale Investment Project Plan Specific Focus on the Toledo District, Belize 2016 - 2020 Prepared for: Table of Contents Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Table of Tables.............................................................................................................................................. 5 Table of Annexes .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Glossary: ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................................... 7 Executive Summary: ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Background: ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Community Engagement: ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Tayassu Pecari) in Belize Using GPS Telemetry: Challenges and Preliminary Results Therya, Vol
    Therya E-ISSN: 2007-3364 [email protected] Asociación Mexicana de Mastozoología México Hofman, Maarten P. G.; Signer, Johannes; Hayward, Matthew W.; Balkenhol, Niko Spatial ecology of a herd of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) in Belize using GPS telemetry: challenges and preliminary results Therya, vol. 7, núm. 1, 2016, pp. 21-38 Asociación Mexicana de Mastozoología Baja California Sur, México Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=402343647003 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative THERYA, 2016, Vol. 7 (1): 21-37 DOI: 10.12933/therya-16-335, ISSN 2007-3364 Ecología espacial de una manada de pecarí de labios blancos (Tayassu pecari) en Belice, usando collares con GPS: desafios y resultados preliminares Spatial ecology of a herd of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) in Belize using GPS telemetry: challenges and preliminary results Maarten P. G. Hofman1, 2*, Johannes Signer1, Matthew W. Hayward2 and Niko Balkenhol1 1 Department of Wildlife Sciences, University of Göttingen. Büsgenweg 3, 37073 Göttingen, Germany. Email: [email protected] (MPGH), [email protected] (JS) [email protected] (NB). 2 School of the Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University. Thoday Building, Deiniol Road, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK. Email: [email protected] (MWH). * Corresponding author The Maya Mountains are a heavily forested mountain range in Belize and Guatemala supporting high levels of biodiversity. Due to environmental degradation around the range, it is in danger of becoming isolated from the largest contiguous forest in Central America.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Empowering Conservation
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Empowering Conservation through Deep Convolutional Neural Networks A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering (Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Controls) by Matthew Epperson Committee in charge: Nikolay Atanasov, Chair Ryan Kastner Curt Schurgers 2018 Copyright Matthew Epperson, 2018 All rights reserved. The thesis of Matthew Epperson is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2018 iii DEDICATION To my parents who have always believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page . iii Dedication . iv Table of Contents . .v List of Figures . vii List of Tables . ix Acknowledgements . .x Abstract of the Thesis . xi Chapter 1 Introduction . .1 1.1 Background . .1 1.2 What is Deep Learning? . .2 1.2.1 Brief background to CNNs . .3 1.2.2 Object Detection . .4 1.3 Why Ecology and Conservation? . .5 1.3.1 What does Computer Vision offer Ecologists? . .5 1.4 Why UAVs? . .6 1.4.1 Types of UAVs . .6 1.4.2 Autopilots . .7 1.4.3 What do UAVs offer Conservationists? . .8 Chapter 2 Convolutional Neural Networks . .9 2.1 CNNs: Layer by Layer . .9 2.1.1 Convolution Layer . .9 2.1.2 Activation Layer . 11 2.1.3 Pooling Layer . 11 2.1.4 Fully Connected Layer . 12 2.1.5 Transfer Learning . 12 2.1.6 VGG16 . 13 2.1.7 ResNet . 13 2.1.8 DenseNet .
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Eight: the Bladen Management Consortium
    Chapter Eight: The Bladen Management Consortium Introduction The Bladen Nature Reserve inspires passion among its many advocates and frustration among residents of the communities that it borders. Called “the jewel in the crown of Belize’s protected area system,” for its exceptional biodiversity, dramatic topography, and archeological treasures, the 97,000-acre reserve is afforded Belize’s highest level of protection (Pinelo 2002). Only education and research are allowed in Bladen: hunting, fishing, logging, harvesting of plant materials for food, fiber, or medicine, removal of artifacts, tourism, and trespass of any sort without a permit are all prohibited. While these restrictions exist “on the books,” until recently the under-resourced Government agencies and thinly stretched non-governmental organizations tasked with enforcing them have implemented little real on the ground management in the reserve. With growing population and mounting development pressure, illegal activities in the reserve have continued to increase in the last several years, threatening both the natural and archeological resources that have made the Bladen Nature Reserve famous. The Bladen Management Consortium was born out of its founders’ conviction that the Bladen Nature Reserve was a unique resource in dire need of management and their recognition that the management challenges were beyond the capacity of any one organization. As a case study in collaboration, it highlights the many difficulties associated with initiating and sustaining an multi-stakeholder management body, particularly with regard to funding, staffing, representation, and legitimacy. It also illustrates how a few committed individuals can drive a collaborative process forward despite such challenges. Significantly, several of the key individuals and organizations involved in the Bladen Management Consortium also interact in the broader landscape of the Toledo District.
    [Show full text]
  • The Geography of Fishing in British Honduras and Adjacent Coastal Areas
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1966 The Geography of Fishing in British Honduras and Adjacent Coastal Areas. Alan Knowlton Craig Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Craig, Alan Knowlton, "The Geography of Fishing in British Honduras and Adjacent Coastal Areas." (1966). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1117. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1117 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been „ . „ i i>i j ■ m 66—6437 microfilmed exactly as received CRAIG, Alan Knowlton, 1930— THE GEOGRAPHY OF FISHING IN BRITISH HONDURAS AND ADJACENT COASTAL AREAS. Louisiana State University, Ph.D., 1966 G eo g rap h y University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE GEOGRAPHY OP FISHING IN BRITISH HONDURAS AND ADJACENT COASTAL AREAS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State university and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geography and Anthropology by Alan Knowlton Craig B.S., Louisiana State university, 1958 January, 1966 PLEASE NOTE* Map pages and Plate pages are not original copy. They tend to "curl". Filmed in the best way possible. University Microfilms, Inc. AC KNQWLEDGMENTS The extent to which the objectives of this study have been acomplished is due in large part to the faithful work of Tiburcio Badillo, fisherman and carpenter of Cay Caulker Village, British Honduras.
    [Show full text]
  • Bird Survey, 8–13 August 1995
    BIRD SURVEY 8–13 AUGUST 1995 Ellen M McRae CariSearch, Ltd Caye Caulker, Belize, C.A. METHODS Itinerary DAY 1 (8 AUG 1995) — Arrival 15.00 h; walk in town & on beach. DAY 2 (9 Aug) — Early-morning departure for distal portion of Monkey River SDA (upper Monkey River). Point-count stations upriver of trails. Walk along proximal portion of Payne’s Creek Trail; point counts taken. DAY 3 (10 Aug) Northern coastal sampling, including Little Monkey Caye, Great Monkey Caye, Black Creek, Pine Ridge Creek and associated mangrove and broken ridge/pine savanna habitat, and the coastal littoral forest of English Town (once inhabited). DAY 4 (11 Aug) — Southern Coastal sampling, including Alligator, Moho, Tarpon, and Guanacaste Creeks; also, littoral forest around Alligator Creek. DAY 5 (12 Aug) — Proximal upriver fish sampling. Also bird surveys. DAY 6 (13 Aug) - Avian survey on proximal section of Monkey River road (0545–0910). Departure. Primary resource material for bird-species identification included: Peterson & Chalif 1973; Robbins, et al. 1966; Howell, SNG & S Webb 1995; Garcia et al. 1994; Coffey & Coffey, date unk. [tape]. Techniques 1. A series of 10-minute point counts, entailing both visual and auditory-detection methods (no tape recordings used), at selected points along the following: a) Monkey River b) Payne’s Creek Trail (to Guanacaste Creek) c) Black Creek d) Pine Ridge Creek e) 2 Pine-ridge/Savanna ground stations, reached along Pine Ridge Creek. f) Monkey River Road, from village parking-lot to approx. 2 km westward. g) 2 different tall littoral forest stations; at English Town and Alligator Creek.
    [Show full text]
  • APAMO Newsletter 18
    December 2009! Volume:II Issue: 4! 1 APAMO MAKING A Spotlight! GLOBAL IMPACT FA M R AC C Re s t o r a t i o n APAMO Hosts Social Event at 2009 Project Page 3 & 4 World Conference for Responsible _________________________ Tourism. During the month of October, Belize took center stage in Policy Power! promoting responsible tourism and sustainable practices -APAMO leads National around the world by hosting the 3rd World Conference of Responsible Tourism Policy Responsible Tourism at the University of Belize from -Peace Corps comes to October 19th-23rd. The conference organized by the International Center for Responsible Tourism or ICRT APAMO was formally opened by the Minister of Tourism, Civil We have moved! Page 5 Aviation, and Culture, The Honorable Manuel Heredia. _________________________ Minister Heredia pledged this government’s commitment The APAMO office has moved to promoting a Master Plan for Belize that includes a from #1 Eyre Street to our new National Tourism Policy that is responsible, sustainable, location at 828 Coney Drive, Advocacy in Action! and conservation directed. Belize City. Our new office is A PA M O M e m b e r, YC T situated on the third floor. The Responsible Tourism Conference increased global APAMO has grown over the advocates to stop conservation awareness by discussing many issues affecting tourism past two years and the need for violations in preserve. development in Belize, Caribbean Countries, and the additional space was evident. Page 7 Central American regions. These issues included _________________________ tourism’s environmental impact on; marine and costal The move was not without minor areas, local economic development, cruise tourism, challenges but we appreciate tourism on climate change, and the impact of homes and your patience's during our Projects in Progress! condominium development on local communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Seven: the Golden Stream Corridor
    Chapter Seven: The Golden Stream Corridor Each organization could bring something to the table in terms of technical knowledge, community support and financial resources. (Pinelo 2002) Introduction While collaborative management appears to be possible for the six-watershed Maya Mountain Marine Corridor (MMMC) and the district-wide Toledo Watershed Association/SAGE, smaller-scale partnerships are already in place at the single watershed scale. In the Golden Stream watershed of the Toledo District, several conservation-oriented organizations manage a stretch of contiguous habitat between the Maya Mountains and Port Honduras as a result of an effort to secure the area from development threats and fragmentation through the purchase of various parcels of land along the Golden Stream River. Emerging inter-organizational collaborative efforts suggest a degree of interdependence and interest in managing the area collectively to ward off future threats to the watershed. Successful conservation initiatives and emerging partnerships in the Golden Stream watershed could serve as a stepping stone to multiple-watershed collaborative efforts in southern Belize. Conservation efforts in the Golden Stream Corridor represent a microcosm of what occurs throughout the Toledo District to protect the region’s cultural and natural resources. It is an area characterized by high biodiversity, a complex organizational landscape, and emerging collaborative efforts to manage protected areas. Meaningful cooperation and collaboration across institutional and political boundaries is limited between land owners. An analysis of the interactions among diverse land managers, organizations, and interests along the Golden Stream is helpful in understanding the challenges to collaborative management in the six- watershed MMMC where similar dynamics play out on a larger scale.
    [Show full text]
  • Species List February 20 ‒ 28, 2019 | Written by Bob Meinke
    Southern Belize: Birding & Nature | Species List February 20 ‒ 28, 2019 | Written by Bob Meinke Guide Bob Meinke, with expert local lodge naturalists Marvin and Steven, and 9 participants: Kelly, Isaac, Lenore, Harold, Cindy, Richelle, Beth, Nancy, and Joe SUMMARY We enjoyed a scenic and productive trip, starting with the vast freshwater wetlands at Crooked Tree Lagoon, transitioning on to the montane woodlands of the Mountain Pine Ridge, and ending our tour in the broadleaf forests and mangroves of Toledo District at the southern tip of Belize. Working our way down the length of the country increased our exposure to a wide range of habitats, and with it came a nice assortment of resident and migrant bird species as well as other wildlife. Highlights among the resident species included King Vulture, Bare-crowned Antbird, Black-and-white Owl, Yucatan Jay, White-winged Becard, Ruddy Woodcreeper, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Violet Sabrewing, three species of Trogon, and five species of Kingfisher (with multiple, close-in views of American Pygmy a surprising bonus). And while not unexpected, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Montezuma Oropendola, Golden -headed Tanager, Barred Antshrike, and Squirrel Cuckoo were all exquisite reminders of the rich colors and morphological diversity that characterize the avifauna of the Neotropics. North American migrants were also plentiful during our visit, and among the many warblers encountered, Blue-winged, Worm-eating, and Prothonotary stood out among the 21 overwintering species we recorded, most of which were just entering full breeding plumage as they readied for their journey north to the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • WILD BELIZE ESCAPE: WILDLIFE, REEFS, and RIVERS Standard Route: Belize City, Belize to Belize City, Belize
    WILD BELIZE ESCAPE: WILDLIFE, REEFS, AND RIVERS Standard route: Belize City, Belize to Belize City, Belize 6 Days National Geographic Sea Lion 62 Guests Expeditions in: Jan/Feb From $3,990 to $6,830 * Call us at 1.800.397.3348 or call your Travel Agent. In Australia, call 1300.361.012 • www.expeditions.com DAY 1: Belize City padding Arrive in Belize City and transfer to the National 2022 Departure Dates: Geographic Sea Lion. Settle into your cabin as we set sail on the Caribbean Sea. (D) 10 Jan, 15 Jan, 20 Jan, 25 Jan, 30 Jan 4 Feb, 9 Feb DAY 2: Belize Barrier Reef 2023 Departure Dates: padding Awaken in the northern cayes of the 10 Jan, 15 Jan, 20 Jan, 25 Jan, 30 Jan Mesoamerican Reef, a barrier-reef system that 4 Feb, 9 Feb stretches more than 600 miles and harbors Advance Payment: incredible marine biodiversity. Edged with mangroves and scattered with idyllic tropical isles, $750 these turquoise waters give us much to explore during our full day here. If weather and conditions Cost Includes: permit, visit Half-Moon Caye to see its red-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebird colony. Later Accommodations aboard ship; meals as we’ll find a calm spot to paddle a kayak or stand- indicated; excursions; services of up paddleboard. Or don a mask and fins to snorkel expedition leader, naturalist staff and among sea turtles, swirling schools of tropical fish, expert guides; use of kayaks; entrance and harmless nurse sharks. (B,L,D) fees; all port charges and service taxes; airport transfers to and from the ship.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of Chiquibul National Park Management Plan
    ChiquibulChiquibul CaveCave SystemSystem ManagementManagement PlanPlan 20102010--20152015 Meerman & Moore 2009 Table of Contents Index 1 List of Figures 2 List of Tables 3 List of Boxes 3 Executive Summary 4 Acknowledgements 6 Acronyms 7 1. Introduction 1-1 1.1. Background and Context 1-1 1.2. Purpose and Scope of Management Plan 1-5 1.3. Delineation of the Chiquibul Cave System 1-7 2. Current Status 2-1 2.1. Location 2-1 2.2. Regional Context 2-3 2.3. National Context 2-4 2.3.1. Policy Framework 2-5 2.3.2. Legal and Administrative Framework 2-7 2.3.3. Socio-economic Context 2-9 2.4. Physical Environment of CCS 2-13 2.4.1. Climate 2-13 2.4.2. Hydrology 2-14 2.4.4. Geology 2-16 2.4.5. Soils 2-17 2.5. Biodiversity of CCS 2-17 2.5.1. Ecosystems 2-17 2.5.2. Flora 2-19 2.5.3. Fauna 2-20 2.5.4. Past and Present Research 2-21 2.6. Cultural and Socio-Economic Value of CCS 2-22 2.6.1. Community and Other Stakeholder Use 2-22 2.6.2. Archaeological Sites 2-23 2.6.3. Tourism and Recreation Use 2-24 2.6.4. Other Economic Use 2-25 2.6.5. Education Use 2-25 3. Analysis of Conservation & Cultural Targets and Threats 3-1 3.1. Conservation and Cultural Targets 3-1 Meerman-Moore 2009 - Management Plan Chiquibul Cave System | Index 1 3.2. Threats to Biodiversity and Cultural Resources 3-6 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Tour Brochure
    ADVENTURES Belize, at only 8,867 square miles will never be mistaken for a large country, but within that relatively small area is a world of adventure waiting to be explored. The Placencia Peninsula, situated in southern Belize, is the ideal jumping off point to access the country’s premier attractions both on land and at sea. LAND SEA CULTURE Land Cocoplum Birdwatch Step right out of the hotel lobby and into the naturally beautiful environment that surrounds it. The Cocoplum property, in which Naïa is nestled, is comprised of 224 acres of primarily littoral forest and mangrove. Home to upwards of 40 bird species, and even more during periods of migration, Cocoplum offers plenty to birders both experienced and new without the hassle of a long van ride. Common species include Roadside Hawks, Chachalacas, Black Headed Trogons, Tropical Kingbirds, Little Blue Herons, Common Black Hawks, Cinnamon Hummingbirds, Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and Tropical Mockingbirds. Intensity: Easy Minimum: 1 Person Length: 1.5 hours What To Bring: Comfortable shoes or walking sandals, camera, insect repellent, and binoculars. Lagoon Kayaking & Wildlife Watch Enjoy peaceful paddling in the unique mangrove habitat of the Placencia Lagoon. Your guide will help you spot various birds, both native and migrant, crabs, iguanas and perhaps a crocodile. It is also possible to see dolphins and manatees. This tour is best done in the early morning or late afternoon as the likelihood of wildlife sightings is higher at these times. Minimum: 2 People Maximum: 6 people or 3 two- man kayaks Length: 2 hours What To Bring: Hat, camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, repellent, and binoculars.
    [Show full text]