Wild Lands Conservation in Central America

WILDLANDS CONSERVATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA by Gary S. Hartshorn 1982INo. 23 South America [GSH-1-'821 This country-by-country survey double by the year 2000. The of national parks and reserves inexorable advance of the agricul- tural frontier into the shrinking reveals the difficulty of con- forests leaves little time-certainly serving wildlands in areas where no more than this decade-to growing populations exert pres- establish protected conservation sure on every natural resource. units. The current political strife in Political instability and war com- northern Central America and the severe economic problems buffeting pound the problems. the region make it difficult for government agencies responsible Central America has served as a for national parks and equivalent great biogeographic mixing ground reserves to protect the existing for the floras and faunas of North parks. How will they be able to add and South America. Tracks of puma new conservation units and to and jaguar overlap in Honduras' Rio consolidate the national conserva- Platano biosphere reserve. Northern tion system? hemisphere conifers (pines, firs, This Report offers a country-by- spruces, and cedars) extend as far country overview of the status of south as Lake Nicaragua, but oaks national parks and equivalent re- dominate the high-elevation Tala- serves. The latter include biological manca forests of Costa Rica and reserves, wildlife refugia, biosphere Panama. Paramo-low, shrubby reserves, as well as those multiple vegetation above tree-line that use areas, world heritage sites and dominates the northern Andes- has natural monuments that protect its northernmost extension on Costa significant natural ecosystems. Rica's highest peak. comments on biological and eco- Central American forests are the logical aspects are kept to a bare habitats of a great diversity of minimum; however, references to tropical birds, mammals, reptiles pertinent literature are included. The (herps), and invertebrates. Many listing of national parks and equiva- so-called North American migratory lent reserves (Table 2 and Figure 1) birds spend more time in these follows, where possible, the numer- tropical forests than at their brief ation of lUCN (1981). northern summer habitat. Recent studies indicate a surprising number of local bird species migrate altitudi- nally. Yet Central America's forests Editor's Note: During his tenure as a are being cut at a combined rate of Forest and Man Fellow of the Institute not less than 300,000 hectareslyear of Current World Affairs, Dr. Hartshorn (Table 1). Except for sparsely popu- was required periodically to write lated Belize, the other six countries "newsletters" on his research and have less than 45 percent of their travels. Several that seem pertinent to land still in natural forests (MacFar- this Report or his lectures are listed on land & Morales 1981). With human page 11. These may be obtained by population growth averaging 3.0 writing the Institute of Current World percent for the region, central Affairs, 4 West Wheelock Street, America's population will nearly Hanover, NH 03755. Table 1 Features of Central American Countries Area* Population Remaining 1978 Minimum Protected Area* Number of Con- 1977- 1978 Wildlands* Rate of De- (%I servation Units forestation* Belize 22,975 Costa Rica 51,000 El Salvador 21 ,I56 Guatemala 108,889 Honduras 112,088 Nicaragua 148,000 Panama 77,082 Total 541,190 Regional Synthesis but it is much more difficult to recent cases, La Amistad and the Central America's 46 national parks implement the decree establishing a Braulio Carrillo-La Selva corridor, and equivalent reserves cover conservation unit. Consolidation the government has tried to avoid 18,537 km2, or about 3.5 percent of means that boundaries must be expropriation by segregating pri- the region. About three-quarters of established and maintained on the vately held lands into a Protection these conservation units have been ground; privately owned land should Zone, where changes in current land established since 1970. Except in be expropriated; nonindigenous use are prohibited. Belize, each country's early efforts occupants need to be moved to new focused on national parks. Only in lands outside the unit; the biota The lack of ecological and cadastral the past few years have some must be protected from hunters and surveys prior to legal establishment countries established other types of poachers; the area should be zoned of a conservation unit has also conservation units, such as biologi- for use; and a management plan hindered the consolidation process. Office-drawn boundaries often in- cal reserves, wildlife refugia, and developed. Failure to consolidate a conservation unit not only permits clude operational farms, yet omit natural monuments. The early predi- critical habitats or unique ecosys- lection for national parks is under- the destruction of biota and natural tems. In an independent evaluation standable and even justifiable, given resources that were supposed to be of Costa Rica's national parks and the strong international recognition protected, but it also has the more equivalent reserves, boundary modi- associated with national park status. insidious effect of inculcating dis- fications were recommended for If park consolidation and effective respect for conservation. The all too two-thirds of the conservation units protection are achieved, a protected common occurrence of "paper (CCT 1982). La Amistad Interna- area can be reclassified to a more parks" in Latin America, where a declared park is occupied by tional Park is the first case in Central appropriate type of conservation America where ecological and unit. hundreds of squatters practicing slash-and-burn agriculture, makes cadastral field studies preceded In general terms, each country has consolidation nearly impossible. In- legal establishment of a conserva- an adequate legal base for conserva- effective government efforts to tion unit. tion. Most conservation units have avoid "paper parks" pose serious Other than in Costa Rica, the sparse been established by presidential threats for other conservation units decree, thus they can be abrogated ecological information available on that may still be intact due to established conservation units by another decree or simply ignored inaccessibility. by the next president. Nevertheless, makes it difficult to assess their presidential interest in conservation The inclusion of privately owned representativeness. The biogeo- can produce results, as shown by lands within the boundaries of a graphic provinces (see Table 2) used Costa Rica's impressive advances in conservation unit presents another by IUCN are ecologically meaning- conservation during the adminis- obstacle to consolidation, largely less in Central America. Estimates of trations of Daniel Oduber (1974- because of government noninterest major ecological life zones repre- 1978) and Rodrigo Carazo (1978- e.g., El Salvador's Montecristo) or sented in each conservation unit 1982). Costa Rican law stipulates difficult economic conditions. The (Table 2) suggest that subhumid that a conservation unit established Costa Rican tradition of private land and humid life zones are poorly by presidential decree can be ownership is reflected in the esti- represented in protected areas of changed only by a two-thirds vote mate that 23 percent of the Central America. This is not sur- of the Legislative Assembly. country's protected wildlands is still prising since these humidity in private hands. As money be- provinces are preferred for agricul- Consolidation of conservation units comes available, the National Park ture and human habitation, with a is the most serious problem facing Service (SPN) purchased key par- long history of natural resources Central America's national parks cels, but the current economic degradation. The subhumid Pacific and equivalent reserves. It is easy to debacle has seriously slowed the lowlands of Central America have promulgate a presidential decree, consolidation program. In two very few conservation units due to the general absence of forests. conservation systems should be Half-Moon Ca ye National Similarly, the dry highlands of expanded and consolidated, the Monument northern Central America have few Central American governments Half-Moon Caye bird sanctuary was functional conservation units be- simply lack the resources to converted to a National Monument cause of centuries of human use. accomplish their conservation goals. in 1982 by the newly independent This is truly a critical decade for Belizean government. It is a 15 Private organizations have played conservation in Central America. hectare coral sand caye at the critical roles in helping Central Yet in times of crises, the impor- southeastern end of Lighthouse American countries establish and tance of education is often for- Reef, one of the few true coral atolls consolidate conservation units. gotten. Public education is crucial to in the Caribbean Sea. The western Most obvious is the financial the growth of environmental aware- half of the island is a thriving support of international or foreign ness and support for conservation. rookery for the white phase of the conservation groups to government Without support of the general red-footed booby (Sula sula) as well conservation agencies, as well as to public, few national parks and as for the magnificent frigatebird. private biological reserves. Although equivalent reserves of Central Despite clear legal status as a wild- space does not permit

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