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Jamaica Ecoregional Planning Project Jamaica Freshwater Assessment

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Jamaica Ecoregional Planning Project Jamaica Freshwater Assessment Jamaica Ecoregional Planning Project Jamaica Freshwater Assessment Essential areas and strategies for conserving Jamaica’s freshwater biodiversity. Kimberly John Freshwater Conservation Specialist The Nature Conservancy Jamaica Programme June 2006 i Table of Contents Page Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………..... i List of Maps ………………………………………………………………. ii List of Tables ………………………………………………………………. ii List of Figures ………………………………………………………………. iii List of Boxes ………………………………………………………………. iii Glossary ………………………………………………………………. iii Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………. v Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………… vi 1. Introduction and Overview …………………………………………………………..... 1 1.1 Planning Objectives……………………………………... 1 1.2 Planning Context………………………………………... 2 1.2.1 Biophysical context……………………………….. 2 1.2.2 Socio-economic context…………………………... 5 1.3 Planning team…………………………………………… 7 2. Technical Approach ………………………………………………………………….…. 9 2.1 Information Gathering…………………………………... 9 2.2 Freshwater Classification Framework…………………... 10 2.3 Freshwater conservation targets………………………… 13 2.4 Freshwater conservation goals………………………….. 15 2.5 Threats and Opportunities Assessment…………………. 16 2.6 Ecological Integrity Assessment……………………... 19 2.7 Protected Area Gap Assessment………………………… 22 2.8 Freshwater Conservation Portfolio development……….. 24 2.9 Freshwater Conservation Strategies development…….. 30 2.10 Data and Process gaps…………………………………. 31 3. Vision for freshwater biodive rsity conservation …………………………………...…. 33 3.1 Conservation Areas …………………………………... 31 3.2 Conservation Objectives………………………………… 35 3.4 Measures of Success…………………………………….. 37 4. Summary and Recommendations …………………………………………..…………. 38 5. References ………………………………………………………………………………. 39 6. Acronyms …………………….......................................................................................... 43 Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………..….. B1 1: Data Sources- Targets and Threats……………………….. B2 2: Conservation target Descriptions and Key Ecological B6 Attributes……………………………………………………. 3: Freshwater Conservation Target Quantitative Goal B11 calculations………………………………………………….. 4: Ecological Integrity Analyses……………………………. B13 5: Threats to freshwater biodiversity………………………... B16 6: Cost Surface inputs………………………………………. B20 7: Protected Area Gap Assessment for freshwater………….. B25 JERP Freshwater Analysis DRAFT REPORT Kimberly John June 2006 ii 8: Watershed Prioritisation Calculations……………………. B32 9: JERP Freshwater Review Workshops and Participants….. B36 List of Maps Map Title Page Map 1 Jamaica's 26 Watershed Management Units 4 Map 2 Population distribution in Jamaica (NBSAP 2003) 7 Map 3 Stratification of the Caribbean Basin into Freshwater Ecoregions 12 Map 4 Ecological Drainage Units of Jamaica 13 Map 5 Map showing the distribution of freshwater targets across Jamaica 14 Map 6 Jamaica Cost Surface of threats to freshwater biodiversity 21 Map 7 Overlay of Jamaica's protected areas and freshwater target 23 Map 8 Map of priority watershed for conservation based on the watershed 27 prioritisation model Map 9 High and medium priority freshwater portfolio sites selected by SPOT 28 Map 10 Jamaica’s High Priority Freshwater Conservation Areas 34 Map 11 List of Tables Table Title Page Jamaican legislation relevant to freshwater biodiversity conservation 6 Table 1 (adapted from WRA, 2005) Table 2 Description of Jamaica's two Ecological Drainage Units 11 Table 3 Coarse and Fine Filter freshwater targets for Jamaica 15 Table 4 Quantitative conservation goals for freshwater biodiversity 16 Table 5 Threats to Jamaica's freshwater biodiversity 17 Table 6 Main Actors driving the threats facing freshwater ecosystems in Jamaica 17 Table 7 Opportunities for conserving freshwater biodiversity in Jamaica 18 Table 8 A summary of Jamaica's Protected Areas 24 Table 9 Criteria for the watershed prioritisation model 26 Watershed prioritisation model scores and watershed ranks in support of 26 Table 10 conservation area design Table 11 Main JERP freshwater findings and conservation objectives 30 Table 12 Jamaica’s High and Medium freshwater conservation areas 33 Table 13 Summarised JERP freshwater conservation strategies 35 List of Figures Figure Title Page Figure 1 Exploitable Freshwater resources according to Sector in Jamaica 6 JERP Freshwater Analysis DRAFT REPORT Kimberly John June 2006 iii Figure 2 Hierarchical freshwater classification 10 Figure 3 A freshwater ecosystem stratification model for Jamaica 13 Figure 4 Representation of freshwater targets in Jamaica's PAs 22 Figure 5 Proposed freshwater protected area designs from Abell et al (2007) 29 List of Boxes Box Title Page Box 1 Objectives of the Jamaica Ecoregional Plan 2 Box 2 Steps in Ecoregional Planning for Freshwater Ecosystems 9 GLOSSARY Aquatic Ecological System (AES) :- An AES is defined as geographical units having similar types of hydrology, elevation, topography and/or slope characteristics. Caribbean Ecoregional Planning (CERP) Project : An 18-month project commenced in December 2002 and led by TNC, with the purpose of conducting ecoregional planning for the islands within the Caribbean Basin. Conservation Target: Conservation targets are biological systems (species, ecological communities, and ecological systems) that represent the range of biological systems in a region and the natural processes that maintain them. There are two types of conservation targets: System Level targets or ‘coarse filter’ targets, which ensure the conservation of common and widespread species; and Species Level or ‘fine filter’ targets, which ensure the conservation of single species, assemblages and communities with special requirements. Conservation Area: conservation areas are geographic areas of land and water specifically managed for the targets of biodiversity found within them. Ecological Integrity : A conservation target has integrity when all its key ecological attributes remain intact and function within their natural range of variation. Conservation targets with integrity are resistant to change in their structure and composition in the face of natural disturbances (eg. fires, exotic species); and are resilient i.e. able to recover upon experiencing occasional disturbances. Ecological Drainage Unit (EDU): An Ecological Drainage Unit (EDU) is defined as groups of watersheds with similar zoogeographic histories and similar patterns of physiography, drainage density, hydrologic characteristics, and connectivity JERP Freshwater Analysis DRAFT REPORT Kimberly John June 2006 iv Ecoregions: Ecoregions are defined by TNC as areas of land and water defined by similar geology, landforms, climate, vegetation and ecological processes . Ecoregional Planning (ERP) : Ecoregional Planning (ERP) is essentially a process that selects and designs networks of conservation sites that will conserve the diversity of species, communities and ecological systems in each ecoregion. Key Ecological Attribute (KEA) : Key Ecological Attributes are defined as the elements of biological structure and function, ecological processes, environmental regimes, and other environmental constraints that shape a biological system (or conservation target). Such attributes are described as ‘key’ because if any are significantly altered or eliminated, the conservation target either ceases to exist or permanently transforms into another type of system JERP Freshwater Analysis DRAFT REPORT Kimberly John June 2006 v Acknowledgements TNC Jamaica deeply appreciates the support we received during the freshwater ecoregional assessment between January 2003 and June 2006. This freshwater assessment for Jamaica was possible only because of the contributions and critique of several persons and agencies. It drew heavily on information that was previously generated and analysed by Water Resources Authority (WRA), National Environment & Planning Agency’s (NEPA) Sustainable Watersheds and Information Technology Branches, and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Forestry Department. Additional support was obtained from the Jamaica Public Service Company, the National Irrigation Commission and the Mines and Quarries Division (MQD) of the Ministry of Land and the Environment. We would also like to thank some individuals who were particularly supportive; Michelle Watts and Andreas Haiduk of WRA; Lisa Kirkland, Thera Edwards, Marc Rammelaere, Tanya Hay of NEPA; Dale Reid, Sean Hudson and Owen Evelyn of Forestry Department; Dr. Eric Hyslop, Prof. Jasminko Karanjac, Dr. Anthony Greenaway, Sheries Simpson and Francine Taylor of the University of the West Indies; and Ricardo Smalling of MQD. We also offer our sincere gratitude to Dr. David Lee for his generous and invaluable support for this project throughout the 18-month period. JERP Freshwater Analysis DRAFT REPORT Kimberly John June 2006 vi Executive Summary The Jamaica Ecoregional Plan (JERP) is an in-depth analysis of conservation areas and strategies necessary for the survival of Jamaica’s freshwater, marine and terrestrial biodiversity. The JERP, first developed in June 2006, is the culmination of a three year effort involving the collection, analysis and synthesis of available biological and socio-economic data relevant to biodiversity conservation on the island and its waters. The 2006 JERP was led by The Nature Conservancy Jamaica Programme and supported by a multidisciplinary group of local and international scientists, technicians and conservation practitioners. Ecoregional planning is a science-based and data-driven activity aimed at developing shared
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