Manejo Racional del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Laguna Cabral,

DUCKS UNLIMITED
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
PROGRAM
1999-2007
August 2007
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN (LAC) PROGRAM
1999-2007
Of the 50 species of waterfowl found in Latin America and the Caribbean, 14 are
shared with North America. None of have been studied in detail, but at least four
species are known to be threatened. Habitat deterioration continues at great
pace and maybe more species are gradually becoming threatened at a faster
rate than we can imagine.
Caribbean wetlands are probably some of the least known, least protected and
most threatened. Threats to the integrity of these fragile wetland ecosystems
include unsustainable tourism activities, land reclamation, waste-dumping,
introduction of invasive species, and over-fishing. The results are erosion,
sedimentation and pollution, which affect populations of waterfowl using these
wetlands in a negative way. Concern and awareness over the impact of climate
change and rising sea levels to small island states is increasing since most of
their wetlands are on the coast. In spite of the many functions performed by
coastal wetlands, such as storm and flood mitigation, retention of nutrients,
shoreline stabilization and tourism, and the many products generated, few
wetlands in the Caribbean have any sort of protection, let alone management
plans, especially within the context of watersheds.
The narrow strip of land that connects North and South America constitutes
Central America. Less than 1,000 miles long and 300 miles wide, this region has
very diverse wetlands. Deforestation in the foothills and mountains, unwise
agricultural practices, widespread use of dangerous agrochemicals, and
reclamation of wetlands for agricultural plantations, including banana, rice, and
sugar cane, are just a few of the many threats to which these wetlands are
exposed. However, these wetlands are of extreme importance both for wildlife
and humans.
South American wetlands share many of the same problems as Central America
and the Caribbean.
This is a thinly populated continent where human
populations are mostly concentrated in a few very large cities. Unfortunately,
countries have enormous foreign debts and governments are working to attract
large financial investments and develop economic policies that put development
and conservation into serious conflict.
Because DU considers that conservation efforts at the breeding grounds in North
America must be accompanied by conservation efforts in both staging and
wintering grounds to ensure the annual life cycle of migratory species, it
established the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Program in 1999. The goal
of the LAC Program was to deliver expertise on research and monitoring of
waterfowl populations, and management, enhancement, and restoration of
wetland habitats to the region. Through partnerships with both national and
international institutions and a sound and well focused strategy, DU has
contributed to the development of institutional capacity in the LAC countries while
also helping establish several projects on the ground to address specific
conservation issues and identifying additional sites where conservation
measures are urgently required.
To define habitat conservation priorities, it was necessary to gather basic
information. However, at the same time habitat projects could begin at sites
where conservation issues were clearly identified and local partners required
DU’s expertise to move forward faster. Thus, the following initiatives and
projects were developed between 1999 and 2007:
− Waterbird Surveys Initiative: the core of the LAC Program, through which
important wetland conservation issues have been identified, and
knowledge of the distribution and chronology of migratory waterfowl in the
region has improved (www.ducks.org/lac/waterfowlsurveys);
− Wetland Inventory Initiative: provides information gathered from not only
DU’s projects and initiatives (i.e. Waterbird Surveys Initiative) but also
other sources (www.ducks.org/lac/wetlandinventory);
− Upper Paraguay River GIS Database: an ambitious project to provide the
largest fresh water wetland in the world with a shared GIS database built
entirely
by
colleagues
in
Bolivia,
Brazil
and
Paraguay
(www.ducks.org/lac/pantanal/project);
− Nariva Swamp Restoration Initiative: a show case project to rehabilitate
the hydrology of this important Ramsar site, and restore its functions for
the benefit of wildlife and the local communities through sustainable use
and Carbon sequestration (www.ducks.org/lac/nariva/initiative);
− Laguna Cabral Wildlife Management Initiative: a complex management
project involving large numbers of migratory and resident waterbirds,
drastic changes in hydrology and a large watershed with multiple
shareholders up- and down-stream (www.ducks.org/lac/cabral/initiative);
− Wetland management and restoration projects carried out by colleagues in
LAC with technical or financial input from DU, including:
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•
Brazil, Habitat needs of the Brazilian Merganser
www.ducks.org/lac/brmerganser
Colombia, Management Evaluation of the Wetlands in Valle del Río
Cauca
www.ducks.org/lac/cauca
Costa Rica, Rehabilitation of the Palo Verde marsh in Palo Verde
National Park and Ramsar Site:
www.ducks.org/lac/paloverde/project
The Bahamas, Restoration of Hydrology in Andros’ Creeks
www.ducks.org/lac/bahamascreeks
Venezuela, Monitoring Wetlands and Waterfowl in Los Llanos
www.ducks.org/lac/losllanos
− Training and public awareness materials such as Know your Ducks (book
and poster), Waterfowl of the Neotropical Region (book,
www.ducks.org/anatneotrop), analysis of duck band recoveries in LAC,
web site (www.ducks.org/lac/homepage), project mapping applications
(www.ducks.org/lac/gateway), and more than 15 training workshops and
symposia.
DU’s efforts in LAC, though occurring over a short period of time, had a profound
impact thanks to the collaboration of our colleagues in the different countries.
We hope they will continue to achieve important conservation results.
Finally, DU would not have been able to develop the LAC Program without the
generous support of:
Anonymous Foundation
USDA Forest Service - International Programs
US Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Bird Habitat Conservation
US Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of International Conservation
US Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Migratory Bird Management
US Geological Survey - National Biological Information Infrastructure
LightHawk
Canadian Wildlife Service
National Science Foundation
Ivan Lines
- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (LAC) WATERBIRD SURVEYS,
WETLAND INVENTORY, AND BAND RECOVERY ANALYSIS
Until DU begun to accumulate information on waterbird distribution and their
chronology, scattered data indicated that Central America, the Caribbean, and at
least the northern portion of South America were of great importance to migratory
waterfowl from North America. For example:
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in the 1970s in Palo Verde, Costa Rica, it was easy to observe 60,000 bluewinged teal (Anas discors), and several hundred each of Northern Shoveler
(Anas clypeata), American Wigeon (Anas strepera), Ring-necked Duck
(Aythya collaris) and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis);
DU’s own 1994 Continental Conservation Plan indicated that most Bluewinged Teal (Anas discors) winter in northern South America, with most
occurring in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta in Colombia;
an aerial survey in the late 1970s over a portion of the coastal wetlands in
Suriname indicated at least 20,000 blue-winged teal (Anas discors); and
both White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) and Snow Goose (Chen
caerulescens) were common winter visitors to Cuba, while Blue-winged Teal
(Anas discors), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), American Wigeon (Anas
strepera), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Wood-duck (Aix sponsa), Ringnecked Duck (Aythya collaris), and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) are still
common.
Photo by J. Sánchez
DU begun to gather basic information in 1999 through partnerships with
organizations and colleagues in LAC in order to identify important wetland
habitats and define conservation priorities based on numbers, species diversity
and location of waterfowl. The ability to use quantitative criteria to direct wetland
conservation efforts is a conservation tool that still is not widely available to
managers, decision-makers, and conservationists in Latin America and the
Caribbean.
More than 300 colleagues from 13 different countries in the Caribbean, Central
America and northern South America, have gathered data on the distribution and
numbers of waterbirds from 19992007. DU provided training, worked
towards common standards and
methodologies, and expanded the
number of wetlands and countries
included in the surveys.
The
information gained from eight years
of survey data has helped identify
some very important wetlands for
waterbirds, including the designation
of new Ramsar sites, establishment
of protected areas, and development
of management needs.
DU Surveys Results / Resultados de Conteos de DU
(1999-2007)
21,107
25,000
29,200
21,000
18,099
All the national reports and tables
resulting from the analysis of the
data can be found at:
www.ducks.org/lac/waterfowlsurveys
Santa Marta, CO
14,210
40,707
Laguna Cabral, DR
Cerrón Grande, ES
Charco Tisma, NI
74,760
C. Grande
Blue Creek Village, BZ
Lago Nicaragua, NI
115,662
L. Cabral
Palo Verde, CR
810,000
Sta. Marta
Crooked Tree Lagoon, BZ
The mapping application supporting
the information geographically can
be found at:
www.ducks.org/lac/interactivemaps
Estero Real, NI
Lago Managua, NI
Additionally, the complete LAC
Waterbird Surveys data is housed at
Distribution of Migratory Waterfowl in LAC
Distribución de Anátidas Migratorias en LAC
the Avian Knowledge Network
database, of Cornell University´s Lab of Ornithology in the USA and can be found
at: www.avianknowledge.net
In addition to surveys, knowledge of wetland sites was also required to achieve
the LAC Program objectives. “A Directory of Neotropical Wetlands”, partially
funded by DU and completed in the early 1980s, generated a great deal of
interest within the LAC countries due to the amount of information it provided.
While the Directory included more than 800 wetland sites, there were important
gaps in the data even for small countries like those in Central America or the
Caribbean. In the last 20 years abundant new information was gathered by
countries as well as other international organizations, mostly at the national level.
DU’s LAC Wetland Inventory represents the first step towards the development
of a comprehensive database for all wetlands in the Caribbean, Central America
and South America and includes information from:
− “A Directory of Neotropical
Wetlands” in digital format;
− data for sites included in the
Waterbird Surveys Initiative;
− data
for
wetlands
of
international
importance
under
the
Ramsar
Convention;
− data
for
the
Western
Hemisphere
Shorebird
Reserve Network sites; and
− data
from
Wetland
International’s Neotropical
Waterbird Census.
This information is available at: www.ducks.org/lac/wetlandinventory
The US Fish and Wildlife
Service
and
the
Canadian
Wildlife
Service have banded
birds since the early
1900s. The information
accumulated in their
database dates back to
1920. It was used to
carry out a preliminary
analysis at the regional
level, in an attempt to get
a historical perspective
of changes over more
than five decades, with
regard to species that
migrate to LAC. In total, more than 18 million waterfowl have been banded and
approximately 2.5 million bands have been recovered. While most bands have
been recovered in North America, over 10,000 have come from LAC. The results
of this analysis can be found at: www.ducks.org/lac/waterfowlsurveys
- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -
NARIVA SWAMP RESTORATION INITIATIVE
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
The Nariva Swamp is a tropical, freshwater to brackish, coastal wetland located
on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the largest and most diverse wetland
system in the country, with
6,234 hectares (15,400 acres)
that provide diverse habitat for
numerous plant and animal
species,
including
large
numbers of waterbirds and
small
populations
of
endangered manatee and
anaconda. The swamp was
designated a wetland of
international importance in
1993 under the Ramsar
Photo by M.Carbonell
Convention.
Particular problems at Nariva Swamp arise from the use of water resources. In
the 1960s, the Navet Dam was built up-stream and diverts water from the Navet
River to the western part of the country that otherwise would flood into Nariva.
Also in the 1960s, “Sector A” (500 hectares, 1,236 acres) was developed for
agricultural purposes by the Government, and water in the northern part of the
swamp sent through a system of canals,
pumps and sluices, first to the agriculture
fields and then directly out into the ocean
through the Nariva River.
In addition,
extensive areas of the swamp, although
almost entirely state owned, were subjected
in the 1980s and 1990s to deforestation and
illegal rice farming. These squatters were
evicted and finally removed in 1998.
However, all the human activities combined
(legal and illegal) have drastically altered
the landscape and the ecological integrity of
the area.
In 1999, the Government of Trinidad and
Tobago, through collaboration with DU, the
USDA Forest Service – International
Programs, the US Fish and Wildlife Service,
and various national experts, prepared a work plan for the restoration of Nariva
Swamp. The plan addressed some recommendations in the Nariva Swamp
Management Plan and environmental impact assessment undertaken in 1996 by
the Institute of Marine Affairs for the Forestry Division of Trinidad and Tobago.
The work plan focused on the restoration of the hydrology, aquatic vegetation
and forests, and on the implementation of a fire-fighting program for the area.
Since adequate information to establish a baseline for comparison was not
available, it was necessary to use Geographic Information Systems and remote
sensing technology to obtain information on the historical and present conditions
of the Nariva Swamp.
An analysis of historical landscape changes, the
hydrology, a restoration scenario with recommendations for the rehabilitation of
the hydrology, and fire management were completed in 2005, and improved in
2007.
Nariva was recently declared an Environmentally Sensitive Area which provides
the highest degree of protection in Trinidad and Tobago. However, human
activities continue to threaten Nariva, including oil exploration and exploitation,
intentional fires for fields “cleaning” and poaching, and ecotourism that does not
take into account the existing potential of the local communities. Unfortunately
these will persist until the Government is able to provide adequate on-site
protection.
Several communities depend on
and influence the ecological
integrity of the Nariva Swamp.
They are the main users and
guardians of the area, and have
established
the
Nariva
Environmental Trust and a
volunteer fire brigade composed
entirely of local inhabitants.
Through them, the project
obtained much on-the-ground
Photo by M.Carbonell
information, suggestions, and
potential outcomes of the restoration work. At their request, several fire
management workshops were conducted, including the use of GPS units and the
purchasing of special materials and tools for fire fighting.
The Environmental Management Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
(http://www.ema.co.tt) will house and maintain the Nariva Swamp Restoration
Initiative database. At present the final report and other documents are available
on-line at: www.ducks.org/lac/nariva/initiative and the geographic representation
of the results can be found in the mapping application:
http://gis.ducks.org/NarivaSwamp
- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -
LAGUNA CABRAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Laguna Cabral Wildlife Refuge in the Dominican Republic comprises
approximately 4,700 hectares (11,614 acres), including Laguna Cabral, the
largest freshwater wetland
in
the
country,
and
surrounding tropical and
subtropical dry forest. This
area
is
a
unique
combination of a wetland
surrounded by tropical and
subtropical
forests,
resulting in very rich fauna
and flora. Data from DU’s
Waterfowl
Surveys
revealed
that
Laguna
Cabral is one of the top
three
wetlands
for
waterfowl in the Central
America, Caribbean and
northern South America
region. It is also an Important Bird Area, and is in the process of being
designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar
Convention.
The tropical and subtropical dry forest
surrounding the lagoon is one of the few
remnants in the country. Laguna Cabral is
now a highly modified system, and changes
in its hydrology include the construction of
two upstream dams, the dredging and
straightening of canals, and the building of
a road surrounding half of the lagoon’s
perimeter –acting as a dike. As a result,
the area of open water in the lagoon is now
determined artificially.
Other threats
include persistent illegal hunting and
fishing, unsustainable use of water for
irrigation, erosion problems due to
overgrazing, and uncontrolled use of fires.
In addition, the Laguna Cabral Wildlife
Refuge limits have not been delineated
Photo by E. Vásquez
adequately and land tenure has not been legally established. The Government
recognized that better understanding if the hydrology and adequate technical
information was needed to develop a management plan for the Laguna Cabral
Wildlife Refuge. In partnership with the USDA Forest Service–International
Programs, Tinglar and DU used Geographical Information Systems and remote
sensing technology to evaluate landscape changes, hydrology, and needs for fire
management.
Data accumulated suggests that before human activities modified the system, the
depths of Laguna Cabral used to fluctuate according to wet and dry seasons, and
also over long periods of time due to hurricanes or periods of drought. The
literature indicates that originally, water accumulated in Laguna Cabral from
seasonal rivers and streams during the short rainy season, flooding of the Yaque
del Sur River spilling over its margins and creeks, and from springs.
Llocal communities depend directly
on Laguna Cabral, and their full
participation is essential. To this aim
Tinglar is providing workshops on
ecotourism, wildlife management,
and fires.
To date, observation
towers and a 3.5km footpath with
signs have been built, and a boat
and photovoltaic system have been
purchased to take tourists onto the
lagoon
while
causing
little
disturbance to its natural resources.
Sustainable management of the LCWR cannot be accomplished if water, the
fundamental characteristic of this ecosystem is not considered. Consequently it
is imperative to have a good understanding of its hydrology to guarantee both the
conservation of its natural resources and the use of water by the communities
and agriculture.
Although the results of this project are preliminary, some recommendations have
been made to the authorities for their consideration and possible use in the
development and implementation of a management plan. The final database for
the Laguna Cabral Wildlife Refuge will be housed and maintained by the
Secretaría de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
(www.medioambiente.gov.do) and by the Grupo Ecologista Tinglar
(http://www.geocities.com/tinglar). The full report of the Laguna Cabral Wildlife
Refuge Initiative can be downloaded from: www.ducks.org/lac/cabral/initiative
and the data is displayed geographically in the mapping application:
http://gis.ducks.org/LagunaCabral
- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -
UPPER PARAGUAY RIVER BASIN GIS DATABASE
BOLIVIA, BRAZIL AND PARAGUAY
The Pantanal is the vast floodplain of the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB)
that covers an estimated 15 million hectares (37 million acres) in Bolivia, Brazil,
and Paraguay. Approximately 73% of the
Pantanal is covered with water, making it
the largest continuous freshwater wetland in
the world. This area is one of the most
productive ecosystems, with fauna and flora
characteristic of the Amazon, Chaco,
Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest regions.
The Pantanal remains mostly in pristine
condition. However, clearing of land for
agriculture and cattle production, soil
erosion and siltation from indiscriminate
farming, fires, mining, unplanned tourism,
and the construction of gas pipelines and
roads are threatening the integrity of this
unique ecosystem. In addition, the Hidrovía
Project, which proposes to make the
Paraguay River navigable for commercial
and transport vessels, could irreparably
impact this fragile ecosystem if not planned and developed properly.
Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay are
trying to manage the natural
resources of the Pantanal, but
there is still no comprehensive
conservation plan.
Different
projects had basic Geographic
Information System s (GIS) data
layers for the area they covered,
but they were not international in
scale and lacked the detailed
information necessary for wetland
management and conservation
Photo by M.Carbonell
decision-making on the landscape
level. A GIS database with a
common data format for the Pantanal was identified as an important tool
necessary to facilitate conservation efforts and the development of conservation
plans.
The goal of the UPRB GIS Database project was to contribute to improved
management and conservation of natural resources of the UPRB through the
development of a GIS database and a data distribution network. The main
objective of this project was to develop a standardized GIS database that would
enable users to access and exchange information. This database established a
baseline environmental inventory of the Pantanal including, vegetation,
watersheds, conservation planning, detection of environmental changes, landuse maps, legislation, and data sets for GIS modeling. Users can generate maps
and GIS models to assist in conservation, management, restoration, and
delineation of protected areas. Models can also be developed to predict the
impacts that development and land-use changes may have on this ecosystem.
In partnership with the USDA Forest
Service – International Programs, and
several local agencies in South America,
DU started a Pilot Project in 2000 that
applied remote sensing and GIS
techniques to a tri-national area.
Methods were tested and adjusted, and
environmental
data
for
resource
management of the UPRB were
obtained. The results were published in
2003. The Pilot Project also created a
network of professionals and improved
GIS capacity in each of the partner
organizations.
Following the Pilot Project, the
consortium of partner organizations
expanded beyond the pilot area. GIS
and remote sensing technologies
broadly
employed
as
resourcemanagement tools, and the methods used, data gathered, and results obtained
through the Pilot Project and ancillary activities were applied to conservation
projects in the UPRB by partners in South America. A second report, published
in 2004, provides a compilation of the results and information generated through
these successful conservation projects.
The Pantanal database is being housed at DU, however, the Empresa Brasilera
de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA, www.embrapa.br) in Brazil has already
received the datasets and is setting up a server that will house and provide public
access to all the information permanently. The UPRB project reports can be
found in: www.ducks.org/lac/pantanal/project and the on-line mapping application
in: www.ducks.org/lac/pantanal/mapapplication.
- The Ducks Unlimited Latin America and the Caribbean Program was closed in August 2007 -
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