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Protection of an Important Bird habitat in the North of the Yucatan Peninsula

The objective of this project is to protect priority areas that lie outside of the limits of protected areas in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula, in order to guarantee conservation of wetlands and other habitats along with their species.

The area this project focuses on is in the northeast portion of Yucatan, in the municipality of Tizimin, within the influence zone of the Flora and Fauna Protected Area of Yum Balam (APFFYB, Quintana Roo), and limiting with the southeast portion of the Biosphere Reserve of Ria Lagartos (RBRL, Yucatán).

The wetlands in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula are widely recognized for their diversity of species, particularly birds, which sum up to more than 330 species. 50 of these are migratory birds that pass through the Peninsula on their route towards more southern places, and most of them are considered transient, as the peninsula is only a staging area on their way to their final destiny. More than 110 species are neotropical migrants that breed in the USA and Canada, and fly south for the winter.

Wetlands in the north of the Peninsula are very important because they are the first place where thousands of neotropical migratory birds arrive after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. These wetlands maintain the populations of many neartic and neotropical migratory birds in the winter, besides being a resting place for other species that will continue their journey further south.

This adds up to more than 160 migratory species that depend on the good state of conservation of the wetlands in the north of Yucatan in order to complete their life cycle, after having successfully reproduced in North America.

Yucatan is the state of Mexico with the highest deforestation rate, in volume and extension, in the Yucatan Peninsula. The areas that are conserved the best are the coastal wetlands, which are currently threatened because of the short limits that separate them from the continuously extending farming areas. Between 1970 and 1995, the lands dedicated to cattle raising in Yucatan grew 25%, occupying more than 20% of the total surface of the state.

Considering this, the conservation and protection of 2,300 ha of medium forests and mangroves, which are critical habitats for birds and other endangered wild animals, is a great achievement.

The Private Reserve of El Zapotal was created, and it offers the opportunity to know and value ecosystems that are critical for the collection and transportation of water towards coastal wetlands. It also offers a space for investigation and monitoring for the conservation and management of natural resources. Being neighbor to the RBRL, it will help promote strategies and projects directed to mitigating threats such as the advance of the farming frontier towards the southwest portion of the RBRL.

As part of the Project, a Geographic Information System was designed, with information on vegetation, climate, edaphology, hydrology, communication routes, and others. It also has one of the main flora and fauna lists in the area.

This Project was supported by: TNC (The Nature Conservancy, EE.UU.), NAWCC (North American Wetlands Conservation Council) y US-FWS (United States’ Fish and Wildlife Service).

For further information, please contact: Juan Carlos Faller (jcfaller@pronatura-ppy.org.mx).

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El Zapotal Reserve
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Management and Protection of Biodiversity in the Private Reserve of El Zapotal