Herpetofauna in the Honduras Pacific Coastal Zone: Tropical Dry Forest
Rob Lovich (left), Thomas Akre (center), Carlos Vicente Mendoza (right) January 2006
after capturing a Boa Constrictor (Masaguate) about 8 ft. long in La Botija Protected Area,
near San Marcos de Colon (Choluteca region) southern Honduras.
News
In January 2006, LLU-SST and UNAH conducted the first of two rapid ecological inventories of two protected areas and preliminary investigation of a third protected area. We have used these inventory assessments and their results to build capacity in distinct but integrated ways with our local partners--see Interim Report below.
The Herpetofauna biodiversity assessment in the Pacific Dry Forest of Honduras (Gulf of Fonseca region) is being done under the auspices of the USAID/MIRA project in Honduras: Manejo Integrado de Recursos Ambientales and in association with other local NGOs and government agencies such as PROCUENCA, SERNA, AFE-COHDEFOR, the U.S. Peace Corp, etc--see some of our partners HERE. See also LLU-ESSE21 Module Case No. 2.
Quicktime movies soon coming...
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: rlovich@gmail.com
MAPS and SATELLITE IMAGERY
| La Botija Protected Area - large |
| La Botija Transects: small - large |
| La Botija TOPO map: small - large (9 MB) |
| Cerro Guanacaure Transects: small - large |
| Cerro Guanacaure TOPO map: small - large (13 MB) |
[ Isla del Tigre - small - large ]
| Landsat 1987 - Eastern Gulf of Fonseca and Nicaragua - 2 MB |
ISLA DEL TIGRE, GULF OF FONSECA
PACIFIC COAST, HONDURAS
| Landsat February 1990 - western Gulf of Fonseca and El Salvador - 9 MB |
| Map - Isla el Tigre and the Historic Port of Amapala |
Source: UNOPS/UNDP: Unidad de Desarollo Turistico Municipal
Isla del Tigre - Herpetology Target Collection Zone January-June 2006
PHOTOS
 |
  |
 |
  |
   |
 |
 |
 |
REPORTS
English Report: Herpetofauna in the Honduran Pacific Dry Forest Region (July 2006) (PDF)
Citation guide: Lovich, R.E., T.S. Akre, M. J. Ryan, N.J. Scott, and R.E. Ford. 2006. Herpetofaunal survey of Cerro Guanacaure, Montaña La Botija and Isla Del Tigre protected areas in southern Honduras. Report prepared for the United States Agency for International Development. 33pp.
Spanish Report: CENSO DE HERPETOFAUNA DE LAS AREAS PROTEGIDAS DE CERRO GUANACAURE, MONTAÑA LA BOTIJA E ISLA DEL TIGRE EN EL SUR DE HONDURAS (September 2006 - PDF)
Guia para anotacion: Lovich, R.E., T.S. Akre, M. J. Ryan, N.J. Scott, and R.E. Ford. 2006. Censo de Herpetofauna de las areas protegidas de Cerro Guanacaure, Montana La Botija, e isla del Tigre en el sur de Honduras. Informe preparado para United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 40pp.
January and June 2006 Participants:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: rlovich@gmail.com or rford@llu.edu
Introduction
For this project, we proposed a broad-based effort to build the capacity for biodiversity science and conservation in the Pacific coast dry tropical forests of southern Honduras and the country at large. The target areas of Cerro Guanacaure, La Botija, and Isla del Tigre in the southern part of the country have little if any pre-existing information about the resident herpetofauna. In January 2006, we conducted the first of two rapid ecological inventories of two protected areas and preliminary investigation of a third protected area. We have used inventory assessments and their results to build capacity in distinct but integrated ways:
1) Raise the capacity for inventory and monitoring of biological diversity by working with Professors Gustavo Cruz (UNAH), Gerardo Borjas (UNAH), and their students in the field on the proposed inventories. All persons received and/or contributed training in the methods of inventory and monitoring protocols, capture and collection techniques, species identification techniques, specimen vouchering and cataloging methods, and the establishment of long-term monitoring sites.
2) Raised the capacity for curation and cataloguing of specimens at the National Natural History Museum (UNAH) by working with Professor Cruz, his colleagues, and students. This involved training in the methods of curatorial techniques, donation of supplies and equipment, and the forthcoming establishment and maintenance of an electronic database.
3) Raise the capacity of biodiversity science in Honduras by integrating species distribution and abundance data with current geospatial data and GIS. This will done by working with Professors Gustavo Cruz, Gerardo Borgas (Departamento de Biologia, UNAH) and Lorena Ochoa (Observatorio Astronomico Centroamericano de Suyapa, UNAH) their colleagues and students. The goal is to enhance use of GPS/GIS and related technologies for use in the biodiversity and conservation field and laboratory, and to collaborate in setting-up geodatabases on new computers so that the biodiversity data is accessible via standard online protocols on international databases--see Zamorano-IRBIO, IABIN and GBIF.
The resulting data will be disseminated to the appropriate management authorities and NGO’s under secure conditions. LLU-SST (Loma Linda University) using other funds from NASA/USRA via our ESSE21 project (Earth System Science Education for the 21 st Century) will help the UNAH and MIRA staff learn more advanced techniques for landuse/lancover change analysis and conservation GIS using Remote Sensing applied to biodiversity (see new LLU-ESSE21-LULC Module).4) Raise the capacity for national, regional and international dissemination of biodiversity distribution and assessment data by building linkages between Honduran and other institutions through the proposed Institute for Regional Biodiversity Institute (IRBio) to be based at Zamorano as well as linking to global centers such as IABIN (Interamerian Biodiversity Information Network) and GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility). This entails working with all participants and appropriate institutions in Honduras and globally to determine the most appropriate locations for long-term curation, and potential loan of specimens for further analysis and/or identification.
We completed phase I of a two-part field project during the dry season (January 1-21) and are underway with planning for phase II to include revisiting inventory locations during the wet season (June 5-19). This will include visits to and coordination with UNAH and Zamorano, along with repeated field excursions to thesame sites.
Professional Presentations and Posters
English Report: Herpetofauna in the Honduran Pacific Dry Forest Region (July 2006) (PDF)
Citation guide: Lovich, R.E., T.S. Akre, M. J. Ryan, N.J. Scott, and R.E. Ford. 2006. Herpetofaunal survey of Cerro Guanacaure, Montaña La Botija and Isla Del Tigre protected areas in southern Honduras. Report prepared for the United States Agency for International Development. 33pp.
Spanish Report: CENSO DE HERPETOFAUNA DE LAS AREAS PROTEGIDAS DE CERRO GUANACAURE, MONTAÑA LA BOTIJA E ISLA DEL TIGRE EN EL SUR DE HONDURAS (September 2006 - PDF)
Guia para anotacion: Lovich, R.E., T.S. Akre, M. J. Ryan, N.J. Scott, and R.E. Ford. 2006. Censo de Herpetofauna de las areas protegidas de Cerro Guanacaure, Montana La Botija, e isla del Tigre en el sur de Honduras. Informe preparado para United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 40pp.
Revised: October 31, 2006
Robert E. Ford, Departments of Social Work and Social Ecology
and Earth and Biological Sciences