Sacranix (20364)
Guatemala, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, B1
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Sacranix
Central coordinates: Latitude: 15.4760, Longitude: -90.5240
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 300 to 2200
Area of KBA (km2): 713.6202
Protected area coverage (%): 0.36
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Sacranix is located in the Atlantic slope mountain range of Guatemala. Bordered by the rivers Chixoy, Cahabon, and Sachichaj, this IBA includes large fragments of forest extending from cloud forest at 2200 m elevation to rainforest at 300 m.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: More than 320 bird species have been recorded recently in Sacranix (Eisermann 2000, 2001), including a population of the globally threatened Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra) (Eisermann 2005). The site supports populations of 11 range-restricted species of the North Central American Highlands, 28 biome-restricted species of the Madrean Highlands, and 15 species restricted to the Gulf Caribbean Slope.
Other site values: The land is privately and communal owned.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Humid evergreen broadleaf and mixed forest cover has been reduced to 45% within the IBA (MAGA 2006). Deforested land is used for agriculture, mainly for corn fields and plantations of coffee and cardamom. Alternative perennial crops (fruit trees, vanilla) and reforestations have been established recently in order to lower the pressure on the primary forest.
Land use: agriculture (54%) | fisheries/aquaculture | forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research (50%) | tourism/recreation | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 1 | |
| Forest | 45 | |
| Shrubland | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 29 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Slash-and-burn agriculture is common in the area, threatening the forest by fires and conversion to agricultural land. Although pressure on natural habitat has been lowered on the short term by providing forest easements and other alternative income among local farmers (agriculture, research, tourism), long-term protection is uncertain, because the Guatemalan human population is growing rapidly.
Additional information
References: CONAP. 2007. Lista de áreas protegidas inscritas en el SIGAP. Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP), Guatemala. (Database accessed in June 2007) Eisermann, K. 2000. Evaluación rápida de la diversidad de aves en la Sierra Pampacché, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Unpublished report to BIDAS/Proyecto Eco-Quetzal, Cobán. Eisermann, K. 2001. Reporte de avance: investigaciones de la avifauna de las regiones Ik'bolay, Guaxac y Sacranix, Alta Verapaz. Unpublished report to BIDAS/Proyecto Eco-Quetzal, Cobán. Eisermann, K. 2005. Noteworthy bird observations in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 125: 3-11. MAGA. 2006. Mapa de cobertura vegetal y uso de la tierra a escala 1:50,000 de la República de Guatemala, Año 2003 (Incluye 5 cultivos perennes actualizados al año 2005). Memoria técnica y descripción de resultados. Ministerio de Agricultura Ganadería y Alimentación –MAGA– / Unidad de Planificación Geográfica y Gestión de Riesgo –UPGGR–, Guatemala Ciudad, Guatemala.
Contributors: PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program provided unpublished ornithological data. Input of unpublished data and suggestions for the delimitation of the IBA was provided during a workshop in Cobán, in August 2006, by representatives of Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CONAP) - Las Verapaces, Asociación de Proyectos Evaluados Raxmu (PROEVAL RAXMU), Peace Corps, Cooperativa Sanimtaca, Cooperativa Samac, and Comité Central Menotita. This first assessment of IBAs in Guatemala was conducted by Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología and BirdLife International in the Americas.