Monterrico - Río La Paz (20381)
Guatemala, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Monterrico - Río La Paz
Central coordinates: Latitude: 13.8262, Longitude: -90.2967
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 224.68275
Protected area coverage (%): 38.87
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Monterrico-Rio La Paz is the second largest mangrove area on the Guatemalan Pacific coast, and includes important dry forest areas. The site is bordered by El Salvador in the East.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: Monterrico-Rio La Paz is important for biome-restricted species of the Pacific Arid Slope, of which six species were recorded (Robbins & Dowell 1992, Dickerman 2007). Although not of global importance, the site support large numbers of resident and migrating waterbirds (Eisermann 2006).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The site contains 4500 ha of mangrove, equaling 23% of the IBA. Other coastal wetland habitat (rivers and canals, swamps, lagoons, and beaches) cover 25%. About 45% of the site is used for agriculture (sugar cane plantations, pasture, corn fields) and 5% for salinas and shrimp farms (MAGA 2006).
Land use: agriculture (22%) | fisheries/aquaculture (8%) | forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research (11%) | not utilised | rangeland/pastureland (24%) | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport (1%) | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 46 | |
| Forest | 23 | |
| Shrubland | 2 | |
| Artificial - Aquatic | 5 | |
| Marine Neritic | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 10 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Terrestrial habitat is threatened by an advancing agricultural border. Wetland habitat and waterbird populations are threatened by subsistence fisheries and shrimp larva harvest (Sigüenza de Micheo & Ruiz Ordoñez 2000), burning reed for the harvest of a snail, and mangrove deforestation for the use as fuel for salt production and firewood (Eisermann 2006).
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) Dickerman, R. W. 2007. Birds of the southern Pacific lowlands of Guatemala. Museum of Southwestern Biology Special Publications, No. 7. Eisermann, K. 2006. Evaluation of waterbird populations and their conservation in Guatemala. Final report. Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología, Guatemala. Online at: www.avesdeguatemala.org/avesacuaticas.htm 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. Robbins, C. S. & B. A. Dowell. 1992b. Report on bird survey at Sierra de las Minas, March 1992. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Laurel, Maryland. (Unpublished report) Sigüenza de Micheo, R. & J. A. Ruiz Ordoñez. 2000. Resumen del plan maestro 2000-2005 de la Reserva Natural de Usos Multiples Monterrico, Santa Rosa, Guatemala. CECON, Guatemala.
Contributors: The Museum of Natural History Jorge Ibarra, hosted a workshop in Guatemala City in June 2006. This first assessment of IBAs in Guatemala was conducted by Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología and BirdLife International in the Americas.