PLAN OF ACTION OF THE CARIBBEAN BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR
AUGUST, 2009
TECHNICAL TEAM OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA
Luis Alberto Barreras Cañizo
Nicasio Viña Dávila
Sebastian Croissiert Tamayo
TECHNICAL TEAM OF THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI
Vernet Joseph
Ronald Toussaint J.
Jean HilaIre Vilmond
Herns Marcelin L.
TECHNICAL TEAM OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Angel Daneris Santana
Yvonne Arias
José Rafael Almonte
Isabel Guzmán
Genaro Agramonte
This document has been drafted with the technical and financial support of the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America the Caribbean (UNEP/ROLAC). The participating countries express their gratitude to this organization for its support.
COMPILATION, DRAFTING AND FORMAT
Nicasio Viña Dávila
Sebastian Croissiert Tamayo
Alexander Sánchez Ruiz
Pauline Bachasson
GRAFIC DESIGN AND EDITING
Luis Antonio Casanella Cue
Luis David Maturell de la Rosa
David Maceira Filgueira
MAPS
Euclides Fornaris Gómez
Alberto Beyris Mazar
CARIBBEAN BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction 8
2. Background and legal basis of the Caribbean Biological Corridor 9
3. Characterization 10
4. Beneficiaries 14
5. Structure of the plan of action 14
6. Summary of the activities by topics 16
i. Conservation and monitoring of biodiversity 16
ii. Sustainable economic and social development 18
iii. Scientific research 20
iv. Training and institutional strengthening 21
v. Information management 22
vi demarcation and stablishment of the Caribbean Biological Corridor 23
7. Actions finished or underway 23
8. Data sheets. Description of proposed actions 24
i conservation and monitoring of biodiversity 24
i. 1. Rapid biological inventory in areas of conservation interest in the CBC 24
i. 2. Areas of importance for the conservation of amphibians in the CBC in cuba 26
i.3. Protection of migratory species such as seagulls (boobbies): (Anous stolidus, Sterna fuscata, Sterna antillarum), during their nesting periods in Siete Hermanos and Alto Velo cays in the Dominican Republic 28
i. 4. Promotion of the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in Haiti 31
i. 5. Design of the management plan of Lake Enriquillo National Park 33
i. 6. Conservation strategy at a municipal scale in the CBC. Case study: municipalities of Tercer Frente and Baracoa 36
i. 7. Diagnosis of the impact of pollution on the biodiversity in the CBC areas of cuba 38
i. 8. Rapid ecological evaluations of the cbc’s main coastal ecosystems 40
i. 9. Monitoring of birds of prey’s migration in the CBC 42
i.10. Preliminary monitoring of population density of three species of crabs: mangrove crab (Ucides cordatus), moro crab (Gercarcinus ruricula), and blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi), in the localities of Montecristi and Pedernales in the Dominican Republic and Baconao Biosphere Reserve in Cuba 45
i.11. Monitoring of marine turtles nesting in the southeastern coast of Cuba, northeast and southeast of Haiti and southwest of the Dominican Republic 48
i.12. Monitoring of queen conch (Strombus gigas) at the Jaragua National Park (Province of Pedernales), the coastal zone of the Province of Montecristi in the Dominican Republic and Desembarco del Granma National Park in Cuba 51
i.13. Monitoring of the american crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) at Lake Enriquillo 54
i.14. Monitoring the main ecosystems of the CBC coastal zones (seagrass, mangrove and coral reefs) 57
i.15. Diagnosis of the current state of the CBC beaches 60
ii. Sustainable economic and social development 62
ii.1. Reforestation program as an infrastructure for climate change adaptation and reduction of poverty 62
ii. 2. Research and promotion of mangrove oyster (Crassostrea rhizophorae) culture development with the participation of small fishing communities in its massive culture 64
ii. 3. Promotion of beekeeping practices in forest areas of Quisquella Island or Hispaniola 67
ii. 4. Implementation of integrated coastal zones management initiatives (ICZM) in six coastal localities of the CBC 69
ii. 5. Comprehensive and communitarian management of the mangrove located at the northeastern area of Haiti 72
ii. 6. Renewable energy based on electricity supply for rural, social and economic development of coastal communities in northeastern Haiti 75
ii. 7. Development of salt production at the delta of the Artibonite river in Haiti 77
ii. 8. Encourage the use of energetic forests in Haiti 79
ii. 9. Encourage the sustainable use of rainwater 81
ii.11. Study to determine the ecotourism carrying capacity in Lake Enriquillo 86
ii. 12. Establishing a pilot plantation of Pimienta haitiensis and organization of the pruning in wild environments 89
ii. 14. Development of ecotourism in the Lake Enriquillo - Azuei circuit 95
iii. Scientific research 103
iii. 1. Study of the pteridoflora (ferns) of Hispaniola 103
iii. 2. Taxonomic diversity of arachnids (except for mites) in Hispaniola 105
iii. 3. Freshwater macroinvertebrates and the quality of water of the main rivers in the Caribbean Biological Corridor 108
iii. 4. Population study of lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the northeastern and southeastern coasts of Quisqueya or Hispaniola and eastern Cuba 111
iii. 5. Increase knowledge of invasive species and their impact on biodiversity and ecosystems 113
iii. 6. Description of the bryological flora in protected areas of the Dominican Republic 116
iii. 7. Study of the floristic affinities between the coastal zones of the Baconao Biosphere Reserve and those of the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Reserve 119
iii. 8. Phytonimics of timber-yielding trees in the Caribbean Biological Corridor 122
iii. 9. Phytogeography of the Biological Corridor in the Caribbean 124
iii. 10. Catalog of terresttrial mollusks of the CBC in Quisqueya 126
iii. 11. Establishment of the connectivity degree through the mobility analysis on marine fish of great conservation importance 128
iii. 12. Climate change scenarios and their relation to changes in CBC ecosystems. Estimation of environmental impact 130
iii. 13. Systematic study of risks due to landslides caused by extreme natural phenomena in Hispaniola and Cuba 133
iv. Training and institutional strengthening. 135
iv. 1. Enrichment of collections in the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), the National Botanic Garden (JBN) and the Institute for Botanical and Zoological Research of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD); advised by cuban taxonomy specialists 135
iv. 2. Course on conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the Caribbean Biological Corridor 137
iv. 3. Caribbean course on collection and sampling methods for the study of flora and fauna 139
iv. 4. Course on basic entomology 141
iv.5. Train cuban specialists of the Tomás Romay Museum of Natural History in the use of fiberglass models, a technique utilized at the National Museum of Natural History of Santo Domingo 143
iv. 8. Leveling and creation of capacities for the integrated coastal zone management in the CBC 149
iv. 10. Digital didactic materials of the CBC 153
iv. 11. Universities conference in the CBC 155
v. Information management 157
v. 1. Information systems of the Biological Corridor for decision making 157
v. 2. Web site of the Caribbean Biological Corridor 161
v. 3. Cuba-Haiti-DR-Jamaica joint scientific publication 164
v.4. Spatial decision support system for the mountainous regions in eastern Cuba 166
v.5. System to implement, evaluate, control and monitor the economic management of biological corridor’s projects for decision making 169
vi. Demarcation and establishment of the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) 171
vi.1. Demarcation and establishment of the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) 171
1. INTRODUCTION
The governments of the Republic of Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have agreed to establish a Caribbean Biological Corridor, as a strategy for biodiversity conservation and integration of communities, within the framework of a project developed in harmony with nature.
On March 20, 2009, senior representatives of environment management and natural resources organizations of the governments involved, with Jamaica as an observer, signed the Second Declaration of Santo Domingo. The development of an opened and participatory process, with a concrete action program, was agreed.
This action program will include:
· Design and implementation of a joint Caribbean biodiversity research program.
· Formulation and implementation of strategic actions for the development of the protected areas’ potentialities, particularly in the field of sustainable tourism.
· Identification and implementation of actions together with nations of other areas of the continent and the globe, which are part of migratory routes of shared species, to guarantee the protection of their habitats.
· Implementation of a reforestation plan as a green infrastructure for the adaptation and reduction of the vulnerability in the face of climate change effects.
Likewise, the design of an Plan of Action including previous impact actions, was commanded. It will be developed through a participatory process which will involve universities, research centers, scientists, experts from international cooperation organizations and agencies and local social organizations.
The document we are presenting includes the results of the works developed from the First Declaration of Santo Domingo in 2007 and the ones agreed on in the technical meeting held from April 20 to 23, 2009 in Santo Domingo. It states the commitment of participating countries to comply with the agreements contained in the Second Declaration of Santo Domingo.
This document includes the strategic actions and activities identified by the technical teams of each country, which have been jointly set as priorities to be undertaken in the present stage of development of the Corridor.
The general goal of this Plan of Action of the Caribbean Biological Corridor is to contribute to the conservation of global biodiversity, thus reducing the loss of biodiversity in the Caribbean Region and the American Neotropics, being humans and the improvement of their living conditions the center of attention.
The Plan of Action of the Caribbean Biological Corridor should be considered a guiding instrument for the implementation of the principles, goals and purposes set by participating countries of the CBC. It also states these countries’ determination to coordinate higher cooperation efforts and establish strategic alliances for achieving the effective protection of biodiversity and its sustainable use, so as to improve living conditions of the most vulnerable populations of our countries.
This Plan of Action is a dynamic document. Its gradual improvement is directly linked with the evolution of the Corridor and the knowledge acquired during the implementation process. It is a historical document that reflects the current political will and understanding of the Caribbean Biological Corridor implementation process by actors involved.
The Monitoring and Evaluation System will ensure knowledge of the results obtained and the impacts of the implementation actions identified in the Plan of Action of the Caribbean Biological Corridor. This system will also enable the physical and financial control of the investment.
The management of the plan at different levels —political, shared management and national— will enable the effective implementation of actions identified in it. It is considered appropriate to make a more flexible use of tools, techniques and management procedures of national impact actions.
2. BACKGROUND AND LEGAL BASIS OF THE CARIBBEAN BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR
Initiatives to start biodiversity conservation actions in Hispaniola took place in
binational meetings (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) held at Barahona on
September 16, 2005. On December 15 of the same year, the Declaration of Jacmel was signed. This declaration requests the governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic to continue the implementation of the biological corridor project through respective institutions and ministries.
Between March and April of 2007, the countries bilaterally signed memorandums of understanding, to consolidate and strengthen their will to establish the Caribbean Biological Corridor.
The Corridor was formally established on July 10, 2007 with the signing of the Declaration of Santo Domingo by the State Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic, the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment of the Republic of Cuba, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Haiti and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). This intention was confirmed and extended in the Second Declaration of Santo Domingo, on March 20, 2009. The participation of Jamaica as a permanent observer was recognized on this date.
3. CHARACTERIZATION
Conservation of Biological Diversity has achieved global importance; it is not just the ambition of a group of scientists or environmental activists. Nowadays, people increasingly understand that the durability of the human species is closely related to life on earth and all its complex forms, species and ecosystems.
Many initiatives and agreements developed by governments to halt the loss of Biodiversity have been put into practice, but results are still inadequate and do not indicate a reduction in the species extinction rates.
Some regions of the world are true sanctuaries of life and almost all are subjected to intense pressure from industrial, agricultural or urban development. It is essential to fight poverty affecting many hotspots. The creation of new productive options based on a consistent relationship with nature that can harmonically boost the improvement of the quality of life of communities and the maintenance and conservation of Biodiversity, is an urgent need. In recent years, global changes have been considered as new elements triggering the disappearance of species and ecosystems. Groups such as amphibians are at risk of mass extinction.
Conservation International identifies 25 global conservation hotspots which harbor a high number of species and endemic species. The global conservation of these megadiverse areas would guarantee the survival of 44% of all species of plants and 35% of the known vertebrates inhabiting only 1.4% of the planet's surface. However, this have not been achieved yet because many of these areas are also the most threatened and some of them have been reduced to only 10 % of their original forest area.
Eight of these threaten hotspots are located in the Americas. The Insular Caribbean is one of them, and due to its peculiarities there is an urgent need to prioritize actions in the area.
Many global identified areas have physical continuity, but the Insular Caribbean comprises more than 7,000 islands and cays, ranging from 111,000 km2 to just a few meters of solid ground. In addition, many of the islands of the region have the highest population density values in the world.
The graphics show the population density values and the surfaces of megadiverse areas in the Americas. These figures clearly show the urgent need to strengthen conservation actions.