Central American countries have come together to create PROMEBIO, a program that aims to strengthen biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts across the region. PROMEBIO will develop standardized methodologies and an integrated information system to track biodiversity indicators. A workshop in Belize finalized protocols for nine indicators and trained technicians on implementation. Infrared cameras and bird monitoring protocols were introduced to support field data collection on mammals and avian populations as part of PROMEBIO's regional approach to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

1. PROMEBIO strengthens and integrates the
region’s ability to generate, analyze, and
make available accurate information on the
status of biodiversity throughout
Central America

2. “Biodiversity is Life! How well we use and manage it determines the
quality of our lives. . . . If we are to succeed at conservation and sus-
tainable use of our biological diversity, we must start looking beyond
single protected areas or conservation blocks and start considering
entire landscapes. And we must unify efforts within our region. We
must understand that the question is not about conservation VERSUS
development but instead conservation AND development.” Opening
remarks of Dr. Paul Flowers, representative for the Belizean Minister
of Natural Resources and the Environment, Gaspar Vega, Workshop
Life!
ity is
on Biodiversity Protocols for PROMEBIO, August 5, 2010, in Belize City.
s
iver
Biod
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3. Central America is deeply committed to protec- Implicit in the creation and design of PROMEBIO
ting its rich biodiversity and natural resources for is the understanding that to effectively conserve
the long term, and recognizes that successful con- and sustainably manage environmental resour-
servation and management will allow the region to ces and systems they must first be understood.
“restore the environment, adapt to climate change, Created thru a consensus of and by the seven Cen-
reduce poverty, and, above all, develop a process for tral American countries, PROMEBIO has five in-
sustainable human development.” Words of Arturo terrelated goals to be implemented region-wide:
Harding, President Protempore, CCAD, October 2005
1. The creation and adoption of a scientifically-
in the presentation of the document of PROMEBIO.
based methodology to monitor and evaluate bio-
All seven Central American nations signed the Con- diversity.
vention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that came out
2. The construction of an information system as a
of the Rio “Earth Summit” of June 1992, and have
central repository and linkage for biodiversity
individual conservation plans in place. The region’s
and ecosystem data.
governments however, also recognize that nature
and ecological systems know no political or cultural 3. The establishment of mechanisms for easy acce-
boundaries, and sustainable management and pro- ssibility to this repository and to analysis of the
tection will require a collaborative and consistent data.
effort.
4. To strengthen the technical capabilities and pro-
Thus via the Integration System for Central America vide tools, such as the Global Methodology for
(SICA), the institutional framework for collaboration Mapping Human Impacts on the Biodiversity
among the Central American governments, and more (GLOBIO), and to supply the means to assess
specifically through the Central American Commi- the past and present impacts of human activi-
ssion on Environment and Development (CCAD), the ties on biodiversity, and to predict future ones.
SICA´s secretariat responsible for the region’s envi-
ronmental agenda, the seven nations have been ad- 5. To promote the use of this data to inform natio-
vancing a unified and active management strategy. nal and regional environmental management and
CCAD has now begun implementing this plan which conservation policy makers.
will respond to the CBD goals laid out and agreed The Inter-American Development Bank toge-
to for the conservation and sustainable use of bio- ther with the governments of seven countries and
logical diversity. It is called a Strategic Regional Pro- Zamorano University have provided the financial,
gram for Monitoring and Evaluating Biodiversity, or human and technical resources to implement the
PROMEBIO. first phase of PROMEBIO between 2009 and 2011.
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4. Construction of a Scientifically–based methodology for
evaluation and monitoring of biodiversity
Nine indicators agreed upon and implementing the standardized protocols
“As a region, we need to be unified, and our positions and policies as consensual as possible – about protec-
ted areas, climate change, coastal and marine resources -- so our management decisions are more effective.
PROMEBIO is one means towards this end,” observes Lesbia Sevilla, the PROMEBIO Biodiversity commi-
ttee member from Costa Rica. “Integrated data and decisions will also mean we are better listened to and
heard on the global stage, such as at the Convention on Global Biological Diversity. We are small countries
and our cooperation as one voice will help us safeguard our biological diversity, and gain needed support.”
The protocols development team formed by Wilfredo Matamoros, Ph.D specialist in Community Eco-
logy, Biogeography, and Conservation Biology, Samuel Rivera Ph.D. specialist in Geographical Informa-
tion Systems and Remote Sensing, Hector Portillo Reyes, M.Sc. specialist on Protected Areas Management
and Biological Monitoring and Juan Carlos Carrasco M.Sc. specialist on Restoration of River Ecology and
Management of Coastal and Marine Resources, after a participative process with the involvement of focal
points from the CCAD technical committees for Biodiversity and Environmental Information representing
the seven countries, is currently in the last phase of preparation of the protocols for the nine indicators.
The nine indicators to monitor biodiversity en Central America are the following:
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5. A Workshop on Biodiversity Protocols for
PROMEBIO
Approximately thirty people, including Central American government representatives, biodiversity experts,
staff and special guests attended the most recent meeting of the PROMEBIO during August 5-7, 2010 in Belize
City. The event was hosted by Marcelo Windsor and Edgar Ek, representatives of Belize, and the Presidency
pro tempore of the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD). The meeting
provided the opportunity for presentations, discussion, and planning for the final development phase of the
monitoring and evaluation tool, and also for the upcoming United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010.
During the two day meeting in Belize, developing the protocols for the indicators to be used to standar-
dize PROMEBIO data gathering to monitor and evaluate biodiversity was discussed. Three biologists
presented their work on a methodology to evaluate river health. An expert on satellite mapping tech-
nologies and global positioning systems (GPS) spoke about the advantages and challenges in effectively
mapping biodiversity trends and the use of the latest tools and software to be implemented by PROMEBIO.
Participants at the PROMEBIO meeting in Belize City, August 2010
4

6. A training and Technicians from Central American government offices and from NGO partner
validation course institutions participated in this course held in Zamorano, Honduras, 11-13 of October
on protocols was 2010. The course objectives were to provide a practical approach to implementing the
held in Honduras protocols for the nine biodiversity indicators and get feedback from the participants.
The protocols The protocols proposals for the indicators at the species level are of inclusive format,
which means they can be used for sampling or monitoring of several species or popu-
lations at the same site. For example, sampling in the rivers will serve for the monitor-
ing of fish, macro-invertebrates, or other specimens collected, this with the intention of
not focusing on a particular species and protocols may have a wider range of use. For
camera traps, the technicians will take pictures of all kinds of animals, as well as the
specifically targeted groups.
Infrared trap The technicians were presented with infrared cameras for assisting in field observation of
camera proto- mammals and data collection. The cameras are easy to use and are a non-invasive option
cols for mam- to monitoring mammal populations.
mals The infrared cameras are secured to trees using cables at knee level above the ground. This
provides a wide angle view to observe other small and medium-sized species captured in
the photos.
Avian monito- The technicians were also presented with a protocol for the monitoring and eva-
ring Protocols luation of bird populations. This protocol will be part of the manual to be published
in 2011. The protocol describes the steps required to establish a monitoring program
for birds. It includes methods to calculate the population size, indexes of producti-
vity and survival, age and sex distribution, relationships with habitat and other para-
meters. It describes in detail four methods for the determination of the size of the po-
pulation, two methods for the measurement of demographic factors and two habitat
assessment systems. It also provides information on basic requirements for equipment,
personnel, resources and techniques necessary to implement the program. Depen-
ding on available financial and human resources, various combinations of the
methods described in the protocol can be adapted to virtually any situation and budget.
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7. The protocols proposed for the river biomonitoring is the concept of river conti-
nuum. The River Continuum Concept indicates changes in the composition of
species that are related to variations along an altitudinal gradient in ri-
verine systems, from the lower basin of the river upwards. Un-
der this concept, taxa will be identified that allow us to track
changes in biota and enable us to assess ecological integ-
rity, also measure the displacement of exotic species
that compete with native species by presenting a
risk to the integrity of the species and its envi-
ronment. This concept was first developed by
Robin L. Vannote in 1980 with researchers at
Stroud Water Research Center. This metho-
dology is used in some rivers of North
and South America, but little research
has been done in Central America. The
use of this protocol presents a good
opportunity to better understand the
ecology of the region’s rivers and de-
velop an experience on the topic.
It is important to emphasize that
without basic information on bio-
diversity, distribution, biology and
ecology of the fish communities
that inhabit the region’s rivers, the
task of developing management
measures for the conservation
of our river systems is even more
difficult for both governmental
natural resource management
agencies and private agencies.
This protocol is designed with
the purpose of providing a
common understandable sampling
tool to be adopted and used by differ-
ent agencies of natural resource man-
agement in the region, aiming to gene-
rate significant and useful information
about our river systems and its biodiversity.
The Central American rivers are being radi-
cally changed due to hydroelectric development
in the region, the introduction of exotic species,
and contamination with both inorganic and organic
chemicals. These interventions, that may negatively affect
our river systems, can be at least prevented or mitigated pro-
perly only when you have the knowledge of the biological and ecologi-
cal functions that are being affected by the interventions in these systems.
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8. Protocols for Ecosystem, Ecoregion and Fragmentation
Indicators
Eco-regions are “natural pro-
vinces” where the main ecologi-
cal processes that maintain di-
versity occur. Therefore the ad-
ministration of any eco-region
resources should be coordinated
beyond geopolitical boundaries
(TNC, 2007). Monitoring eco-
regionally allows us to envision
landscape linkages and gives us a
picture of conservation by coun-
try but in an integrated manner.
For this reason, monitoring is
extremely important to high-
lighting those ecosystems of
large tracts of continuously, and
also those small ecosystems
and unique remnants found for
some reason near to disappear.
Ecosystem map for Central America
For the indicators at the ecosystem, eco-region level and fragmentation, the protocols will use different infor-
mation system technologies and data bases, which are available to the countries and provided by the regional
and global databases.
Remote sensing has become an important
tool for the analysis of the dynamics of the
vegetative cover. Its use combined with GIS
technology has allowed better of retrieval of
information from landscapes and regions in
a comprehensive way optimizing natural re-
source planning. The proposed protocol will
explain step by step the methodology for
the calculation of the different indicators.
An example of technology to be used for selecting images.
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9. The PROMEBIO team is planning to implement
(in 2011) six pilot projects in the field to test and
refine the system and demonstrate the feasibi-
lity of its usefulness. The pilot projects are loca-
ted in natural habitats and protected areas that
exist within two or more regional nation’s borders.
These areas include 1) the Mayan jungle shared by
Belize and Guatemala, 2) the Plan Trifinio, a tri-na-
tional conservation area in the Montecristo Trina-
tional Protected Area located within contiguous areas
of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, 3) the Gulf
of Fonseca within borders with El Salvador, Hondu-
ras and Nicaragua, 4) the Heart of the Mesoamerican
Biological Corridor shared by Honduras and Nica-
ragua, 5) the Rio San Juan watershed located along
both sides of the border between Nicaragua and
Costa Rica and 6) the Rio Sixaola conservation area
located along the Costa Rican and Panamian border.
The project is now creating web portals and other tools to ensure the information is readily accessible and
easy to understand. “When trying to find out about a species or habitat, you often don’t know where to
go,” explains Gilberto Lara, the PROMEBIO In-
formation System for the Environment (SIAM)
committee member from El Salvador. “You end
up contacting scientists, universities, local and fe-
deral governments, and even international con-
servation organizations trying to find what you
need and this takes significant time without a gua-
rantee of success. PROMEBIO fixes this problem.”
The objective of the conceptual model is to deve-
lop a preliminary design for all the aspects of the
system, including sub-systems, databases to be
integrated, and how to carry out the exchange of
information with other networks.
PROMEBIO is planned as a system whose main ob-
jective would be to “generate and provide harmo-
nized and systematized information, of regional interest about the state of biodiversity, that would allow us to
evaluate the changes in its prioritized components and that would contribute to the decision making process”
(PROMEBIO operational plan).
The information systems specialist Boris Ramirez explain that “ in order to reach this objective, the in-
formation system of PROMEBIO must be a union of several sub-systems, which would be integrated
into a central system. The biodiversity thematic node is based on the concept of distributed informa-
tion networks. A distributed network is one in which the information is not stored exclusively in just
one place, but it is stored in a distributed manner in several places at the same time. In this way the to-
tal of the information in the network is the sum of each of its parts. The system should permit easy inte-
gration with existing national and regional information networks such as IABIN, GBIF and CBD-CHM”.
The Coordinator of the project, Suyapa Triminio Meyer, also announced the launch of the PROMEBIO website
(www.promebio.irbioccad.org) where reports on biodiversity modeling results, manuals and other infor-
mation related to the region´s biodiversity can now be accessed.
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10. Capacity Building
GLOBIO: a modeling tool for drivers of presure on Biodiversity
The last step to effectively integrating PROMEBIO
into regional planning and management is to pro-
vide training and capacity building for key gov-
ernment officials to facilitate the incorporation
of this valuable data into environmental man-
agement and conservation projects and policies.
Towards this end GLOBIO specialists supplied
by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment
Agency (PBL) have provided technical assistance
and training to two information coordinators
from each regional country. The project experts
also plan to provide additional workshops in the
future to explain PROMEBIO’s uses and applica-
tions to the staff of SICA’s environmental minis-
tries and other interested parties.
“GLOBIO provides information easy to under-
stand displayed in maps and reports that show
the relationships between human activities and
biodivesity,” observes Suyapa Triminio Meyer,
Coordinator of the PROMEBIO and GLOBIO Cen-
tral American Projects. “As such it is a valuable
First GLOBIO workshop, held in February of 2009 tool for Central America to use to find ways we
on Geographic Information System Center, De- can change our behaviors to better protect our
partment of Socioeconomic Development and the valuable natural systems and resources.”
Environment, Zamorano University, Honduras.
Report cover for the Technical Report
for the modeling of the drivers for bio-
diversity loss in Central America. The
maps present the actual status of the
biodiversity for 2008 (right) and pro-
jected for 2030 (left).
Complete information on the subject
and this report are available at the
PROMEBIO web site.
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11. PROMEBIO Life Web Initiative
integration
In the global scenario, during the Belize Workshop, Jason
Spensley, Program Officer for the Life Web Initiative, Managed
by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) presented the
with other
Life Web’s initiative “partnership platform,” which is a means
to connect financial and technical assistance from developed
nations to developing countries.
regional and
The platform acts as a clearinghouse for information on pro-
posals and lines of investments from cooperating nations and
the priorities and specific conservation projects of recipient’s
global
countries. It gives developing nations assistance in communi-
cating with multiple potential financing entities and by conve-
ning roundtable meetings to pursue development cooperation.
initiatives
Life Web is currently assisting CCAD with the organization of a
donor roundtable.
Road to Nagoya 2010
The country representatives agreed on a strategy for fleshing
out their positions and coming to a consensus before the CBD
meeting. They resolved to have a unified proposal drawn up
that Belize, as president pro tem of CCAD, would have to re-
ference in representing the interests of Central America. As
Marcelo Windsor the Belizean representative observed “Our
Central American forests and marine sanctuaries secure biodi-
versity, combat climate change and help reduce poverty when
they are managed sustainably”.
“At the Convention on Biological Diversity we want to find
alliances with funding nations that will help us move forward
as a region. Belize intends to see to it that the interests of all
Central Americans are respected. Because really, protecting the
Central American environment and our biodiversity is in the
best interest of the whole world.”
Regional partner
In the regional scenario PROMEBIO has invited the Biodiversity
Partnership of Mesoamerica (BPM), a platform for public-pri-
vate alliances to promote sustainable development.
BPM was originally created in 2008 as a cooperative effort
between three private corporations: REWE, a European su-
permarket chain, Chiquita Brands International, Corbana the
National Banana Corporation of Costa Rica and the German In-
ternational Development Agency (GTZ).
Protected Areas Commission
Dr. Eduard Müller of the International Union for the Conserva-
tion of Nature’s World Commission on Protected Areas (PAs)
expressed “If we don’t have information about what’s happen-
ing with biodiversity we can’t make decisions. We know from
anecdotal evidence that there are massive changes in the cloud
forest. We see that climate change is starting to hit hard. But
many world bodies can’t adequately address these problems,
because there is not enough evidence. With data collected
by tools like PROMEBIO we can better examine and prove the
efficacy of Protected Areas and other conservation methods,
and harness our resources more effectively.”
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12. In Nagoya
CCAD presented PROMEBIO at a special event on Central America, held du-
ring the 10th meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
in October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. The PROMEBIO committee members see the
system as an important way to integrate not only their environmental policies
on a regional level, but also their ability to affect decisions on a global scale.
PROMEBIO partners (PBL, Universidad Zamorano, CBD in the environmental
department) held a meeting during the Conference of the parties COPX in Na-
goya to analyze the results of the modeling of biological diversity, the collabora-
tion that they had for three years and its future. Their eloquent words on the
results of this collaboration were expressive and confirmed the desire to con-
tinue this collaboration, expanding to other subjects and tools that have been
developed to be used in Central America.
Poster presented at Nagoya
2010 on its English version and
presented at the Mesoameri-
can Congress of the Biology and
Conservation Society in Costa
Rica 2010 in the Spanish version
www.biodiversityindicators.net/affiliatepartners
Officers of PBL Holanda, Zamorano University and PROMEBIO in Nagoya, japan
Contact information Credits
Suyapa Triminio Meyer Edition: Suyapa Triminio Meyer
Coordinator Reporter: Lee Shane
Proyecto PROMEBIO-BID-CCAD-Zamorano Design: Mildred Lagos Vivas
504-27766140 ext 2428
smeyer@zamorano.edu Expert partners:
Boris Ramírez
Arie Sanders Wilfredo Matamoros
Socioeconomic Development Faculty Juan Carlos Carrasco
Zamorano University Samuel Rivera
asanders@zamorano.edu Hector Portillo
Pictures:
Margarita Salazar Suyapa Triminio Meyer
CCAD-SICA Lee Shane (Belize group metting)
msalazar@sica.int Pictures page 5: Juan Carlos Carrasco