MAINTAINING ECOSYSTEM EDGE INTEGRITY IN PICO BONITO NATIONAL PARK
THROUGH ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING.
Beth Ulion, and Dr. Ted Endreny, ERE 596 Ecological Engineering in the Tropics. Spring 2007.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Syracuse, NY.
Pico Bonito
National Park in La Ceiba, Honduras
is the third largest park in the country.
Made up of 265,000 acres which include 19 main watersheds, the park is
home to mountains, waterfalls and an extensive list of diverse ecosystems and
wildlife. In these tropical broadleaf pine forests, hundreds of medicinal and
ornamental plants can be found along with endangered animals including
anteaters, monkeys and jaguars. Also
living in and around this area are twenty-four thousand people. Due to economic
hardship, these people turn to practices such as migratory farming and illegal
trafficking of flora and fauna which contribute to deforestation in and around the
park. Utilizing the principles of ecological engineering, a project was
developed focusing on the vulnerability of the edges of an ecosystems and
biodiversity as a way of maintaining an ecosystem’s self-design capacity. With a productive transition zone made up of
areas of forest, agro-forest, silvo-pasture and
village, the edge of the forest will be preserved while local farmers have a
sustainable source of income. The system of small scale agriculture in a forest
setting, the pairing of livestock, forage plants and marketable trees and the
intact native ecosystem will have the potential to draw researchers and tourists
alike, again increasing economic benefits.
It will be programs such as this one that take both human and natural
elements into account that will succeed in preserving native ecosystems.
REINTRODUCING
THE SCARLET MACAW TO PICO BONITO NATIONAL PARK USING ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
PRACTICES
Maggie Saia & Dr. Ted Endreny.
ERE 496 Ecological Engineering in the Tropics. SUNY College
of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse,
NY 13210
Having played a role of reverence and
importance in the eyes of the ancient Mayan civilization, the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) is the national bird of Honduras. Over the past few hundred years its numbers
have been steadily decreasing and one of the places where its absence has been
strongly felt is in Pico Bonito National Park (PBNP) along the north coast of Honduras. PBNP includes a tropical rainforest that was
once native to the scarlet macaw. A
variety of factors continue to impede the return of this honored species, the
greatest of which include habitat destruction and illegal pet trade. In the rural communities surrounding PBNP
agriculture is a common way to support one’s family. Unfortunately, the amount of land required to
sustain a family is increasing forcing farmers to clear more land to grow their
crops resulting in a drastic decrease in potential macaw habitat. Using the principles of ecological
engineering to incorporate what would be best for both human society and the
natural environment, a project has been suggested to create a macaw sanctuary
within the confines of the park. This
sanctuary will serve as both a public education and macaw rehabilitation
center. Modeled after the Macaw Mountain
Bird & Nature Park of Copan, Honduras, this sanctuary will attempt to
engage the public’s interest in helping to reintroduce this species to the
region, and also educate people on the importance of preserving its habitat
rather than destroying it. As a way of
beginning the reintroduction process, the sanctuary will follow the
hand-raising practices that have already been successful in releasing scarlet
macaws to the wild used in studies in Peru. The sanctuary will not only aid in returning
the scarlet macaw to its native habitat, but it will also provide an additional
source of income to local people by becoming an ecotourism destination. Hopefully, through projects such as this one,
people will continue to see that they can benefit by working with the natural
environment rather than against it.
Developing
housing in landslide prone regions in Honduras
C.F. Norris, Forestry and Natural Resources Management, SUNY
Environmental Science and Forestry
Hurricane
Mitch caused widespread damage to Honduras in 1998. Damage was from floods, landslides and debris
flows. Steeply mountainous saturated
soils will slide with or without vegetation. Areas prone to landslides will
continue to waste until they reach base level.
Throughout Honduras
the probability of landslides is high.
The mass wasting of landslides, and concurrent river rise, and
sedimentation will continue to directly affect the population of Honduras.
Classical remediation techniques are overly expensive for the Honduran economy
to manage. An alternative solution is to
build treehouses, which have multiple benefis when built from sustainable, ecologically friendly
materials. The most beneficial aspect of
this remediation strategy is the afforestaion of
populated areas, helping to reverse years of ecological degradation. Raising the population above flood and landslide
hazards will help reduce housing loss due to floods. Trees planted in riparian
corridors will help to stabilize stream banks, and offer a buffer during
storms. Houses should be placed in trees approximately 20 inches diameter at
breast height, and 30 feet in height.
Tropical species like ceiba (Ceiba
pentandra),
will reach this width within ten to twenty years. Ideally, treehouses
are built in the crotch of mature trees supported by primary branches. This allows the tree to flex in the wind,
while still offering full support to the house. Growing trees in forest
communities will reduce the effects of wind.
A house also needs to be able to change as the tree changes. Designs based on the Hoberman
sphere will allow this structural adaptability.
Locally available materials, like invasive bamboo, will help to make a
sustainable, fast growing source for construction materials. Timber can be
harvested in rotation. The new forests can provide a number of non-timber
products, while improving biodiversity. Tourism, one of the major markets in Honduras,
will increase due to the unique qualities this plan offers. Drawbacks include the investment in time,
money, and outreach required to shift the population to this new
arrangement. The long term economic and
ecological benefits make it a valuable point of consideration, thus for the far
sighted this plan will be advantageous.