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The subterranean ecosystems in tropical areas of Mexico, North of Guatemala & Belize are very abundant because the karstic soil that allow these formations are the main composition in the Yucatán Peninsula and several mountains systems in these countries; also, they have a strong relationship with tropical forest adjacent where the main energy into...
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... Chiquibul Region (Figure 5) In Belize, there are several areas with karstic composition in the soil but only around of Mountains Systems has been recorded caves with long formations. Is important mentioned that close to Mexican border the soils is too similar to rest of Yucatan Peninsula and the potential to found caves or even cenotes is high. ...
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... For comparison purposes, the cave fauna of Venezuela, which has received considerable research attention, includes over 350 identified invertebrate species, 46 of which are classified as troglobites (Galán and Herrera 2006). A detailed review of Central American subterranean aquatic fauna revealed rich biodiversity in a relatively small geographic area (Reddell 1981;Mejía-Ortíz et al. 2021). Recent studies on a limited number of caves in Belize (Wynne and Pleytez 2005;Taylor et al. 2011) have resulted in the discovery of at least 80 unique taxa with possible new species for science. ...
This study focused on the cave fauna of Costa Rica, which has remained relatively understudied despite the presence of more than 435 recorded natural caves and artificial subterranean sites. We collected and reviewed all available literature data on cave fauna in Costa Rica and created the first comprehensive review of the existing information. In addition, we report new records from field surveys conducted between 2015 and 2018. This study reported approximately 123 animal species, whereas the remaining records (n = 82) represented taxa that could not be identified at the species level. Data were collected from 127 locations throughout the country, with new cave fauna records from 41 sites. Notably, we reported the first occurrence of the true bug Amnestus subferrugineus (Westwood 1837) within Costa Rican caves, which represents an addition to the country's faunal inventory. As this study highlights the knowledge gaps in the subterranean fauna, it will serve as an important stepping stone for future research and conservation efforts related to caves in Costa Rica.
... However, the collinearity between Pterygoplichthys abundance and conductivity deserves to be further studied. Although the gradient in conductivity is primarily related to the karstic soils within the Yucatan Peninsula and SPR sub-basin (Mejía-Ortíz et al., 2021) and is likely not to be a byproduct of the invasion, the distinction between the influence of conductivity and the invasive abundance should clarify the mechanisms underlying the changes in the trophic niche of native species. ...
Popular as aquarium fish, armored catfishes from South America (Pterygoplichthys spp.) have been introduced and become invasive in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. These ecosystem engineers can deplete basal resources (e.g., periphyton and detritus), with potential negative effects for native fauna. We studied the trophic ecology of fishes in the Usumacinta River Basin, Guatemala, where Pterygoplichthys is now widespread and locally abundant. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) in fish tissues and basal resources to assess the potential impact of Pterygoplichthys on the trophic ecology of six co‐occurring native fishes that feed at a similar trophic level (Astyanax aeneus, Dorosoma petenense, Thorichthys pasionis, Oscura heterospila, Poecilia mexicana, and Gambusia sexradiata). The study was conducted during the dry season in the La Pasion (LPR; high invasion) and San Pedro (SPR; low invasion) rivers. We compared isotopic spaces occupied by native fish and Pterygoplichthys, estimated isotopic overlap, and evaluated the trophic displacement of native species. We also evaluated the relationships of environmental factors, including the relative biomass of the invasive catfish, with δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures. Except for P. mexicana, native species had lower isotopic overlap with the catfish in LPR. Native fish isotopic spaces were compressed and shifted toward higher trophic positions in LPR relative to SPR. Benthic food resources were important for Pterygoplichthys in both rivers, and water‐column resources had greater relative importance (RI) for native species in LPR. Native fish δ¹³C was significantly associated with Pterygoplichthys biomass, conductivity, and water flow velocity; and water depth and sedimentation had a significant association with native fish δ¹⁵N. Findings provide evidence that invasive Pterygoplichthys, along with environmental factors, impact the trophic ecology of native fish in the Usumacinta Basin. Additional field research conducted over longer time periods and mesocosm experiments that account for fish assemblage and environmental variation could elucidate Pterygoplichthys impacts via food resource depletion or habitat alteration.
... ¿Cómo los mayas o pueblos indígenas asentados en ese paisaje biocultural podrían apropiarse de la Selva Maya? La Selva Maya se puede considerar una evidencia de la preocupación mundial por preservar la naturaleza, en el entendido de su valor científico, y se justifica también como patrimonio a partir de los listados de flora y fauna endémica, los recursos hídricos o geológicos y, recientemente, con las oportunidades educativas o paisajísticas que aporta (véase, por ejemplo, De la Torre et al. 2021;Fedick, 2003;Martínez-Reyes, 2016;Meave et al. 2021;Mejía-Ortiz et al. 2021). Salvaguardar determinadas representaciones biogeográficas es un éxito del conocimiento abstracto, pero en esos espacios también existen conocimientos tácitos que ejercen las y los pobladores al co-evolucionar en el territorio. ...
El concepto de eco-frente analiza las acciones de actores ecológicos con la finalidad de considerar la manera en que contribuyen para transformar los territorios de alta biodiversidad. Los eco-frentes son apropiaciones espaciales y discursivas que evolucionan en etapas históricas. Este artículo analiza el caso de la Selva Maya como un eco-frente a partir de la década de 1970. La Selva Maya es un concepto construido por actores ecológicos para conservar selvas tropicales que cubre a la región fronteriza entre México, Guatemala y Belice. Se analizan materiales de primera mano que demuestran cómo la construcción del concepto ha transformado la región fronteriza en una eco-región paisajística para la conservación de selvas tropicales. Si bien, su apropiación de lo maya en su sentido científico y turístico refiere a la construcción de regiones fronterizas internacionales bioculturales, deja abierta la cuestión de derechos indígenas, su contexto multicultural, y de multiespecies.
... The extreme hot conditions cause the forest to be dry or semi-dry [4,5]. Over many years, these conditions have produced thousands of conduits and entrances [6,7] that reach to coastal areas as subterranean rivers. The richness of the Caribbean Sea establishes important conditions for the proliferation of coral reefs [8]. ...
The Mexican Caribbean coast has great scenic beauty both on the surface and underwater, which is why it has been a developing area for tourism since the 1970s, establishing sites such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen and empowering others such as Cozumel and Tulum. Their biological richness is enormous, especially in the Mesoamerican Reef of which they are a part. However, this richness and scenic beauty are not possible without the ecological assemblages that exist within these regions’ adjacent ecosystems, mainly the surrounding seasonally dry tropical forest and the coastal wetlands that, together with the oceanographic characteristics of the Caribbean Sea, potentiate it, turning the region into the most visited in Latin America. To this end, groundwater plays a very important role in the assemblages of biotic and abiotic elements that are shared with the Caribbean Sea; thus, its constant monitoring allows us to identify how the changes that occur in the tropical forest are producing various changes in the composition and abundance of coastal reef elements. Here, we present results of our study of groundwater conditions (temp, pH, oxygen dissolved, and salinity) in nineteen cenotes and underground rivers of the Riviera Maya and six cenotes of Cozumel. We also profiled the predominant vegetation on the surface of this region, which is a seasonally dry tropical forest, to understand the components and functioning of these subterranean ecosystems to assess their vulnerability and identify their threats from human development (population growth, tourism development, mobility capacity). These threats not only affect the cave and coastal organisms but also the tropical karstic landscapes that are characteristic of these systems.
... ¿Cómo los mayas o pueblos indígenas asentados en ese paisaje biocultural podrían apropiarse de la Selva Maya? La Selva Maya se puede considerar una evidencia de la preocupación mundial por preservar la naturaleza, en el entendido de su valor científico, y se justifica también como patrimonio a partir de los listados de flora y fauna endémica, los recursos hídricos o geológicos y, recientemente, con las oportunidades educativas o paisajísticas que aporta (véase, por ejemplo, De la Torre et al. 2021;Fedick, 2003;Martínez-Reyes, 2016;Meave et al. 2021;Mejía-Ortiz et al. 2021). Salvaguardar determinadas representaciones biogeográficas es un éxito del conocimiento abstracto, pero en esos espacios también existen conocimientos tácitos que ejercen las y los pobladores al co-evolucionar en el territorio. ...
Transboundary conservation is a strategy developed by international conservation organizations to safeguard biodiversity along and across borders and to enhance peace-building among nation-states and border communities. Currently, there are over 200 transboundary conservation cases worldwide, suggesting that the strategy is a significant yet under-researched area in International Relations. Based on empirical research and mapping, this article examines the relationship between transboundary conservation and international relations in the case of the Maya Forest, which refers to the tropical rainforest borderlands between Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. By analyzing transboundary conservation and its international relations, the article reveals how the strategy reinforces nature states. As a strategic complex composed of heritage sites and biosphere reserves, the Maya Forest is constructed as a shared biocultural landscape. However, national borders are simultaneously fostered by internationally adjoining protected areas to maintain the status quo. In conclusion, this strategy assists in building complex and subtle environmental international relations.
Rajavyöhyke (frontier) on käsite, jolla on viitattu sekä eteenpäin kulkevaan linjaan että perifeeriseen alueeseen, johon kohdistuu valtasuhteita muokkaavia resurssivalloituksia. Rajamaiden (borderlands) käsite taas syntyi paikkaamaan rajavyöhykkeen kolonialistisina pidettyjä jakolinjoja tutkimalla joko kirjaimellisia tai kuvainnollisia valtakeskusten reuna-alueita niiden asukkaiden näkökulmasta ja omilla ehdoillaan. Kumpikin käsite tutkii kuitenkin samanlaista kohdetta: syrjäseutuja. Viime vuosikymmeninä monille luonnon monimuotoisuudeltaan rikkaille metsänreunoille on kohdistunut erilaisia luonnonsuojelullisia toimia ja tavoitteita, joita on pääosin tulkittu erämaita omivan ekologisen vyöhykkeen (eco-frontier) käsitteen kautta. Tämä artikkeli valottaa rajavyöhykkeen ja rajamaan käsitteiden luontosuhdetta tutkimalla, mitä metsäisten reuna-alueiden luonnonsuojelullistaminen merkitsee. Artikkeli käsittelee asetelmaa Selva Mayan eli niin sanotun Maya-metsän tapauksessa. Selva Maya on luonnonsuojelijoiden ja tutkijoiden kehittelemä termi, jolla viitataan Mesoamerikan trooppisen sademetsän suojeluun Meksikon, Guatemalan ja Belizen reunamilla. Selva Mayan tarkastelu osoittaa, että eko-vyöhykkeen oletukset erämaiden omimisesta toisintavat ongelmallisia jakolinjoja. Artikkeli käsitteellistääkin vaihtoehtona ekologisia rajamaita (eco-borderlands) reuna-alueiksi, joihin kohdistuu ekologisia toimia ja huolia. Samalla ne ovat kuitenkin kohtaamispaikkoja ja risteyksiä, joiden valtasuhteet väistävät autenttisia määritelmiä ja luovat omanlaisiaan, sekoittuneita, epäpuhtaita luontosuhteita.
