Evaluation of the PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program

by Steven Latta, PRBO. 1 September 2004

PROEVAL RAXMU, founded in 2002, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization working on environmental education, and sustainable development projects for conservation in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. PROEVAL RAXMU has chosen to work in indigenous communities adjacent to large parcels of relatively undisturbed primary forests. Working through local Q'eqchi' promoters who are trained by PROEVAL RAXMU staff, the group has focused on themes of the importance of biodiversity, sustainable agricultural practices, and personal health. They have promoted the diversification of crops and alternative agricultural practices to decrease pressure on remaining primary forests, including the introduction of a wide variety of fruit and nut trees, and vanilla, as well as experimentation in determining which varieties of many vegetables may be suitable for cultivation under local conditions. These crops serve to broaden the local diet beyond the typical corn and beans, and serve as a cash crop. PROEVAL RAXMU has also promoted sustainably harvested forest products, helped reduce burning of brush prior to planting to minimize the threat of wildfires and to improve soil conditions, and encouraged ecotourism ventures that involve local Q'eqchi' Mayans.

PROEVAL RAXMU currently works in three geographic areas:

1. Low elevation rainforest at Rocjá Pomptilá in the Ik'bolay region, including portions of Laguna Lachuá National Park. (primary forest, secondary shrub, cardamom cultivations)
2. Mid-elevation humid forest near Sanimtaca in the Sacranix Mountains (primary forest)
3. Cloud forest at Chelemhá in the Yalijux Mountains (primary and secondary cloud forest)

PROEVAL RAXMU has initiated monitoring of birds in a variety of habitats around Rocjá Pomptilá and in the Sacranix Mountains, and is planning to monitor birds in the cloud forest at Chelemhá. Rather than measure forest cover per se, birds are used as indicators of ecological function of forest ecosystems. The goals of the monitoring program, as I understand them, are to:

1. Inventory and compare the species present in a variety of habitats including primary forest, and habitats disturbed by agriculture or other human uses.
2. Contribute to the knowledge about these species and populations.
3. Monitor the effects of habitat disturbance on bird populations.
4. Monitor the effects of environmental education and sustainable development activities in nearby communities on bird populations in remaining habitat.
5. Identify critical areas for conservation.
6. Contribute to developing awareness of nature conservation among local communities, and engage indigenous communities in conservation activities.

Training of point counters appears to have been done with impressive thoroughness. The counters are residents of the local communities and were chosen based on their interest and dedication. They seem to be very knowledgable, and have developed their expertise to include songs and calls, as perhaps 95% of identifications were done by ear. The sharing of Q'eqchi' trainers among communities so that training can be done person-to-person, and community-to-community in the native language, seems to have been a great success. Point counts are 10 min in duration, and are of unlimited radius with distance estimates. A laser rangefinder is used to help estimate distances. Points are placed 200 m apart, and these are measured by pacing. Counts are conducted in teams of 2-3 people. While this may seem awkward, it appeared to work well, and I was impressed by how well the counters worked together. I would caution that analyses may be complicated if the numbers of counters vary within or among sites.

Point counts are conducted monthly with a high number of replicates in some habitats (100 in Sacranix Mountains). At Rocjá Pomptilá a similar number of points are counted but these are divided among various habitat types.

Data analysis has begun using the program DISTANCE to calculate density. While I am not an expert on DISTANCE, I encourage you to contact the statisticians below with specific questions or problems. I would also remind you that not all point count data need to be comverted to density estimates, depending on what questions you are asking and what comparisons are to be made.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Consider complementing your point counts with mistnetting. This will potentially allow you to sample understory species that are more difficult to census through point counts. To do so though, you will need to overcome some access and mobility problems, but this should be feasible. Mistnetting might be accomplished through:
1. Occasional mistnetting with the primary goal of complementing your species list.
2. Mistnetting for targetted focal species that may represent general conditions in each habitat. This could in turn be complemented by breeding season studies of this same species with a focus on nesting productivity and survival.
3. Intensive studies at selected 15-20 hec study sites within each habitat with mistnetting repeated monthly or at regular intervals similar to point counting.
2. Consider how best to permanently mark points so that vegetation can be quantified around each point and point count results can be associated with vegetation characteristics.
3. Quantify differences in vegetation around each point every 3-5 years. Use a protocol based on James and Shugart circles, variations of which are discussed in Ralph et al. (monitoring manual).
4. Investigate the availability of GIS vegetation layers, and how well they can be updated, so that bird population data can be interpreted relative to landscape-level differences and changes in vegetation cover.

In summary, I was very impressed with the work of PROEVAL RAXMU, and I look forward to opportunities to promote PROEVAL RAXMU, and to build regional and international collaborations for the conservation of birds and their habitats.

Steven C. Latta, PhD
Director, Latin American Program
PRBO Conservation Science
7428 Redwood Blvd. Ste. 203
Novato, CA 94945
Tel. 415-893-7677 ext. 310