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Belize Study Abroad – Summer, 2010 CCP Faculty

Belize Study Abroad – Summer, 2010 CCP Faculty Margaret Stephens - Environmental Conservation/ Geography Stan Walling - Anthropology/Archaeology Belize, A Jewel of Central America.

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Belize Study Abroad – Summer, 2010 CCP Faculty

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  1. Belize Study Abroad – Summer, 2010 CCP Faculty Margaret Stephens - Environmental Conservation/ Geography Stan Walling - Anthropology/Archaeology Belize, A Jewel of Central America Belize-Stephens, 2010

  2. If the world had any ends, Belize would certainly be one of them. It is not on the way from anywhere to anywhere else. It has no strategic value. It is all but uninhabited.-Aldous Huxley, Beyond the Mexique Bay (1934) 40% percent of the country is managed as parks and reserves, and the Belize Barrier Reef is recognized as a world heritage site. ~ 60% of the country still remains under natural forest cover. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  3. Protected Areas Belize-Stephens, 2010 Source: http://biological-diversity.info/protected_areas.htm

  4. Program Activities and Features • Our host: Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary • Central tropical savanna • River trip • Western Maya Mountains • Barrier reef marine station • Maya archaeological site • Our study will include the natural environment, diverse habitats, land use issues, history and cultural diversity • as we follow the Sibun River watershed from the mountains to the sea. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  5. Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary bunkhouse accommodations Belize-Stephens, 2010

  6. Belize, formerly British Honduras • Population: ~ 307,000 (UN, 2009), ~ 60% classified as living in poverty. • Location: roughly15º 52’ to 18º 30’ North Latitude; 87º 28’ to 89º 13’ West Longitude • Borders: Mexico in the north, Guatemala in the west and the Caribbean Sea in the east. • ~ 22,963 km2 (8,866 sq ml) of land area, including ~1000 cays Belize-Stephens, 2010

  7. Capital: Belmopan Major languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 Belizean dollar = 100 cents = ~50 U.S. cents Main exports: Sugar, bananas, citrus fruits, oil, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood GNI (gross national income) per capita: US$3,820 (World Bank, 2008) Belize-Stephens, 2010

  8. What’s in a name? Belize Various theories: Wallis (wahl-EEZ) from pirate Peter Wallis From Maya words belix, meaning “muddy river”, or belikin, now the name of the local beer Belize-Stephens, 2010

  9. Sub Umbra Florero Under the shade, I flourish. The motto on the Belizean flag, referring to the mighty mahogany, the national tree. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  10. Coat of Arms - based on the mahogany industry, mainstay Belize’s economy in the 18th and 19th centuries.Shield at the center: a ship at sea in full sail with tools of the timber industry held by woodcutters. At right, a paddle and a squaring axe; left, a saw and a beating axe.Encircled by a wreath of 50 leaves, recalling 1950, the year the People’s United Party (PUP) came into power. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  11. The National Bird: Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos Solfurantus • About 20 inches long • Found in open areas of the country with large trees • Nest in natural holes or holes made by woodpeckers in trees Belize-Stephens, 2010

  12. The National Animal: Tapir or Mountain Cow (Tapirello Bairdii) • largest land mammal of the American tropics. • ~the size of a cow, up to 600 pounds. • not a cow, despite its name • closely related to the horse; also kin to the rhinoceros. • vegetarian • spends much of its time in water or mud shallows; strong swimmer • protected under the wildlife protection laws of Belize • hunting of the tapir is illegal. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  13. Climate 16-18 degrees N. latitude Tropical to Subtropical mean annual temperature: ~79 degrees F; Range 50-95 Dry season ~Dec-May Rainfall varies N to S: North 40-60 inches/year South 160-190 inches/year Belize-Stephens, 2010

  14. Source: http://biological-diversity.info/climate.htm Belize-Stephens, 2010

  15. Hurricanes 1931 (unnamed): 2000 people killed; Belize City (18 in above sea level) nearly destroyed; water rose ~ 9 feet Hattie (1961): 262 drowned; capital moved inland to Belmopan Mitch (1998); Keith (2000); Iris (2001); Arthur (2008) Belize-Stephens, 2010

  16. Topography Generated from GIS software Relief image of Belize & Central America from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Belize-Stephens, 2010 Source: http://biological-diversity.info/images/Articles/Belize_thumb.jpg

  17. http://www.doe.gov.bz/documents/EIA/CDL%201.pdf Belize-Stephens, 2010

  18. Topography Highest point: Doyles Delight in the Southern Maya Mountains 1124 m (3687') elevation Victoria’s Peak, north of Cockscomb basin was thought to be the highest (1120 m, 3675'). Much of the country is w/in a few inches/feet of sea level; very vulnerable to storms and sea level rise. Belize City ~18 inches above sea level. Many burial sites are below s.l. Belize-Stephens, 2010 Source: http://biological-diversity.info/images/Articles/Belize_thumb.jpg

  19. Central tropical savanna Belize-Stephens, 2010

  20. Western Mountains: Forest ecosystems and caves Belize-Stephens, 2010

  21. Tobacco Caye Marine Field Station in the Caribbean Belize-Stephens, 2010

  22. Environmental Issues • Deforestation • Land and water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, especially from shrimp and citrus industries • Mining wastes – sedimentation of estuaries, reefs and marine ecosystems • Unplanned development in environmentally sensitive areas, esp. mangroves, barrier beaches, riparian (riverbank) regions • Energy concerns – importing expensive power from Mexico; Chalillo Dam project (Recommended Book: Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw) • Oil and gas drilling • Cruise ship industry • Land use issues • Land acquisition by corporate interests and expatriates • Conservation/preservation issues Belize-Stephens, 2010

  23. Conservation Issues Biodiversity conservation is an important and integral part of national social and economic development Protected Areas System Belize has two large, unified, blocks of intact habitat (Western Orange Walk and Chiquibul-Maya Mountains) which are likely to be the last strongholds for species that need large, undisturbed areas for their long term survival but even these areas may not be totally sufficient if biological corridors can not be maintained. Source: http://www.biodiversity.bz/downloads/Synthesis_NPAPSP_analysis.pdf Marine Protected Areas Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) Belize-Stephens, 2010

  24. Watersheds • 35 major and minor river catchments or watersheds • drain the Maya Mountains and the Coastal Plain • discharge into the Caribbean Sea. • (Boles, R. 1999. The Sibun River Watershed Atlas) • “There is no away.” • http://www.biodiversity.bz/find/watershed/ Belize-Stephens, 2010

  25. The average daily water supply from river sources is approximately 3.79 million gallons, from groundwater sources 0.59 million gallons and from springs 0.38 million gallons (Johnson, 1996. National Report on Water Resources: Belize, Country Report.). Groundwater, from 7 'provinces', is a vital source for freshwater in rural Belize, where almost 95% of the freshwater supply comes from groundwater (Rural Water Unit, Ministry of Rural Development)." - Ramon Frutos - Nat'l. Meteorological Service of Belize. http://www.biodiversity.bz/find/watershed/ Sibun River Watershed, Monkey Bay http://www.biodiversity.bz/find/protected_area/profile.phtml?pa_id=117 Belize-Stephens, 2010

  26. Sibun River Watershed Watershed or drainage basin: land from which surface or groundwater drains into a body of water Central Biological Corridor of Belize, linking the Maya Mountains with the coastal plains of northern Belize and the Yucatan in Mexico. Over half of the watershed area remains in natural forest cover with the remaining acreage dedicated to citrus cultivation, livestock grazing and subsistence farming. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  27. Spanish Lookout: Site of first four active oil wells/drill sites Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/business/worldbusiness/21belize.html Belize-Stephens, 2010

  28. Oil & Gas Exploration in Belize The current United Democratic Party government has made an election promise to establish a Belize Petroleum Trust Fund to benefit all Belizeans which much needed social programs. Some Two years after taking office, the he trust fund is yet to be established and all oil revenues - estimated at $120 million - are absorbed by the government for its day to operations. 18 companies have petroleum contracts: 8 years to explore; 25 years to undertake production and pump oil commercially. If no oil found within 8 yr exploration phase, the contract “self-terminates” = no longer in effect. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  29. Oil & Gas Exploration in Belize The first discovery of petroleum and gas deposits in Belize was made by Belize Natural Energy Ltd. (BNE) in 2005. First well in Spanish Lookout began pumping then. (BNE) production ~5,000 barrels per day. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  30. Plate tectonics: Belize http://mineralsciences.si.edu/tdpmap/ Source: http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/tectonic.htm Belize-Stephens, 2010

  31. Washington, DC, (June 29, 2009) —  At the ongoing 33rd World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System has been added to the “List of World Heritage in Danger” due, in particular, to unsustainable tourism activities. WildCam Belize Reef will be the first long-term deployment of an open-ocean, live, streaming video system available to the public. Belize coral reef video: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/threats-to-animals-environment/belize-coral.html (3:27) Belize-Stephens, 2010

  32. Rio Bravo Conservation – Program for Belize area issues: video http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/belize-rangers-wcvin.html(5:27) Goals: prevent deforestation Employ local communities Provide alternatives to hunting and logging for income generation Ecotourism Leases for climate action project: dedicated carbon sequestration goal 7 million tons of CO2 over 40 years Sustainable logging – storing carbon Belize-Stephens, 2010

  33. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  34. What are corals? Animals: Individual coral polyps, related to sea anemones, create reefs by secreting limestone skeletons. Coral polyps divide as they grow and form coral colonies, creating a coral reef. Sources: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=5&subtopic_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=8&topic_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=1 http://coris.noaa.gov/about/what_are/ Belize-Stephens, 2010

  35. Distribution of Coral Reefs Most of the reefs, with a few exceptions, are found in tropical and semitropical waters, between 30° north and 30° south latitudes. Source: http://coris.noaa.gov/about/what_are/ Belize-Stephens, 2010

  36. Fringing (or apron) reefs directly border shorelines: Three Types of Coral Reefs Barrier reefs – similar to fringing, but separated from shoreline by lagoons Fringing reefs directly border shorelines Atoll-circular, form on rim of submerged volcanoes Sources: http://www.coral-reef-info.com/types-of-coral-reefs.html http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=67&subtopic_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=8&topic_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=1 Belize-Stephens, 2010

  37. ancient animals (fossils of solitary corals over 400 my old) • evolved into modern reef-building forms over the last 25 million years. • largest structures on earth of biological origin • very complex systems • Slow growing • Narrow tolerance limits (light, pH, temperature) • Rain forests of the sea – habitats and nurseries for thousands of species, vast biodiversity • Anthozoans, the largest class of organisms within the phylum Cnidaria. • over 6,000 known species • Stony corals > build reef structures. • Mostly colonial w/ hundreds to hundreds of thousands of individual polyps Belize-Stephens, 2010

  38. A Perfect Match: Symbiosis • Symbiosis of corals and their algae partners, zooxanthellae. • Corals provide: • a protected environment • the compounds necessary for photosynthesis: CO2, nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates (metabolic waste products of the coral) • Algae: • produce O2 • help coral remove wastes. • supply organic products of photosynthesis: including glucose, glycerol, and amino acids, which coral use to make proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and their calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeletons Belize-Stephens, 2010

  39. Coral reef conservation issues • Belize barrier reef, the second longest in the world, • Extent: a ribbon from the tip of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula southward ~180 miles into the Gulf of Honduras. • 35 species of reef-building corals • 500 different species of fish and 65 species of coral • shelter coastline against erosion • provide food and refuge for manatees, porpoises, turtles, sharks, butterflyfish. • Belize's barrier reef ecosystem includes reef, cays, grass flats, and mangrove swamps • Challenges • grossly overused and abused. • Population pressures, increasing exploitation and destruction of reefs. • Sustainability initiatives: education, organizing, raising political and social consciousness about the limits of reef sustainability, devising viable economic alternatives. Belize-Stephens, 2010

  40. Hurricanes & Reefs Hurricanes: “giant, wet heat engines”- tropical cyclones that gather heat and moisture from oceans Reefs: buffer mainland from full force of storms Some benefits of hurricanes: break off dead coral, some may migrate and form new colonies Belize-Stephens, 2010

  41. Threats to Coral Reefs: Bleaching Stressors: increased sea surface temperatures (SST) or toxic exposures to oil, changes in light availability, pH, reduced salinity can cause coral polyps to lose their pigmented zooxanthellae, or to "bleach." Belize-Stephens, 2010

  42. Mangroves Feeding grounds, nurseries for fish, birds Fragile habitat for reptiles, amphibians, mammals Stabilize soil, prevent erosion Buffer storm energy Broad tolerance of salinity, filter pollutants Provide materials for fishing (traps, fuel, construction) Land clearing for development Belize-Stephens, 2010

  43. Four species: Red mangove (Rhizophora mangle) closest to water’s edge, long, supportive prop roots Source: http://ambergriscaye.com/reefbriefs/briefs81.html Belize-Stephens, 2010

  44. Black mangove (Avicennia germinans) – further away; pneumatophores around base help w/ gas exchange Source: http://www.sms.si.edu/IRLFieldGuide/Avicenn_germin.htm White mangrove (Laguncalaria racemosa) Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) – furthest away Belize-Stephens, 2010

  45. Threats to Marine Ecosystems & Coral Reefs: Anthropogenic • Coastal development • Runoff: pollution, excessive nutrients & sedimentation, sewage, agrochemicals • Overfishing • Cruise ships • Oil/gas drilling & spills • Invasive species • Ship groundings/anchors • Increased CO2 – weaker skeletons & reduced growth rates Belize-Stephens, 2010

  46. Threats to Marine & Coastal Ecosystems: Cruise Ships Belize-Stephens, 2010

  47. Cruise Ships • 8 mt (2228 gal) of oily bilge water dumped/day • 1 mt garbage • Number of cruise tourists grew 25x from 1999 to 2004 • 2004: 850,000 cruise ship visitors (~3x the country’s total population & >3x the number of land based visitors Belize-Stephens, 2010

  48. Threatened species: Hawksbill Turtle • 100 million years on earth • Little known about life at sea • ~20 years to reach reproductive age • Many predators: skunks, fox, racoons, birds,fish • ~1/1000 young survive • Now nests/eggs protected by law during nesting season; adults year-round • Source: http://www.belizeanjourneys.com/turtle.html Belize-Stephens, 2010

  49. Threatened species: Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus capture assessment radio tagging monitoring Belize-Stephens, 2010

  50. Coatimundi (Nasua narica) • member of the raccoon family • often travel in large packs • a wide variety of habitatas • feed on fruit, insects, and small animals. • Source: http://www4.samford.edu/schools/artsci/biology/belize/animals.html Belize-Stephens, 2010

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