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Wildlife Research in Belize |
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Conservation research on Belizean mammals |
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Welcome |
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Research |
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About |
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Publications |
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Field updates |
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Opportunities |
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Sponsors |
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Useful links |
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To contact us: |
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Dr Rebecca Foster & Dr Bart Harmsen Phone: (00501) 663-1505 or 665-7318 E-mail: R.Foster@soton.ac.uk | rfoster@panthera.org bartjh@soton.ac.uk | bharmsen@panthera.org |
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Belize wildlife corridor |
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Connecting the wildlife of northern and southern Belize Background Belize protects 40% of its land area, supporting a wealth of wildlife unrivalled by its neighbours. This relatively large coverage is split into two conservation blocks: |
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Research aim The aim of this initiative is to demonstrate that the wilderness belt can sustain its corridor function with minimum impact on economic development, through the zoning of development within the unprotected strip, giving priority to selected areas for formal protection from some or all development. This initiative, jointly funded by DEFRA’s Darwin Initiative and Panthera, aims to input a scientifically balanced voice to the dialogue between agencies for wildlife conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and economic development. We will work closely with the University of Belize’s newly established Environmental Research Institute (ERI), providing opportunities for Belizean students to conduct wildlife research in Belize. We are also collaborating with the Belize Forest Department and will provide training opportunities in field techniques for Forest Officers . |
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A contiguous belt of wilderness bridges this gap through unprotected and privately-owned land to join the two protected blocks. This wilderness belt functions as a vital corridor connecting the only two large natural areas within Belize, and as such it constitutes a key component of the internationally proposed Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. |
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Two highways sever the belt, currently with low levels of traffic. Development of the unprotected strip is expected, however, which will fragment the wilderness belt and increase highway traffic, isolating the remnants. Unregulated development of the unprotected strip will certainly isolate Belize’s two existing protected blocks from each other within the next 10 years. |
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- the Selva Maya in the north (1900 km2 in Belize) - the Maya Mountains in the south (5200 km2 in Belize)
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Forest mammals are often killed when crossing the highway.
Unnecessary road deaths. Anti-clockwise from top left: jaguar, kinkajou, tapir, anteater |
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Exploring the study area on foot …. |
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… and by boat |
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Jaguar photo courtesy of Doran Yount |
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Opportunities Students and volunteers are encouraged to contact us to find out more about joining this research initiative. Please see our Opportunities page for more information. |
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We will enumerate land tenure and population abundance throughout the wilderness belt for a range of mammals (jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, white-lipped and collared peccaries, red brocket and white tailed deer, coatis, pacas, and armadillos), using large-scale camera trapping, sign surveys, and telemetry. We will assess current population viability within the corridor, and principal dispersal routes along it.
The study will focus particularly on abilities of predator and prey species to cross the two major highways severing the corridor. Potential conflicts and compatibilities throughout the corridor will be assessed with GIS analysis of all layers of need for human development, and wildlife sustainability and mobility. |
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Map layers courtesy of Jan Meerman (2004) |
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Research methods The initiative’s principal focus is on species whose population viability most depends on large areas of contiguous wilderness. In Belize these are best represented by the medium to large mammals living at naturally low densities. |
