Direct payments for conservation — the importance of environmental measures in farming systems for bird populations in a fragmented landscape. A case study in Guatemala

Abstract

The name Guatemala is derived from the Nahuatl guauhtemallan, which means ›land of trees‹. Guatemala is home to a unique mix of plants and animals. The country's biological diversity is among the highest in Central America and it ranks among the 25 most plant-rich countries in the world. Increasing conservation efforts in this region are crucial to preserving Guatemala's wealth of ecosystems. As a case study, the region of the Macizo de Cobán has been chosen. The area contains one of biodiversity's hotspots, consisting of large areas of cloud forest. Degradation and loss of forest cover is caused mainly by slash-and-burn increased agricultural expansion to grow subsistence crops (e.g., corn and beans), forest clearing for cash crops (e.g., cardamom and coffee), extraction of firewood (the only domestic fuel of rural inhabitants), local demand for construction, illegal logging increasing demand for commercial forest products (particularly of the reserve's primary and old-growth forest) and finally, the clearing of forest for cattle grazing. Slash-and-burn is becoming a pushing method that is destroying the most intricate part of the tropical nutrient cycle and continues to degrade and destroy this biologically rich region. Due to the socio-economic conditions and the pressure on resources in the Macizo de Cobán, it is almost impossible to conserve forest as a pristine area. Therefore, environmental measures must be implemented to mitigate the loss of biologically diverse forests.