COUNTRY Honduras 

NAME Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

National Park (Proposed)

Biosphere Reserve

Natural World Heritage Site - Criteria i, ii, iii, iv

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE 8.16.04 (Central American)

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Situated in the Mosquita region of north-east Honduras, in three departments, Gracias a Dios, Colón and Olancho. Comprises a belt of approximately 15 km by 150 km which extends inland from Laguna de Ibans and Laguna de Brus on the Caribbean coast in a south-westerly direction. The coastal towns of Palacios and Brus Laguna lie approximately 5km from the park boundaries on either side of the reserve. 15° 50'N, 84° 30'-85° 30'W

DATE AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT Gazetted on 9 December 1969 as an archaeological national park. Protected as Reserva de la Biosfera Río Plátano under Decree No. 79 of 15 August 1980. Internationally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1980 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. Placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1996.

AREA 500,000ha. 350,000ha constitute the biosphere reserve and 150,000ha a buffer zone.

LAND TENURE State-owned, although there are plots of privately-owned land within the reserve.

ALTITUDE Sea-level to 1,326m (Punta Piedra)

PHYSICAL FEATURES The reserve protects virtually the entire watershed of the 100km long Platano River, as well as major portions of the Paulaya, Guampu and Sicre Rivers. These three waterways and the Caribbean form the boundaries of the reserve. Topographic relief falls into two broad categories: the rugged mountainous headwaters region which encompasses almost 75% of the reserve, flanked by the Platano River and rising to Punta Piedra at 1,326m, and the coastal plains. The mountainous area has remarkable rock formations (e.g. Dama Peak) and a waterfall of 500m. The coastal area is flat or undulating with a number of lagoons such as Ibans and Cartina and grasslands subject to winter flooding. These lowlands extend inward from just a few kilometres to more than 40km. In the littoral zone of the reserve, this flat belt reaches its innermost penetration near Baltiltuk, some 35km up river from the sea. At other points these plains are less than 10km in width. The river basin drains an area of some 130,000ha and meanders considerably in the lowland region, marooning several ox-bow lakes. Natural levees have built up along much of this stretch and are preferred terrain for small agricultural plots. The upper two thirds of the river course is through mountainous terrain. Part of the river is subterranean below huge basalt rocks.

CLIMATE The climate is hot and humid. Annual precipitation varies locally from less than 2850mm to 3000-4000mm with a June to December rainy season. Average annual temperature is 26.6° C. In an average decade the region is impacted by four tropical storms and two hurricanes.

VEGETATION This is the largest surviving area of virgin tropical rain forest in Honduras and topographical disparity has resulted in a wild array of ecosystem types. The two dominant life zones are Humid Tropical Forest and Very Humid Subtropical Forest (Holdridge). The majority of the reserve (about 85%) lies within the tropical moist-forest zone, and 10-15% in the subtropical wet-forest zone. Mangrove ecosystems fringe the coastal lagoons of Brus (brackish) and Ibans (freshwater). Rhizophora mangle is the characteristic species. Other species from lacustrine ecosystems include Coccolaba uvifera, Languncularia recemosa and Cocos nucifera. Inland from the beach is a broad coastal savannah which consists of sedge prairie Rhynchospora spp. in the wetter areas, grasses Fimbristylis paradoxa and Declieuxia fruiticosa in drier areas, and pine savannas dominated by Pinus caribbea var. hondurensis. Hardwood gallery forest occurs along the Platano river and other alluvial tributaries with taxa such as Albizia carbonaria, Calophyllum brasiliense var. rekoi, Inga, Cecropia, Heliconia, Pachira aquatica. On land disturbed by agriculture dominants of the secondary forest include Salix humboltiana, species of Bambusa and Inga, and Ceiba pentandra. The greatest portion of the watershed is blanketed by mature broadleaf forest. Climax forest species include Chusquea spp., Pinus caribea, Geonoma, Chamaedorea, Vochysia, Virola koschnii, Calophyllum brasiliensis and Apeiba spp.: in high mountain areas mahogany Swietenia macrophylla, Tabebuia spp., cedar Cedrela odorata, Bursera simaruba and Chisia salviniie are dominants. Other common species include Lonchocarpus, Albizzia carbonaria, bamboo and Chamaldorea. Important timber trees occurring within the reserve include Callopyllum brasiliense, Carapa guianensis, Cedrela odorata, Swietenia macrophylla, Tabebuia rosea and Virola koschnyi. Pines and several palm species are used locally for construction, and some timber species are made into dugout canoes.

FAUNA Thirty-nine species of mammals, 377 species of birds and 126 of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded. Threatened species include giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla (VU), Baird's (Central American) tapir Tapirus bairdii (VU), jaguar Panthera onca (LR), ocelot Felis pardalis, puma F. concolor, margay F. wiedii, jaguarondi F. yaguaroundi, Central American otter Lutra longicaudis, Caribbean manatee Trichechus manatus (VU), American crocodile Crocodylus acutus (VU), brown caiman Caiman crocodilus, red brocket deer Mazama americana, harpy eagle Harpia harpyia (LR), scarlet macaw Ara macao, green macaw A. ambigua, military macaw A. militaris, king vulture Sarcoramphus papa, great curassow Crax rubra and crested guan Penelope purpurescens. Reptiles include green turtle Chelonia mydas (EN), loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta (EN), and leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea (EN). Fish include cuyamel Joturus pichardi.

CULTURAL HERITAGE The site of Ciudad Blanca (White City) within the protected area constitutes one of the most important archaeological sites of Mayan civilisation. Archaeological remains include the Piedras Pintadas petroglyphs on the bed of the Platano River, believed to belong to an unknown pre-Columbian culture. The reserve also contains the site where Christopher Colombus discovered the Americas in 1492. There are some 200 sites of archaeological importance.

LOCAL HUMAN POPULATION Some 6,000 inhabitants occupy the northern zone, of four cultural groups, the Meskito and Pesch Amerindians, Garífunas of Afro-caribbean descent, and the "ladinos" of mixed Spanish/Amerindian descent. The Miskito are the largest group of around 4,500 people living in coastal settlements, and two towns on the Tinto river. In addition, the Tawahka Amerindians live adjacent to the western zone of the reserve. Low scale, low impact agriculture is practised in the coastal region by the Garífunas, and on the banks of rivers in the northern zone by the Meskitos and Pesch. The local economy is mainly based on agriculture, although the number of visitors to the reserve is growing and the importance of the tourism industry is increasing (WWF and IUCN, 1997, IUCN 1996)

VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES No information.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND FACILITIES Basic inventories of the natural and cultural resources and more detailed anthropological and archaeological surveys have been completed (Houseal, 1979). The indigenous use of natural resources has been studied. The legend of a white city (Ciudad Blanca) has been neither confirmed nor refuted. There is an information/education centre at Las Marais and a small research station. There is also an information/education programme. Accommodation is available for visiting scientists.

CONSERVATION VALUE Comprises one of the few remaining areas of humid tropical forest in Central America which contains an abundant and varied plant and wildlife, including several internationally threatened species. Over 2,000 indigenous people continue to live in their traditional lifestyles. The area is also of archaeological importance.

CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT A management and development plan was completed in 1980 to strictly preserve natural features in the region and implement effective and specific measures to conserve the cultural features with the support of the local population. A special operational plan was written in 1987 emphasizing management of the most threatened southern zone. By the end of 1988, the Honduran Ecological Association in collaboration with the Honduran Corporation for Forestry Development (COHDEFOR) and the Secretary of Renewable Natural Resources and with funding support from WWF-US and UNESCO-World Heritage established a technical and administrative presence in the southern zone. Steps were taken to relocate refugees displaced by the war in Nicaragua and industrial logging operations outside the reserve, to control sawmill operations, stop road construction within the buffer zone, to identify the boundary, and develop an extensive environmental education and public relations campaign in the buffer zone communities (Romero, 1989). However, at present COHDEFOR does not possess sufficient resources to protect the reserve. The Honduran Public Safety Force maintain a presence in some of the nearby villages but they are not able to prevent land invasion or resource extraction (IUCN, 1996). WWF-US is currently running a project (HN0851) in north-eastern Honduras, focusing on the reserve. This aims to strengthen effective co-ordination between local NGOs, government authorities, and local communities in order to improve resource management and protection, to stabilise the agricultural front through promotion of sustainable land-uses and to help develop COHDEFOR's infrastructure (WWF, 1996).

MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS The reserve was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1996 due to threats from agricultural encroachment, colonisation, and inadequate management of natural and cultural resources. In addition there is no effective management plan and the reserve has been neither delimited nor zoned. A new road named after the Río Wampú extends 35km into the core National Park area, facilitating the advance of the agricultural frontier. By 1995 one hundred families had settled in this zone. Livestock expansion and colonisation of forest is a problem on the southern and western boundaries, and along river banks. Small farmers (ladinos) are often financed by commercial cattle-ranchers to take advantage of the lack of property records and to colonise the forest. After two years, farmers sell the land rights to cattle-ranchers, and move further into the forest. This is causing deforestation, erosion and soil degradation. The southern and western zones are also subject to uncontrolled extraction of precious woods such as mahogany species Swietenia macrophyla, Liquidambar styraciflua and palm Roystonea donlapiana. Hunting for commercial purposes is also occurring, mainly by groups outside of the reserve. Some operations are masked as ecotourism expeditions. Sightings of species such as Guara roja, jaguar, tapir, and crocodile have become scarce. The introduction of exotic species is presenting a threat to native species. Tilapia Tilapia nilotica has been introduced to the coastal lakes threatening native fish species. Marine turtle populations are under threat from extraction of eggs, and the commercialisation of the Hawksbill turtle shell. This is exacerbated by industrial fishing and shrimp dragging. The cultural value of the site is being undermined by inhabitants inside and outside of the reserve extracting archaeological artefacts to sell to tourists and collectors. Tourism is increasing, although no tourism management strategy to control or to benefit from visitors. This increase in tourism, combined with the immigration of ladinos to the area has accelerated trans-culturalisation of the ethnic groups within the park, and there are conflicts between ladinos and ethnic groups over colonisation and the use of natural resources (IUCN, 1996).

STAFF In 1995 there was one fishing inspector, two inspectors from the Ministry of Natural resources, and a technician from the Honduran Corporation for Forestry Development, responsible for all protected areas of La Mosquita, based at Puerto Lempira, some 100km from the reserve (IUCN, 1996).

BUDGET US$100,000 (US$60,000 donation from WWF) (1980-81). US$84,000 grant from WWF Tropical Forest Campaign to buy essential equipment and construct an airstrip (1983/84). US$169,309 spent by WWF up to 1989. US$173,500 promised by various national and international organisations including The National Directorate of Mines, CATIE, Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Autonomous University.

Direccion General de Recursos Naturales Renovables (RENARE), Tegucigalpa DC.

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DATE 1983, revised July 1986, updated May 1989, March 1993, July 1997.