Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, Belize National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Monuments, Natural Reserves

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Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area

It is the largest private reserve in Belize and protects extensive areas of various habitats. Its northern location makes it important for the conservation of Yucatan and Peten endemics. Its position on the Guatemalan border makes it important for bi-national conservation efforts. Inventories have been undertaken for all vertebrate groups with the exception of the fishes. Invertebrate inventories are limited to the lepidoptera and some coleopteran groups. Over 70 mammal species (of which over 50% are bats) have been recorded. Over 390 bird species have been recorded, of which over 25% are nearctic migrants. These also include a number of species of special concern, and the Yellow-headed Parrot, an endemic vulnerable to the local pet trade, deserves special mention. Game birds are also conspicuous on the site, where populations appear to be responding to unproved hunting control. Morelet's Crocodile, a regional endemic, is common in all the water bodies and the Central American River Turtle, a regional endemic threatened throughout its range, is common in the deeper lagoons and rivers.

The principal feature of the site is that it carries healthy populations of all the characteristic species in the community including the full complement of top predators. The area displays a complex mosaic of vegetation types created by strong relationship between vegetation type and local topography, and 22 vegetation types are currently recognized for mapping purposes. In general terms, the most extensive vegetation cover consists of variants of broadleaf forest. These are traditionally believed to contain the richest Mahogany resource in Belize, and have been logged for over 150 years. They are also noted for their stocks of Sapodilla, from which chicle is tapped. Seasonally waterlogged forests are also extensive, as are open pine woodlands, savanna and herbaceous swamp formations. The site is considered to carry the most diversity in vegetation communities of any protected area in the country and makes an important contribution to protected area coverage for 6 of them. Some 230 tree species have been recorded to date and the total woody flora is estimated at 250-300 species. Comprehensive inventory of the non-woody flora has not yet been undertaken. As an extension of the Peten, a recognized centre of plant biodiversity, the level of regional endemicity is relatively high.

The La Milpa Field Station provides board and lodging for up to 30 visitors. There is also a trail system and station staff serve as guides. Visitor levels are roughly 1200 per year, of whom approximately 50% are Belizean nationals. These figures include day visitors coming to the site through the Education and Outreach Programme. Courses for foreign and local students on tropical forest ecology are also ran from the La Milpa Field Station. Visitor levels are rising and upgraded visitor and interpretation facilities are being built on the site. A similar facility is planned for the Hill Bank Field Station while upmarket tourist facilities are also under consideration. Use of "green technologies" - solar and wind power, composting toilets - are being maximized in the new visitor buildings.

The cultural heritage of the area is extraordinarily rich. Over 60 Mayan sites have so far been located, ranging from major ceremonial centres, and elite dwellings, to field and terrace systems, to industrial sites producing stone tools. House mounds are almost ubiquitous. La Milpa, on the western part of the site, is considered the third largest ceremonial centre in Belize while Dos Hombres, an elite "palace", approaches La Milpa in extent. Most of the visible architecture dates from the Late Classic (8th - 9th century AD), when it is believed that all available resources were exploited to the maximum, but the archaeological record extends from pre-ceramic to the European contact period. During the 19th and 20th century the area formed the principal mahogany forest of the Belize Estate and Produce Company, an important influence on the economic and social development of British Honduras/Belize, and many relics remain. Colonial land use has not yet been examined in detail but the physical evidence, when taken with the documentary record, promises to give valuable insights into the period.