Professor Alejandro Melendez from UAM (University Autonomous de Mexico) gave a comprehensive presentation on the three years of work he and his biology students have completed here in Barra de Potosi and Playa Blanca. Professor Alejandro spoke to a packed house of students, local winter residents, and secondary school children at El Refugio de Potosi.

The professor warmed up with some background on his objectives; creating sustainable tourism opportunities and fostering wildlife conservation. In order to meet these goals he and his students have created a biodiversity study of local habitats along with a diagnostic survey of wildlife here, with a focus on birds. For the past three years, once a semester they have tramped through salt flats and palm groves, swam and boated in the lagoon, climbed Guamilule, sweated buckets and looked everywhere for birds, butterflies, insects and any wildlife they can see and identify. They are the first to make any kind of study for this area and hope that their work will impact development planning here.

The lagoon is the most important habitat here, as it is home to many migratory birds as well as resident bird populations and provides an important source of local income; with tours, fishing and shrimping. Also considered specific habitat are the following: salinas (salt flats), swamps, palm orchards, selva baja, Los Morros, beach, town, and mouth of the lagoon.

In the lagoon we have the all important red and black manglar or mangroves which support both fish and bird populations. Manglar also provides protection from wind and flooding. Manglar is protected by law in Mexico, but sadly suffers from frequent exploitation.

Guamilule is considered selva baja or tropical deciduous forest. There is selva baja in many places here, you can tell it as it characteristically looks dead or at least very dry after the rainy season but is, in fact, living native vegetation and shelters many species of wildlife.

Palmar is the name the scientists use to describe the palm orchards, and though they are not native to Mexico they were planted many years ago and provide incredibly and surprisingly rich habitat and support abundant wildlife.

Los Morros are particular habitat for marine birds and provide important rookeries for nesting birds, especially the boobies. They provide a haven for many fish and are important fishing grounds for local and visitors.

The other habitats for birds, the salinas, swamps, gardens and the town have a lot of crossover with the other habitats.

Here are some bird population stats for the various habitats (the numbers don’t add up as there is crossover in some habitats:  (Birds are captured in mist nets and checked for health, migratory status, and ovulation status, then they are banded and released).

Professor Alejandro mentioned that we must be aware of the realistic actual situation here at Playa Blanca. Mexico has a special designation for important areas for bird habitat protection: AICAS. http://conabioweb.conabio.gob.mx/aicas/doctos/aicas.html Of the more than 70 areas designated for protection, there are only three in Guerrero: Coyuca-Tres Palos, Tlacoyunque, and Copala-Punta Maldonada, in the southern part of the state.

In Zihuatanejo and Petatlan there are no plans for designating areas for protection, no plans for protection of shore birds or lagoons, and no plans for any type of ecological conservation. This creates a precarious situation since there are many plans for development. Professor Alejandro feels that his intensive and in-depth study can provide the framework for conservation planning in this area.

In closing Professor Melendez pointed out that the area of Barra de Potosi and Playa Blanca, approximately 490 hectares in total area, is host to .25 bird species per hectare. This may not seem like a lot or important until you look at the comparison with some large well known areas that have been designated for conservation planning:

Tabasco: .046 species per hectare

Gulf of Mexico: .0001 p/h

Huatulco: .0257 p/h

Professor Alejandro is in the process of publishing his findings and will continue to bring students here to collect data and band birds. He left us with encouragement to focus on conservation and to help build a program for nature guides that will bring more interest in the fantastic diversity of wildlife we enjoy here and hopefully bring increased pressure for sustainable conservation alongside the plans for development.

Doña Mariposa

PS time to break out the binocs!