Amphibian Alliance for Zero Extinction Sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca

350 Pages·2015·17.84 MB·English

Amphibian Alliance for Zero Extinction
Sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca
John F. Lamoreux, Meghan W. McKnight, and Rodolfo Cabrera Hernandez
Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 53

Amphibian Alliance for Zero Extinction
Sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca
John F. Lamoreux, Meghan W. McKnight, and Rodolfo Cabrera Hernandez
Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 53
The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or other participating
organizations.
Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
Copyright: © 2015 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources
Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial
purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright
holder provided the source is fully acknowledged.
Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is
prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Citation: Lamoreux, J. F., McKnight, M. W., and R. Cabrera Hernandez (2015).
Amphibian Alliance for Zero Extinction Sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca. Gland,
Switzerland: IUCN. xxiv + 320pp.
ISBN: 978-2-8317-1717-3
DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.CH.2015.SSC-OP.53.en
Cover photographs: Totontepec landscape; new Plectrohyla species, Ixalotriton niger, Concepción
Pápalo, Thorius minutissimus, Craugastor pozo (panels, left to right)
Back cover photograph: Collecting in Chamula, Chiapas
Photo credits: The cover photographs were taken by the authors under grant agreements
with the two main project funders: NGS and CEPF. Likewise, other
photographs in this publication belong to the authors and they should not
be reproduced or used in other contexts without written permission. Three
exceptions to this include: Figure III-4 by Toby Hibbitts (pg. 199), Figure
IV-6 by Eric Smith (pg. 235), and Figure IV-10 by Antonio Muñoz (pg.
261). These should not be reproduced or used in other contexts without
written permission from the photographers.
Available from: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/publications/
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The Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) provides the scientific foundation to
inform effective amphibian conservation action around the world. More specifically,
the ASG stimulates, develops and conducts scientific research to inform the conser-
vation of amphibians and their habitats around the world, supports the assessment
of the conservation status of amphibian biodiversity and informs the general public
of amphibian conservation-related issues and priorities. This is attained by sup-
porting and mobilizing a global network of members to develop capacity, improve
coordination and integration so as to achieve shared, strategic amphibian conserva-
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development in harmony with Earth. For more information about Pronatura Sur,
visit <www.pronatura-sur.org>.
Contents
Prologue ....................................................................................................................xi
Project Objectives, Scope, and Funding ...................................................................xiii
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................xv
Text Conventions ....................................................................................................xix
I: Introduction 1
Layout of the Book .....................................................................................................3
Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) ............................................................................4
Mexico’s Extraordinary Number of Amphibian AZE Sites .........................................5
State of Urgency ........................................................................................................7
Threats to Amphibians in Chiapas and Oaxaca ..........................................................8
Habitat loss .........................................................................................................9
Water use ..........................................................................................................14
Fire ...................................................................................................................18
Climate change .................................................................................................23
Chytridiomycosis ................................................................................................35
II: Site profiles 89
Concepción Pápalo ...................................................................................................91
Sierra de Juárez .......................................................................................................105
Totontepec ..............................................................................................................147
Ayutla .....................................................................................................................163
Santo Tomás Teipan ...............................................................................................173
Chimalapas ............................................................................................................181
III: Additional areas/sites visited 193
San Cristóbal de las Casas.......................................................................................195
Cerro de las Flores ..................................................................................................213
IV: Delineation of AZE sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca 221
The Need for a New AZE List ...............................................................................223
Our Delineation of Amphibian AZE Sites ..............................................................229
vi AmphibiAn AlliAnce for Zero extinction SiteS in chiApAS And oAxAcA
AZE Sites that were the Foci of Our Project ..........................................................229
Additional AZE Amphibian Sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca ......................................234
Two Additional AZE Sites Triggered by Non-amphibians ......................................244
Possible AZE Trigger Species Depending on Site Definition ...................................245
DD Amphibian Species that Might Qualify if Reassessed ......................................251
Deleted Amphibian AZE Sites ................................................................................253
V: Additional material 275
Recommendations Regarding Chytridiomycosis .....................................................277
Appendix 1. Description of IUCN Red List Categories .........................................304
Appendix 3. Summary of the Five IUCN Criteria ..................................................308
Appendix 4. Map of Official 2010 AZE Sites for Chiapas and Oaxaca ...................310
Appendix 5. Map of Protected Areas and Our Recommended AZE Sites ...............311
Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................313
Index to Species ......................................................................................................317
Boxes
Box I-1. The Possible Threat of Chemical Contaminants ..........................................10
Box I-2. Climate Change and Chytridiomycosis .......................................................54
Box IV-1. Commentary on the Delineation of Sites in Northern Oaxaca ................241
Box IV-2. El Pozo ...................................................................................................258
Tables
Table I-1. National AZE members for Mexico ............................................................5
Table II-1. Amphibians encountered at Concepción Pápalo .....................................102
Table II-2. Amphibians encountered at Sierra de Juárez ..........................................145
Table II-3. Amphibians encountered at Totontepec .................................................160
Table II-4. Amphibians encountered at Santo Tomás Teipan ..................................178
Table III-1. Categories of the 42 species of Plectrohyla on the IUCN Red List .........207
Table IV-1. 2005 AZE amphibian sites and species in Chiapas and Oaxaca ............228
Table IV-2. Species that would trigger a greater N. Oaxaca AZE site ......................243
Appendix 2. Mexican Species Flagged by IUCN as Possibly Extinct .......................306
content S vviiii
Figures
Figure Text Conventions-1. IUCN Red List categories .............................................xx
Figure I-1. Top 10 countries in number of AZE trigger species ...................................6
Figure I-2. Signs of the importance of forests ............................................................12
Figure I-3. Polluted river in San Cristóbal de las Casas .............................................15
Figure I-4. CONAGUA water pipes in the Chiapan highlands .................................17
Figure I-5. Creek bed below Bochojbo Alto ..............................................................18
Figure I-6. Controlled fire in forest near Cerro Baúl .................................................21
Figure I-7. Ridge top of Cerro Baúl showing post-fire woody debris ..........................22
Figure I-8. Plectrohyla matudai from Cerro Baúl .......................................................38
Figure II-1. Map of Concepción Pápalo AZE site ......................................................90
Figure II-2. Map of caves and new tourist cabins in Concepción Pápalo ...................93
Figure II-3. Concepción Pápalo showing the effects of fire ........................................94
Figure II-4. Concepción Pápalo’s commissariat .........................................................95
Figure II-5. Sampling for Bd and local interest in amphibians ...................................96
Figure II-6. Thorius papaloae at Concepción Pápalo ..................................................97
Figure II-7. Pseudoeurycea aurantia at Concepción Pápalo .........................................98
Figure II-8. Mesaspis juarezi from Concepción Pápalo .............................................100
Figure II-9. Map of Sierra de Juárez AZE site ..........................................................104
Figure II-10. Snow atop Cerro Pelón .......................................................................111
Figure II-11. High elevation cloud forest on the north slope of Cerro Pelón ............112
Figure II-12. Highway 175 near La Esperanza ........................................................113
Figure II-13. Lower montane forest near La Esperanza and a new trail ...................114
Figure II-14. Chytridiomycosis at Sierra de Juárez ...................................................118
Figure II-15. Pseudoeurycea saltator from near La Esperanza ....................................129
Figure II-16. Thorius aureus ....................................................................................132
Figure II-17. Exerodonta abdivita .............................................................................135
Figure II-18. Pseudoeurycea juarezi ..........................................................................136
Figure II-19. Map of Totontepec AZE site ...............................................................146
Figure II-20. Montane forest within the Totontepec AZE site .................................149
Figure II-21. Deforestation within the Totontepec AZE site ....................................150
viii AmphibiAn AlliAnce for Zero extinction SiteS in chiApAS And oAxAcA
Figure II-22. Cesar López Alcántara, former mayor of Totontepec ..........................151
Figure II-23. Plectrohyla calthula and Charadrahyla nephila .....................................155
Figure II-24. Metamorph of an unidentified frog species ........................................156
Figure II-25. Waterfalls and plunge pools along with introduced trout ....................157
Figure II-26. Map of Ayutla AZE site .....................................................................162
Figure II-27. Alejandro Franco Conseco, Ayutla’s mayor .........................................164
Figure II-28. Heavily logged forests surrounding Ayutla .........................................165
Figure II-29. Río Alacrán, 1 km E of Ayutla ...........................................................166
Figure II-30. Water truck on the road from Tierra Blanca to Ayutla .......................167
Figure II-31. Map of Santo Tomás Teipan AZE site ................................................172
Figure II-32. Santo Tomás Teipan and the production of cut flowers ......................174
Figure II-33. Thorius minutissimus ..........................................................................176
Figure II-34. Map of Chimalapas AZE site .............................................................180
Figure II-35. Cerro Baúl and its high elevation habitat ............................................182
Figure II-36. Antonio Muñoz teaching the importance of salamanders ...................184
Figure II-37. Ixalotriton niger ..................................................................................185
Figure II-38. Ixalotriton parvus ...............................................................................187
Figure III-1. Satellite view of San Cristóbal de las Casas..........................................194
Figure III-2. San Cristóbal de las Casas ..................................................................195
Figure III-3. Craugastor glaucus ...............................................................................198
Figure III-4. Plectrohyla pycnochila ..........................................................................199
Figure III-5. Plectrohyla acanthodes ..........................................................................201
Figure III-6. Plectrohyla acanthodes tadpoles and aquaria ........................................204
Figure III-7. Luis Carrillo preparing Plectrohyla acanthodes for transport .................205
Figure III-8. New Plectrohyla species .......................................................................206
Figure III-9. Prepollical process and rostral keel of the new Plectrohyla species ........207
Figure III-10. Additional characteristics of the new Plectrohyla species ....................208
Figure III-11. Map of Cerro de las Flores ................................................................212
Figure III-12. Cerro de las Flores and its habitat .....................................................214
Figure III-13. Deforestation at Cerro de las Flores ...................................................215
Figure III-14. More threats to Plectrohyla ephemera .................................................216