Cusuco National Park
Located in the Merendon mountains of north-western Honduras, Cusuco national park (CNP) covers 23,440ha of land, and is comprised of two main regions; a buffer zone (15,750ha) and a core zone (7,690ha). Within the core zone, deforestation and hunting are illegal, and only the few individuals who were already living within the core zone when the area was designated as a National Park (1959) are permitted as residents. The buffer zone regulations are less strict; development is permitted, as are farms and coffee plantations, although some coffee is grown using shade farming methods an alternative to deforestation of entire areas. Within the park, there are several major habitats including moist broadleaf forest (which makes up the majority), moist pine forest and dwarf forest, and across the park there are large elevational changes up to 2,000 metres. CNP is ranked in the top 100 most irreplaceable conservation sites, and is the 25th most irreplaceable site for amphibians.
One of the reasons why CNP is so important is because it’s characterized as a rare forest type known as cloud forest which makes up less than 2.5% of the worlds tropical rainforests. Cloud forests describe areas where the low temperatures of 6-10°C causes water condensation that produces clouds, fog and rain, and therefore these are vital for maintaining water sources for surrounding areas, especially during dry periods. The reason cloud forests are important for water sources is because the vast number of epiphytic plants (mosses, ferns, bromeliads) found within these zones capture water directly from clouds and fog and recycle it back into the ecosystem. CNP is an example of a Montane Cloud forest, though this zone can be found at any elevation. The conditions that make cloud forests so good at producing water also make them the perfect home for a vast diversity of unique species, and as such these areas contain high levels of endemism; for example, 83 species of herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) are only found in Honduran Cloud forest; 11 of these species are endemic to CNP.
CNP is part of the Meso-American biodiversity hotspot, which contains an exceptional species richness and as such is an important area for conservation. Biodiversity hotspots are areas which aim to protect the greatest number of species globally in the smallest land area; the smaller the hotspot, the easier it is to manage and conserve the habitats and species found within it. Historically, the volcanic activity gave the Meso-American hotspot its extremes of elevation and relief, both of which were crucial in producing the incredibly rich biodiversity in the area, which resulted in an abundance of unique flora and fauna. CNP is home to a range of threatened taxa which the park protects; one of the most notable resident bird species is the Resplendent Quetzal, which is only found in cloud forest habitat. CNP is especially important for amphibians, Baird’s Tapir, Jewel Scarab beetles, montane specialist bird species, and the globally rare dwarf forest habitat.
Operation Wallacea, Honduras Expedition
Operation Wallacea is a conservation research and expeditions organisation that is funded by teams of student volunteers, who join expeditions. The site in Cusuco has been run since 2003, and the data collected has led to the park being listed in the top 100 most irreplaceable forest sites in the world.
Operation Wallacea conducts a wide variety of surveys across a 2-month period. These include; invertebrate surveys (light trap, pitfall trap, opportunistic identification, butterfly netting and aquatic surveys), herpetofauna surveys (amphibian and reptile communities are assessed through standard search time surveys and pitfall trapping), mammal surveys (checking baited traps, and mark-release-recapture methods), bird surveys (Point counts and mist netting), bat surveys (mist netting) and finally habitat surveys (diameter at breast height of all woody species, canopy height, quantity of vegetation at different heights from a touch pole, light penetration to forest floor using a canopy scope, evidence of disturbance and sapling density).
Below are some of the incredible species which can be seen in the park:
