Abstract

GOMEZ-CARDONA, Camilo J et al. Birdwatching potential in the regional natural Park Boca de Guacamaya, Sucre, Colombia: a look from the perspective of ecosystem services. Hornero [online]. 2019, vol.34, n.1, pp.17-29. ISSN 0073-3407.

The birdwatching potential in the Boca de Guacamaya Park was determined from the ecosystem services (ES) approach. For the assessment of the birdwatching potential, a matrix of ecosystem services was used to define a series of factors and criteria re­lated to the supply and demand of birdwatching in the study area. The supply was valued in terms of the species and conditions present in the different types of land cover. The demand was assessed taking into account the perception of local stakeholders about the importance of the types of land cover for the provision of ES. For the quantification of these criteria, bird samples were made in the field and some tools of participatory research were used. The values obtained for the criteria were normalized to a relative scale (from not relevant to very high) and interconnected to the coverage types to provide the supply and demand maps of birdwatching ES. As a result, 129 species distributed in 18 orders and 38 families were identified; the presence of an endemic species was registered (Ortalis garrulla), as well as the presence of a near endemic species (Chauna chavaria) categorized as near threatened (NT) at a global level and vulnerable (VU) at the national level, and of 33 migra­tory species, which confirms the potential of the Park for the development of birdwatching. The mangroves and swamps turned out to be the coverages that present the best conditions and host the greatest number of species of interest for bird watching

Keywords : Birdwatching; Colombia; Ecosystem services; Socioecological system; Landscape socioecological units; Participa­tory valuation.