Sierra Madre Volcanoes

Lake Atitlan
© Alejandro J. Quintero

The Nature Conservancy and local partners are working together to protect the Sierra Madre Volcanoes Region. This area is renowned both locally and internationally for its beauty and recognized as one of the most biologically and culturally diverse regions of Guatemala.

The Sierra Madre Volcanoes region contains important remnants of broadleaf cloud forest, pine-oak forests and tropical pine forests. The chain of volcanic cones it comprises are "islands of biodiversity" with high levels of species found nowhere else.

The Nature Conservancy's work focuses on the Atitlan area, which is dominated by the volcanic cones of the Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro which surround the Atitlan crater lake. The area has a spectacular panoramic landscape with great biological and cultural richness and diversity.

Location
The Lake Atitlán Watershed Multiple Use Protected Area covers an area of 1,229 square kilometers (1,103.3 square kilometers of land and 125.7 square kilometers of lake surface). It is located in the highlands in the western part of Guatemala. The majority of the protected area is part of the department of Sololá.

Animals
The site harbors, among others, the regionally endemic Cabanis´s or azure-rumped tanager as well as threatened resident birds such as the resplendent quetzal and the horned guan and is considered a key migratory route for neotropical migratory birds. Sierra Madre Volcanoes also provide refuge for one of the last remaining population of highland margay, providing a genetic link with other remaining populations in Mexico and the rest of Guatemala.

Plants
Within the broadleaf forests, composed mainly of oak, and the tropical pine forests, the Sierra Madre Volcanoes region is thought to contain more than 160 flowering plant families, encompassing more than 750 species of plants.

Why The Conservancy Works Here
A gap analysis recently performed by the Conservancy for Central America identified the Sierra Madre Volcanoes as one of Central America's two most important conservation gaps.

The Sierra Madre Volcanoes have a high level of endemic species. This region is highly threatened, being one of the most densely populated areas in Guatemala. The main threats are: deforestation and fragmentation; illegal hunting; the advancement of the agricultural frontier; and forest fires.

In addition, Lake Atitlán is a popular tourist destination. While this is an important source of income for the region, tourism also contributes to problems such as pollution (sewage and solid waste), uncontrolled development, and cultural fragmentation.

What The Conservancy Is Doing
The Sierra Madre Volcanoes region has recently been incorporated into the Nature Conservancy's Parks in Peril Program. This USAID-funded initiative will work to make the Lake Atitlán Watershed Multiple Use Protected Area more than just a "paper park" by working with local partners to strengthen the management and protection of the area as well as increasing the involvement of local communities in a stewardship role.