Bacalar within a larger

interconnected coastal

ecosystem

Dr. Héctor A. Hernández Arana

El Colegio de la Frontera Sur

Unidad Chetumal

Research group

Ecology of Coastal

Ecosystems

Haydée López Adame

Gualberto Uc Balam

Elda Canul

Rene Calderón Mandujano

Fotografía

Humberto Bahena Basave

•Yucatán Peninsula context

•Caribbean Sea

•SQRoo coastal ecosystems

•Bacalar

•Hydrological connections

•Biological connections

•Ecological interactions

•Ecosystem processes

•Transversal corridors

The Yucatan Peninsula •Carbonate

platform

•Quaternary

sediments

•Karstic features

Sinkholes

H. Bahena

Basave

Freshwater

lakes

H. Bahena

Basave

Groundwater

reservoir

Noticaribe.com.mx

Perry et al. (2009)

Fresh water lakes

•Eastern distribution

•Associated to

groundwater flow

Northeast

East Southeast

Pérez-Ceballos et al. In press J. of Cave and Karst studies (adapted form SARH

1989 and Perry et al. 2002)

Perry et al. (2009)

Largest Fresh water

lakes

•Southeastern

distribution

•Share geologic origin

•Block fault basins

•SW-NE fault system

http://www.mantleplumes.org/WebDoc

uments/CaribbeanPlateau.pdf

The

Caribbean

Sea context

Northeast

•Yalahau

•Chacmo chuc

•Nichupte

East

•Ascención bay

•Espíritu Santo

bay

Southeast

•Bacalar

•Chile verde

•Guerrero

•Chetumal

bay

•Río Hondo

Coastal ecosystems

•Flood plains

•Mangrove forests

•Coastal lagoons

•Fringing reefs

H. Bahena Basave

H. Bahena Basave H. Bahena Basave

Southern QRoo coastal

ecosystems

H. Bahena Basave

H. Bahena Basave

Acoplamiento tierra-mar.tierra

Grado de interconectividad

Migraciones ontogénicas

Frente arrecifal

Cresta arrecifal

Laguna arrecifal

Isla de barrera

Lagunas y lagos

costeros

Transición con selva

Estructura generalizada de los ecosistemas

costeros en el caribe Mexicano

Superficial hydrological

connection

North Bacalar lagoon North Chetumal bay

H. Bahena Basave H. Bahena Basave

Superficial hydrological

connection

South Bacalar lagoon South Chetumal bay

-100

-90

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

Cenote Azul Bacalar lagoon

Sink hole BCH

Sink hole BCH

Max depth m

Underground

connection Inland Sea

H. Bahena Basave H. Bahena Basave

Biological connections

Pomacea sp.

LB, LM, LCV, LG

Cychlasoma aff.

orhophtalmus

LB, LM, LCV, LG, RH,

WBCH

Dermatemys mawii

LB, LM, LCV, LG, RH,

WBCH

Mytillopsis sallei

LB, LCV, LG, RH, BCH

Marine influence driver of

biological distribution

Carrillo et al. 2009. Spatial and seasonal patterns of salinity… Estuaries and

Coast. DOI 10.1007/s12237-009-9196-2

L. Guerrero salinity variation up to 5 psu during the dry

season

Laguna Guerrero

Proyecto FOMIX-CONACYT

Clave del Proyecto: QROO-2009-C01-123254

Desarrollo de indicadores de calidad del agua en lagunas

costeras y continentales de Quintana Roo para el diseño

e implementación de un programa de monitoreo estatal

Responsable Técnico: Dra. Teresa Alvarez Legorreta

Laguna Bacalar

Other

examples but

of wider

distribution From the reef

to the

freshwater

lakes

Ecological

interactions

Bivalves and

microbialites

Prey-predator

Harmful or beneficial?

Human

Consumption - waste

Ecosystem processes

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2009 2010 2011

Rio Hondo

Salinidad promedio por colecta

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2009 2010 2011

Tamalcab

gr/

kg

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2010 2011

Playa Cayo Venado

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2009 2010 2011

Río Hondo

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2009 2010 2011

Tamalcab

gr/

día

/20

0m

2

TS Karl sep -10

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2010 2011

Playa Cayo Venado

SW – W - NW

BCH

Climatic drivers of ecosystem

processes Caribe

Mexicano

N 28º C + 1º C

S 29º C + 1º C

Q. Roo Sur Q. Roo

Coastal ecosystems

Interphase -

connectivity

Human impacts

Environmental

goods and

services

Implications for conservation

management and development

Research-Planned development-Conservation

Transversal corridors

Research-Planned development-Conservation

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