Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG)

 

The Area de Conservación Guanacaste (or Guanacaste Conservation Area) is listed as a Natural World Heritage site and comprises the former National Parks of Rincon de la Vieja, Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Bahia Junquillal Wildlife Refuge and the recently added Santa Elena Sector.

Location

The Guancaste Conservation Area is in the far North West of Costa Rica and stretches from 12 miles out in the Pacific ocean, across the coastal lowlands, over 3 volcanoes and into the Atlantic coastal lowlands to the east of the Guanacaste Cordillera (mountain range). 

History of the conservation area

1971:   Santa Rosa National Park created
1974:   Rincón de la Vieja National Park created
1989:   Guanacaste National Park created
1989:   Area de Conservación Guanacaste first designated
1995:   Bahia Junquillal National Wildlife Refuge created
1999:   Area de Conservación Guanacaste named as a World Heritage site.
2004:   Santa Elena Sector proposed

AREA 

The total area of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) (as of 2004) comprises 147,000 ha, comprising 104,000 terrestrial habitats and 43,000 marine habitats. 

ALTITUDE 

Ranges from sea level to 1,916m at the summit of Volcan Rincon de la Vieja. 

PHYSICAL FEATURES 

The World Heritage Site is made up of the Guanacaste Cordillera, its surrounding flatlands and the Pacific Coastal Areas.  It includes the Volcanoes Orosi, Cacao and Rincon de la Vieja.  Rincon de la Vieja is the most active of these volcanoes.  It has three craters and a lagoon.  Fumarole activity occurs in one crater and at the base there are several ‘pailas’ (mud pots) which contain boiling mud and can be in size anywhere between half a meter and 10 meters! There are several rivers that flow from the volcano area into the Tempisque River which is an important source of irrigation for the Guanacaste province.

Punta Respingue is situated in the Santa Elena Sector and is the only freshwater wetland on the whole Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  It forms a swamp in the rainy season.   

The marine area includes various islands & islets close to shore, open marine zones, beaches, dunes, rocky coasts, cobble beaches and 20 km of sea turtle nesting grounds. Nancite Beach, 1.7 km in length is the site where thousands of olive ridley sea turtles nest in waves called ‘arribadas’ (arrivals). The Guanacaste Conseveration Area also includes 2 nesting beaches of the threatened Leatherback sea turtle.  

CLIMATE 

Tropical with the rainy season running from May to November.  Annual precipitation is on average 1,528 mm in the Santa Rosa National Park, with mean temperature at 28°C.  April and May are the hottest months.

VEGETATION 

The area of tropical dry forest is one of the last remaining examples of this in the world.  The main vegetation is mixed deciduous forest, fig trees, evergreens alongside patches of water, savannahs with jaragua grass, oak forests and mangroves. 

The ACG protects a seasonal migratory route from the Pacific coast to 2000 meters above sea level, from dry forest to cloud forest and down to Atlantic rain forest which has been very important in protecting the life histories of many species of animals.

In the Rincon de la Vieja National Park there are 4 differrent forest types.
1) Tropical Wet;
2) Premontane Moist (rich in species);
3) Premontane Rain (rough topography)
4) Lower Montane Rain (covered in cloud year-round and the trees have stunted growth due to the prevailing winds). 

The ACG also includes 37 wetland areas, among which are Puerto Soley, Cuajiniquil, Santa Elena, Potrero Grande, Nancite and Playa Naranjo mangrove swamps; Limbo Lagoon; Iguanito Estuary; and Rincon de la Vieja Volcano Lagoon (freshwater). 

FAUNA 

Mammals: white-tailed deer, white-lipped peccary, collared peccary, Central American tapir, white-faced monkey (capuchin), spider monkey, howler monkey, collared anteater, jaguar and ocelot.

Insects: the inventory still continues!  Already there are 2 million examples deposited in the collections of the National Institute of Biodiversity in Costa Rica.

Birds: more than 500 species.  Include the military macaw, rufescent tinamu, spot-bellied bobwhite, great curassow, crested guan, blue-winged teal, roseate spoonbill, ibis, laughing falcon.

Additionally: in the estuaries caymans have been observed.  On the Naranjo and Nancite beaches during the breeding and mating season (August to December), over 250,000 turtles arrive to nest. The majority are olive ridley turtle. The green turtle, leatherback turtle and hawksbill turtle also use the beaches quite extensively to nest. The ACG is estimated to possess 20,000 species of beetles and 13,000 species of ants, bees, wasps and relatives.  

VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES

The Administrative Area is located in the Santa Rosa Park.  The entrance is 35 km northwest of Liberia or 24 km south of La Cruz on the Interamericana Highway.  The Santa Rosa Park is a highly popular site for visitors, particularly for the historic Casona, and the Naranjo and Nancite beaches with their annual turtle visitors.

Visitors to individual protected areas are charged with an entrance fee.  The Santa Rosa park has some facilities for visitors, but most of them are located in nearby localities and the city of Liberia, which is located some 50 km east of the entrance to the Santa Rosa National Park.  The Rincon de la Vieja area has 2 ranger stations. 

CONSERVATION VALUE 

This area was nominated as a World Heritage Site largely because it contains the best example of the highly endangered tropical dry forest.   

PROBLEMS FACED 

The area now encompassed by the ACG has been subjected to 4 centuries of damage from man-made fires, lumbering, ranching, farming, irrigation, mining, road construction and pesticide use.  However, it is believed that the land can recuperate from these issues.

Local fishing is facing decreased species size (mainly snapper) while at the same time facing an increased effort required for the same catch.  Additionally, outside interests (mainly Puntarenas shrimpers) are causing damage due to the use of small-mesh nets and consequent dumping of unwanted catch.

LOCAL ADDRESSES 

Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Apartado Postal 169-5000, Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Tel-Fax: (506) 695-5598 - Santa Rosa
Tel-Fax: (506) 695-5577 - Pocosol
Tel-Fax: (506) 666-0630 - Liberia
Email: acginves@sol.racsa.co.cr
Web page: http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr/

Source: United Nations Environment Program (adapted)