CONAP and CATIE redesign the forest monitoring system in the network of permanent sampling plots of the Maya Biosphere Reserve

• Two consultation workshops held in Petén marked the beginning of a participatory process to modernize the monitoring system of the permanent sampling plots network, key for forest conservation and sustainable management.

The National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) of Guatemala and CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) joined efforts to promote the modernization of the forest monitoring system in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. As part of this process, two workshops were held on August 6 and 7 in Santa Elena, Petén, with the participation of representatives from government institutions, academia, and community organizations.

The activities were framed within the project Review of the Monitoring System on Forest Dynamics in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, developed in the context of Action 8 of the Euroclima Program, financed by Expertise France and implemented by CATIE, with the support of CONAP.

During the first workshop, CATIE researchers presented project progress and fostered a dialogue on the indicators currently used for forest monitoring in Petén, as well as those that could be incorporated to enrich the proposal. The goal was to ensure that the new system responds to local needs and strengthens forest management in a climate change scenario.

In the second workshop, the Regional Director of CONAP in Petén, Eng. Sergio Balán, presented the current status of the network of permanent sampling plots (PPM). Based on this presentation, participants worked together to identify strengths and weaknesses of the existing system, in addition to proposing concrete solutions to improve its design.

The proposal presented by CATIE envisions improving a digital, open, and participatory monitoring system that facilitates the entry, storage, and analysis of data. This redesign will allow for the georeferencing of plots, monitoring of measurements over time, calculation of key forest dynamics indicators, and generation of automated reports to support decision-making.

Next steps include the consolidation of a first version of the improved system, which will integrate historical plot data. At the same time, Expertise France, together with CONAP and the Association of Forest Communities of Petén (ACOFOP), will carry out a new measurement campaign, the results of which will be incorporated into the platform. Finally, a validation process with the stakeholders responsible for monitoring is expected to ensure its effective implementation.

With this effort, CONAP, CATIE, and their partners seek to consolidate a modern, participatory forest monitoring model based on scientific evidence, contributing to the sustainable management of forests and biodiversity in the Maya Biosphere Reserve.