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DRIVERS

CHANGE

OF

L  AND USE

A  G R I C U LT U R E

AND

Conservation Objective

Minimize the negative impacts of agriculture and other land uses by implementing environmentally

sound and sustainable management practices.

Threats

Threats associated with inappropriate land use and poor agricultural practices include direct loss of

habitat, increased sedimentation, and contamination of fluvial and marine ecosystems with fertilizers,

pesticides, metals and hydrocarbons. These land-based impacts are a result of inadequate land use

planning, lack of regulatory enforcement, unsustainable and intensive agricultural use, uncontrolled

runoff and use of toxic chemicals and pesticides.

Management Actions

· Promote the adoption of eco-certification guidelines and low-impact management practices for

major agro-industries and aquaculture.

· Develop and enforce the implementation of environmental regulations under the Central

American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

· Reduce the use of known toxic pesticides and harmonize rules on pesticide use and imports.

· Implement in all four countries the Protocol on Marine Pollution from Land-based Sources and

Activities (supplement to the Cartagena Convention).

· Assess the extent of direct habitat loss, and determine whether reefs or related ecosystems

are being exposed to rates of sedimentation or concentrations of pollutants that are above

acceptable limits.

· Determine whether agrochemicals, pesticides or other contaminants are accumulating in

indicator organisms and monitor for subsequent physiological stress responses.

· Reduce sediment discharge rates to levels that minimize negative impacts to MAR marine

ecosystems.

· Minimize the entry of agrochemicals and other pollutants into the marine ecosystem through

minimizing their use and implementing mitigation measures such as closed irrigation systems,

treatment of wastewater and use of physical barriers to contamination.

Agriculture is perceived as the main driver of land-

calcifying invertebrates and bioeroding organisms

based threats in the Mesoamerican region, but urban

-- all of which harm coral reefs. Toxic chemicals also

and industrial development, aquaculture discharge,

adversely affect the growth, reproductive success and

and atmospheric deposition of nutrients and other

overall fitness of marine organisms.

contaminants are significant as well. Industrial and

Indicators selected to track the impacts of land use

agricultural activities located a great distance from

and agricultural practices are:

coastal areas can still impact downstream estuaries,

lagoons, seagrass beds and reefs.

D4 - Agricultural Input Rates

Changes in land use (e.g., deforestation, agriculture,

D5 - Sediment Delivery Rates

aquaculture, and dredge and fill operations) often result

in increased erosion. Sediment transported out to

D6 - Foraminifers (FORAM) Index

sea decreases water clarity, which can decrease coral

growth rates. Increased nutrient levels from sewage

D7 - Contaminant Accumulation

and fertilizers result in highly productive waters that

may exacerbate the proliferation of fleshy algae, non-

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