Located in the Mexican state of Yucatan, Ro Lagartos is one of Mesoamerica’s most expansive bioreserves. Comprised of over 150,000 acres of lagoon, wetland, and tropical forest, the preserve represents an interwoven chain ecosystem that is as delicate as it is fascinating. The sheer size of the bioreserve makes it a prime target for ecological dangers of many kinds, not the least of which come from one of the natural world’s most dangerous enemies: mankind.
Hurricane Strikes
Actually, one of the most destructive elements to besiege the Ro Lagartos preserve is completely natural. The bioreserve has the unfortunate distinction of lying directly in the path of many cyclones which form during the Caribbean/South Atlantic hurricane season. At least 13 times in the last half-century, a powerful storm has born down on Ro Lagartos, causing widespread environmental damage. Equally vulnerable to these havoc-wreaking aberrations of weather are the nearby communities of Las Coloradas and San Felipe, as well as the town of Ro Lagartos itself. Of course, in the face of such fury from Mother Nature, very little can be done to shield the preserve or its inhabitants, but an improved warning and alert system and more precise meteorological predictions would certainly lessen the human cost that these hurricanes extract, and contribute to the overall health and stability of the region.
Dwindling Forests
One arena in which human intervention could play a pivotal role concerns the health of Ro Lagartos’s tropical forests. Because it is bordered by several large communities, the preserve’s jungles have come under attack from the logging and farming industries, and over 7,000 acres of these verdant, lush environments have been erased, stripped of their valuable wood and converted into farmland for supporting the surrounding human settlements. Even the stately and precious mangrove forests have not been spared from the greedy saws and axes of the lumber mills, which pay little attention to the long-term survival of the preserve’s delicately balanced ecosystem. This is a man-made problem, which could be rectified by placing reasonable constraints on the growth of towns and cities near to the preserve, as well as instituting urban planning to reduce the need for existing communities to sprawl out unimpeded beyond their present boundaries.
Depleting the Seas
Humans are also implicated in another example of the Ro Lagartos ecosystem being drained of an important natural resource: the overfishing of coastal and inland waters. The lagoons and seas within the preserve are home to a wide variety of ocean life, including octopus, mullet, clam, and milk conch, but the populations of these species have been quickly dropping in recent years, thanks to aggressive and sometimes illegal fishing measures. As the world undergoes continually more severe economic crises, many near Ro Lagartos who live close to the line of subsistence turn to the bountiful ocean for both food and extra income. However, some willfully ignore the laws restricting both amounts and methods of procuring the sea’s wealth, even going so far as to fish with explosives, an incredibly destructive practice that has unfortunately not yet been stopped. More rigid enforcement and an increase in maritime police forces could have a short-term effect, but in the long run, people must be conscientious about respecting the healthy and vitality of the animal populations they depend on, to prevent their ultimate destruction.
Road Building
Yet another method by which man is unwittingly destroying the Ro Lagartos preserve is through his lack of foresight in constructing new roads. This problem dovetails with the deforestation and overfishing issues, as it is a direct result of unchecked expansion and lack of planning. Roads within and near the preserve, especially those on the coast and in the southern regions, are built without proper drainage, instead making use of perpendicular wave-breaks which alters and disrupt the water’s natural pathways through the preserve. This changes the water level in different areas of the preserve, and tips the balance of the salt level within the soil. This in turn puts much of the vegetation, including the mangrove forests, in direct jeopardy. Therefore, when constructing new roads, more attention must be paid heir long-term effects on the ecosystem, and all construction should be planned with a mind towards preserving the natural flow and balance of waterways in the preserve, first and foremost.
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