Belize

Belize is a small, highly forested Caribbean country located in Central America. It is subtropical and has numerous terrestrial ecosystems and protected areas distributed across four distinct geographical regions that include the northern lowlands, the coastal plain, the offshore cays and atolls, and the Maya Mountains. Along with their transboundary portions, the country’s 16 major watersheds cover more than twice Belize’s land territory; these watersheds ultimately drain into the Caribbean Sea. Knowledge about the macroinvertebrates of Belize is relatively poor with little information about most groups, although some of the important Dipteran human disease vectors are better known. A checklist that summarizes published and grey literature for many of the macroinvertebrate groups has been compiled, but an in-country centrally curated taxonomic collection remains a pressing need. Few ecological studies have focused on the composition, structure and factors controlling freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages but the limited studies undertaken indicate lotic communities are dominated by an insect taxon comprised of a rich Ephemeropteran, Dipteran, Trichopteran and Coleopteran fauna. There is also some evidence of wet/dry seasonality in macroinvertebrate assemblages in Belize and geological influence has been identified as an important determinant of community composition in southern streams. The most important threats to freshwater systems in Belize include deforestation for agriculture, other impacts of agriculture, and climate change. Although there are no specific conservation efforts for macroinvertebrates, Belize’s national protected areas system serves a major role in the conservation of freshwaters. Knowledge about the response of macroinvertebrates to environmental change associated with natural and human disturbance is very limited, but recent research indicated the potential utility of family-level macroinvertebrate metrics for monitoring large-scale effects. Through enactment of the National Integrated Water Resources Act, Belize has recently consolidated legislation for the use and protection of freshwater resources and begun the process of coordinating associated regulatory processes. This legislation as well as the National Biodiversity Monitoring Program being developed as part of the implementation of the National Protected Areas System Plan provides the framework for the use of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators. Significant research and work is still needed in Belize in the areas of macroinvertebrate taxonomy, natural history, ecology and their utility for bio-assessment. However, with a now established Environmental Research Institute at the national University of Belize, improved frameworks for coordinated, collaborative research efforts and capacity building, and the continued commitment and interest of natural resources managers across Belize, there has never been a more opportune time to advance macroinvertebrate knowledge and use for the sound management of Belize’s freshwater resources.