Contribution to the knowledge of urban biodiversity in Central America: A checklist to the species of Guatemala City

By

Castillo-Cabrera, Fernando José
Roldán, Rosa Alejandra
Barrios, Mercedes
Burgos-Barrios, Claudia L.
Grajeda, A. Lucía
García, Manolo J.
Cruz, Harim
Morales-Mérida, J Renato
Tenez, Daniel
Vásquez, Mabel
Agreda, Emmanuel O.
Velásquez, Isabel
Eufragio, Alicia
Barahona-Fong, Raiza
Yurrita, Carmen Lucía
Orellana, K. Samanta

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-2-24

Original Publication

Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Volume

20

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

59--66

Subjects

Biodiversity platforms , GBIF , Portal de Biodiversidad de Guatemala , urban biodiversity , urban green

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Brazil Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.20.e135435

 

Abstract

This short communication synthesizes biodiversity records of urban green spaces in Guatemala City. The research was conducted in the “Cinturón Ecológico Municipal”, or “Municipal Ecological Green Belt”, which consists of ravines covered with natural vegetation within Guatemala City. Available information from digital biodiversity platforms, previous studies and a short biological survey resulted in a checklist of 1688 terrestrial species, classified in 112 families of invertebrates (463 spp.), 77 families of vertebrates (348 spp.), 29 families of fungi (90 spp.), and 132 families of plants (787 spp.). A total of 113 species (7%) have some degree of vulnerability according to international and national lists of threatened species. The ongoing degradation of urban ecosystems demands urgent attention to increase biological surveys to support biodiversity conservation efforts and stricter protection measures as well as restoration of damaged areas.