Tropical forest loss reversed and birds sheltered at a potential Important Bird Area

The effectiveness of private reserves in Mexico for contributing towards conservation is unknown. Jaguaroundi Ecological Park (JEP), created in 2002, is the first private reserve in the country. JEP protects tropical rain forests, but it is surrounded by petrochemical developments. Moreover, between 2001 and 2018, deforestation of Tropical Humid Forests was the highest among all ecoregions in Mexico. We compared past and present land cover estimates to evaluate the effectiveness of JEP at preventing forest loss. We also combined avian surveys at JEP with species occurrence records from digital platforms to reassess its bird species richness, which was last reviewed >10 years ago. Additionally, we used generalized linear models to evaluate the effect of nearby petrochemical gas flares on the distribution of bird species richness within JEP. We found that forested vegetation in JEP increased 25.7 % between 1999 –2003 and 2014–2017, while it decreased 18.5 % outside its borders. We documented 282 bird species, adding 57 species to previous richness estimates, making JEP richer than 75 % of the currently designated Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Mexico. We also found that bird species richness increased with distance to gas flares, underlining the role of JEP as refuge from external anthropogenic pressures. Our results show the potential value of private protected areas for the conservation of nature in Mexico and demonstrate that JEP is a valuable area for birds. To further aid in the protection of both its vegetation and avifauna, we consider that JEP should be officially designated as an IBA.