Project BIODIVERSIFIX combines two subprojects, WETFIX and DRYFIX, that will regenerate degraded tracts of
tropical wet forest and tropical dry forest in the Area de Conservacíon Guanacaste (ACG) in Costa
Rica. The ACG contains forest conserved for sustainable, non-damaging use of wildland biodiversity.
Possible activities conducted on this land include low-impact controlled ecotourism, biological education
programs, biodiversity prospecting, research programs, watershed protection, and regeneration and selective
harvest of fine hardwoods. The greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of the project accrue from forest growth
(i.e., carbon sequestration) that would not have occurred in the absence of project activities.
4. Participants:
Name of Organization or Individual
Country
Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE); Area de Conservacíon Guanacaste (ACG)
Costa Rica
The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
U.S.A.
Item
Organization
Name of organization (original language)
or
Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization
Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía-formerly Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y
Minas
Name of organization (English)
Ministry of Environment and Energy-formerly Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines
Acronym (original language)
MINAE, formerly MIRENEM
Acronym (English)
None
Department
Area de Conservacíon Guanacaste (ACG) (Guanacaste Conservation Area), part of MINAE's
Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacíon (SINAC) (National System of Conservation Areas)
Function(s) within the AIJ project activities
Project development, project administration, government regulation/oversight
Street
Apdo. 169-5000
City
Liberia
State
Guanacaste Province
Post code
Country
Costa Rica
Telephone
506-695-5598
Fax
(Same as above)
E-mail
World Wide Web-URL address
Administrative Officer Responsible for the Project
Administrative Officer Responsible for the Project
Surname
Sawhill
First name, middle name
John C.
Job title
President and CEO
Direct telephone
Direct fax
Direct e-mail
Contact Person for AIJ Activities (if different from the Administrative Officer)
Surname
Curtis
First name, middle name
Randall
Job title
Direct telephone
703-841-4864
Direct fax
703-841-4880
Direct e-mail
5. Description of AIJ project activities
Item
Type of Project
Sector(s)
Land-use change and forestry
Primary activity(ies)
Reforestation, fire management, anti-poaching operations
Project Location
Country
Costa Rica
Exact location (city, state, region)
In the Area de Conservacíon Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica, slightly south of
the Nicaraguan border between the towns of La Cruz and Liberia
Key Dates and Current Stage of Project
Project starting date (month/year)
To be determined
Project ending date (month/year)
August 2046
Project lifetime (years)
51
Current stage of project
Mutually agreed
General Project Description and Technical Data
Project BIODIVERSIFIX combines two subprojects, WETFIX and DRYFIX, that will regenerate degraded
tracts of tropical wet forest and tropical dry forest in the 135,000-hectare (ha) Area de
Conservacíon Guanacaste (ACG) in Costa Rica. The ACG contains forest conserved for
sustainable, non-damaging use of wildland biodiversity. Possible activities conducted on this land
include low-impact controlled ecotourism, biological education programs, biodiversity prospecting,
research programs, watershed protection, and regeneration and selective harvest of fine hardwoods.
The total project area is 58,500 ha.
Carbon sequestration in Project WETFIX will be accomplished by restoring 13,500 ha of abandoned or
marginal pasture interspersed throughout a 40,000-ha mosaic of middle-aged to primary wet forest.
Some 6,100 ha of natural and semi-natural forest will be regenerated within the current boundaries
of the ACG, and 7,400 ha of marginal pasture will be purchased and added to the ACG.
Project DRYFIX will consolidate the dry side of the ACG into a single forest unit. Carbon
sequestration will be accomplished by restoring 45,000 ha of abandoned or marginal pasture
interspersed throughout an 80,000-ha mosaic of middle-aged to primary dry forest. Approximately
36,000 ha of natural and semi-natural dry forest within the ACG will be restored using natural
regeneration. Another 9,000 ha of marginal pasture will be purchased, added to the ACG, and planted
with very valuable, slow-growing native hardwood species, with potential for sustainable harvest.
6. Cost
(a) Explanation of methodology for calculating cost data
Methodology for Calculating Cost Data
The project developer prepared a minimal project budget for WETFIX and DRYFIX. The activities for
which cost estimates were prepared include the following: land purchase for semi-natural
reforestation (7,400 ha @ $700/ha for WETFIX and 4,000 ha @ $500/ha for DRYFIX); contribution to
land purchase of 13,000 ha for natural reforestation (DRYFIX only); the semi-natural planting of
project land (13,500 ha @ $833/ha for WETFIX and 9,000 ha @ $400/ha for DRYFIX); a contribution to
the ACG overall management endowment to cover the estimated annual direct costs of project-related
anti-poaching activities, road maintenance, and office infrastructure; a contribution to ACG's
Horizontes Forest Experiment Station management endowment; short-term implementation costs incurred
by Horizontes (e.g., vehicles, building modification, nurseries, local irrigation, bridge repair,
seed storage, etc.); a contribution to the ACG overall management endowment to cover estimated
direct costs for the Research Program for restoration monitoring and information development,
including "green seal" certification; a contribution to the ACG research program for the
biodiversity inventory and ecosystem characterization of the evaluation plots and their habitats;
and project administration (9%).
The price that the ACG secures for the project's carbon fixation and the associated payment
schedule will determine the level of activity conducted during the course of the project and the
ultimate cost of the project.
(b) Cost data-Project development
This information is not yet available.
(c) Cost data-Project implementation
Annual implementation cost information is not yet available.
Itemized Project Implementation Costs
7. Monitoring and verification of AIJ project activities and results
Item
Party(ies) that will be monitoring project activities
The ACG's Horizontes Forest Experiment Station and the ACG Research Program
Party(ies) that will be externally verifying project results
May include "green seal" organizations such as Rainforest Alliance or Green Cross.
Additional information is not yet available.
Date when the monitoring plan became (or will become) operational (month/year)
This information is not yet available.
Types of data that will be collected
Biomass growth rate, biomass density, tree species and age class, biomass carbon content.
Additional information is not yet available.
Description of Monitoring and Verification Activities and Schedule for Implementation
The monitoring plan includes annual visual inspection, destructive sampling on permanent management
plots, and computerized site visit records. This visual knowledge will be reinforced by 1:40,000
aerial photography (first done in 1988, second in 1995) at ten-year intervals. All of these
photographs will constitute part of the GIS knowledge base for the ACG.
Satellite imagery will be available as a useful tool for long-term monitoring and verification, but
normally much greater resolution will be obtained from the once-per-decade aerial photographs,
which will be incorporated into the INBio-ACG GIS system. Annually available LANDSAT images can
serve as back-up corroboration.
The participants agreed to adhere to a "green seal" audit by organizations such as
Rainforest Alliance or Green Cross.
B. Governmental approval
Item
Please check one of the following.
This report is a first report.
or
This report is an
intermediate report.
or
This report is a final report.
Please check one of the following:
This report is a joint
report. Letter(s) of approval of this report from the designated national authority of the other
Party(ies) involved in the activity is(are) attached in Section J, Annex.
or
This report is a separate report.
Additional comments (if any):
C. Compatibility with, and supportiveness of, national economic development and socioeconomic and
environmental priorities and strategies
Compatibility with Economic Development and Socioeconomic and Environmental Priorities
The letters of host country acceptance for Projects WETFIX and DRYFIX state that these projects
will serve as "an integral part of the overall management and non-damaging use plan" for
the ACG, and contribute to national sustainable development priorities. Furthermore, these letters
state that both projects are consistent with existing Costa Rican laws and regulations.
D. Environmental, social/cultural, and economic impacts of the AIJ project
Non-Greenhouse-Gas Environmental Impacts of the Project
Under the institutional and operational framework of the ACG, Project BIODIVERSIFIX will contribute
to the restoration, management, and development of tropical wet and dry forest ecosystems and
biodiversity. It will also serve as a major pilot project for other such integrated attempts
throughout the tropics. The ACG is anticipated to be the site of the world's first All Taxa
Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), to be conducted jointly by the INBio and MINAE (as represented by
ACG).
Social/Cultural Impacts of the Project
According to the project developer, the ACG and Project BIODIVERSIFIX seek to achieve "the
integration of society into wildland conservation" in the context of local agriculture,
forestry, natural resource management, and culture.
Economic Impacts of the Project
Project BIODIVERSIFIX promotes an economic transition from marginal cattle ranching to sustainable
tree harvesting, conservation management, and tourism. It also seeks to create secure jobs for
marginally employed ranchers as paraprofessional personnel for the ACG.
E. Greenhouse gas impacts of the AIJ project
1. Scenario description
Item
Site Designation
Site number (order of presentation in this report)
1 of 2
Site name/designation
WETFIX
Project sector
Land-use change and forestry
Reference Scenario
Primary activity(ies)
Marginal agriculture, abandonment of pasture and unused land
Has the reference scenario changed since the last report? (If yes, explain any changes below.)
Yes
No
This is the first project report.
Description:
The WETFIX portion of the ACG comprises 13,500 ha of abandoned or marginal pasture or otherwise
unused land from which forests have been cleared over the last 100-400 years. The WETFIX parcels
are interspersed throughout a 40,000-ha mosaic of middle-aged to primary wet forest. In the absence
of project activities, the WETFIX portion is expected to remain unchanged, resulting in zero carbon
emissions or sequestration.
Predicted Project Scenario
Primary activity(ies)
Reforestation, fire management, anti-poaching operations
Description:
In the project scenario, 7,400 ha of marginal pasture will be purchased and added to the ACG. On
this land, hardwood species will be planted and allowed to regenerate "semi-naturally."
When the trees reach marketable size, which is expected to occur after the project has ended,
selected harvesting for the manufacture of long-term wood products may occur on a sustainable
basis, providing management income for the ACG and increasing the amount of carbon sequestered. The
remaining 6,100 ha of WETFIX land, consisting of abandoned pastures, old fields, and very young
secondary succession located within the ACG, will naturally regenerate to tropical wet forest. This
regeneration process is facilitated by anti-poaching, site-preparation, and planting operations.
The carbon benefits will begin to accrue when the first tree planting takes place, which is
anticipated to occur one year after the project's starting date.
Possible activities to be conducted on restored WETFIX land include low-impact controlled
ecotourism, biological education programs, biodiversity prospecting, watershed protection, and
research programs.
Actual Project
Primary activity(ies)
This information is not yet available.
Description:
This information is not yet available.
Item
Site Designation
Site number (order of presentation in this report)
2 of 2
Site name/designation
DRYFIX
Project sector
Land-use change and forestry
Reference Scenario
Primary activity(ies)
Marginal agriculture, abandonment of pasture and unused land
Has the reference scenario changed since the last report? (If yes, explain any changes below.)
Yes
No
This is the first project report.
Description:
The DRYFIX portion of the ACG comprises 45,000 ha of abandoned or marginal pasture from which
forests have been cleared over the last 100-400 years. The DRYFIX parcels are interspersed
throughout an 80,000-ha mosaic of middle-aged to primary dry forest. In the absence of project
activities, the DRYFIX portion is expected to remain unchanged, resulting in zero carbon emissions
or sequestration.
Predicted Project Scenario
Primary activity(ies)
Reforestation, fire management, anti-poaching operations
Description:
In the project scenario, hardwood species will be planted and allowed to regenerate
"semi-naturally" on 9,000 ha of DRYFIX land. When the trees reach marketable size, which
is expected to occur after the project has ended, selected harvesting for the manufacture of
long-term wood products may occur on a sustainable basis, providing management income for the ACG
and increasing the amount of carbon sequestered. On the remaining 36,000 ha of DRYFIX land, natural
and semi-natural dry forest within the ACG will be restored using natural regeneration facilitated
by anti-poaching and fire control operations. The carbon benefits will begin to accrue when the
first tree planting takes place, which is anticipated to occur one year after the project's
starting date.
Possible activities to be conducted on restored DRYFIX land include low-impact controlled
ecotourism, biological education programs, biodiversity prospecting, watershed protection, and
research programs.
Description of Calculation Methodology for the Reference Scenario
In the reference scenario, marginal cropland, abandoned pasture, or otherwise unused land from
which forest has been cleared over the last 100-400 years is expected to remain unchanged.
Therefore, the carbon stocks on this land are expected to remain constant and zero net carbon
emissions are produced during the lifetime of the project. The project developer estimates that the
carbon stocks on this land range from 1-10 metric tonnes (t) of carbon per hectare, and uses the
conservative estimate of 10 t C/ha to determine the reference carbon stocks against which project
benefits are measured. Therefore, the carbon stocks for the WETFIX reference scenario total 135,000
t C (=10 t C/ha * 13,500 ha).
Description of Calculation Methodology for the Project Scenario
In the project scenario, the project developer calculates the increase in carbon stocks based on
(1) estimated carbon stored per hectare in wet tropical forest after 100 years (210 t C/ha); (2)
assumptions about the rate at which carbon is sequestered in each decade of the project case, based
on academic studies of carbon sequestration in regenerating forest (decade 1=10% of 100-yr total,
decade 2=15%, decade 3=20%, decade 4=15%, decade 5=10%); and (3) decadal carbon sequestration,
based on the first two assumptions and the (conservative) reference case assumption. Annual carbon
sequestration is assumed to be constant within each decade. Carbon sequestration is anticipated to
begin one year after the start of operations; therefore, zero carbon sequestration is reported for
Year 1 of the project.
Since 210 t C/ha are stored in wet tropical forest after 100 years, and 10 t C/ha are present on
the land at the start of the project (as indicated in the reference scenario discussion above), the
incremental carbon sequestration on the land totals 200 t C/ha over 100 years. For the first decade
of sequestration, 10 percent of this incremental carbon sequestration, or 20 t C/ha, is expected to
occur. For each year within this decade, 2 t C/ha-yr (=20 t C/ha ÷ 10 yr) are sequestered.
For the total WETFIX project area during this decade, annual carbon sequestration totals 27,000 t
C/yr (=2 t C/ha-yr * 13,500 ha). To convert t C to t CO2, the tonnes of annual carbon
sequestration are multiplied by the ratio of 44 t CO2/12 t C. These calculations are
repeated for each of the four remaining decades, applying the appropriate percentage of incremental
carbon sequestration as identified in the preceding paragraph. (Numbers as shown in the following
tables may not sum to totals due to rounding.)
Description of Calculation Methodology for the Actual Project
Description of Calculation Methodology for the Reference Scenario
In the reference scenario, marginal cropland, abandoned pasture, or otherwise unused land from
which forest has been cleared over the last 100-400 years is expected to remain unchanged.
Therefore, the carbon stocks on this land are expected to remain constant and zero net carbon
emissions are produced during the lifetime of the project. The project developer estimates that the
carbon stocks on this land range from 1-10 t C/ha, and uses the conservative estimate of 10 t C/ha
to determine the reference carbon stocks against which project benefits are measured. Therefore,
the carbon stocks for the DRYFIX reference scenario total 450,000 t C (=10 t C/ha * 45,000 ha).
Description of Calculation Methodology for the Project Scenario
In the project scenario, the project developer calculates the increase in carbon stocks based on
(1) estimated carbon stored per hectare in dry tropical forest after 100 years (110 t C/ha); (2)
assumptions about the rate at which carbon is sequestered in each decade of the project, based on
academic studies of carbon sequestration in regenerating forest (decade 1=10% of 100-yr total,
decade 2=15%, decade 3=20%, decade 4=15%, decade 5=10%); and (3) decadal carbon sequestration,
based on the first two assumptions and the (conservative) reference case assumption. Annual carbon
sequestration is assumed to be constant within each decade. Carbon sequestration is anticipated to
begin one year after the start of operations; therefore, zero carbon sequestration is reported for
Year 1 of the project.
Since 110 t C/ha are stored in dry tropical forest after 100 years, and 10 t C/ha are present on
the land at the start of the project (as indicated in the reference scenario discussion above), the
incremental carbon sequestration on the land totals 100 t C/ha over 100 years. For the first decade
of the project, 10 percent of this incremental carbon sequestration, or 10 t C/ha, is expected to
occur. For each year within this decade, 1 t C/ha-yr (=10 t C/ha ÷ 10 yr) is sequestered.
For the entire DRYFIX project area during this decade, annual carbon sequestration totals 45,000 t
C/yr (=1 t C/ha-yr * 45,000 ha). To convert t C to t CO2, the tonnes of annual carbon
sequestration are multiplied by the ratio of 44 t CO2/12 t C. These calculations are
repeated for each of the four remaining decades, applying the appropriate percentage of incremental
carbon sequestration as identified in the preceding paragraph. (Numbers as shown in the following
tables may not sum to totals due to rounding.)
Description of Calculation Methodology for the Actual Project
This information is not yet available.
3. GHG emission/sequestration data
(a) Reporting of GHG emissions/sequestration
(b) Additional information on GHG emissions/sequestration
Indirect or Secondary GHG Impacts (Positive and Negative)
As is discussed in Section E.2., the project lifetime encompasses 70% of the incremental carbon
sequestration that would be expected from the complete restoration of the tropical forest in WETFIX
and DRYFIX. The remaining 30% of the incremental carbon sequestration would be expected to occur
during the 50 years after the end of the project, assuming that the forest is either protected or
sustainably harvested for the manufacture of long-term products. The continued growth of WETFIX and
DRYFIX forest, and the associated carbon sequestration, after the end of the project constitutes a
secondary GHG benefit.
Factors That Could Cause the Future Loss or Reversal of GHG Benefits
Carbon benefits could be lost or reversed through illegal timber harvesting and/or fire.
According to the project developer, leakage of GHG benefits is not expected because there are few
or no demand-based pressures on services, materials, or products currently derived from the lands
that would be included in Project BIODIVERSIFIX. Reversion of the project land to cattle pasture is
considered unlikely given the strength of Costa Rica's land laws and conservation area
designation and the long-depressed markets for beef and cattle pasture.
Strategy for Reducing the Risk of Future Loss or Reversal of GHG Benefits
The anticipated presence of researchers and vegetation managers on the project land as well as
anti-poaching operations will result in continuous surveillance that will discourage illegal timber
harvesting. Successful fire surveillance and repression operations are already in place for the
greater ACG and will be applied to the BIODIVERSIFIX land.
F. Funding of the AIJ project
1. Identification of funding sources
(a) Funding sources for project development
This information is not yet available.
(b) Funding sources for project implementation
This information is not yet available.
2. Assessment of additional funding needs
Current or Planned Activities to Obtain Additional Funding
This information is not yet available.
G. Contribution to capacity building and technology transfer
Contribution to Capacity Building and Technology Transfer
According to the project developer, Project BIODIVERSIFIX will result in increased forest research
and public outreach activities by the Horizontes Forest Experiment Station; increase the
development of the computerized and GIS-referenced knowledge bases for biodiversity and ecosystem
processes of the ACG; and increase the employment, income flow, and intellectual involvement in ACG
development of the local and national community.
H. Recent developments, technical difficulties, and obstacles encountered
Recent Project Developments
This information is not yet available.
Technical Difficulties and Other Obstacles Encountered
This information is not yet available.
I. Additional information
Additional Information
None.
J. Annex
1. Host country acceptance of the AIJ project
Country/Project Title
Name, Title, and Government Agencyof the DesignatedNational Authority
Date of Approval(day/month/year)
Costa Rica/Project WETFIX and Project DRYFIX
René Castro S., Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines
