El Yunque (19645)
Puerto Rico (to USA), Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1e, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: El Yunque
Central coordinates: Latitude: 18.2910, Longitude: -65.7872
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Area of KBA (km2): 153.06747
Protected area coverage (%): 38.39
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: El Yunque is located in eastern Puerto Rico, and includes the municipalities of Canovanas, Fajardo, Las Piedras, Río Grande, Luquillo, Ceiba and Naguabo. This area has been protected since 1876, being one of the first forest reserves in the western hemisphere. Threats to this site are mainly infrastructure development on the forest edge, deforestation, the presence of invasive species such as the mongoose and stick iguana, storms and hurricanes, feral populations of cats and dogs.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site contains the entire known populations of Eleutherodactylus gryllus and Eleutherodactylus unicolor and significant populations of four additional threatened amphibians. The Elfin-woods Warbler meets A1a/B1/B2, 14 birds meet B2, and an additional three amphibians, five birds, two mammals, and 22 plants meet legacy KBA criteria.
Manageability of the site: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2007 by BirdLife partners. A manageability rationale is not available at this time.
Delineation rationale: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2007 by BirdLife partners. A delineation rationale is not available at this time.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 67 | |
| Introduced Vegetation | 33 |