Humedal Sur de Pinar del Río (19813)
Cuba, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Humedal Sur de Pinar del Río
Central coordinates: Latitude: 22.4258, Longitude: -83.3032
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 665.20762
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Humedal Sur de Pinar del Río IBA includes the coastal zone between the municipalities of Los Palacios and Consolación del Sur, in the south of Pinar del Río province. It comprises a fringe of natural coastal wetlands associated with rice cultivation and cattle farming. The coastal wetlands, which include several lagoons such as Maspotón and Casa Media, are bordered by mangroves. More than 90% of the IBA consists of wetland habitat, 30% of it is natural (mangroves, coastal lagoons, salt marshes, intertidal mudflats) and the rest is artificial (i.e. seasonal rice paddies).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: This IBA supports more than 101 bird species and holds significant numbers of resident and migratory waterbirds, particularly shorebirds and ducks. More than 10,000 dowitchers Limnodromus spp. have been observed. Other common waterbirds include Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea (Vulnerable), Blue-winged Teal Anas discors, and Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis. The largest concentration of American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos recorded in the Caribbean (c.400 individuals) was in this IBA where it is a common winter resident. Non-bird biodiversity: The coastal lagoons support populations of the Vulnerable American crocodile Crocodylus acutus and the hutia Capromys pilorides .
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (70%) | hunting (10%) | tourism/recreation (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 15 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 10 | |
| Forest | 20 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 1 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 54 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Humedal Sur de Pinar del Río IBA has no legal protection status, but conservation projects and environmental education campaigns are being implemented in the area. The coastal strip is managed by the Empresa para la Protección de la Flora y la Fauna (EPFF), and the rice paddies by Los Palacios Agroindustrial Complex. Although this area has traditionally been used for hunting, it has valuable coastal wetland remnants that are critical for sustaining waterbird populations. These wetlands are partly affected by residents from Los Palacios, la Cubana, Paso Real de San Diego, Alonso de Rojas, and Consolación del Sur, who use them to gain access to the rice paddies. Despite the agricultural uses of the IBA, the application of fertilisers has decreased by 50% in the last 15 years, due to the economic crisis in Cuba.