Armando Bermudez National Park (19835)
Dominican Republic, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1d, A1e, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Parque Nacional Armando Bermúdez
Central coordinates: Latitude: 19.1631, Longitude: -71.0966
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 900 to 3080
Area of KBA (km2): 802.210518
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Armando Bermúdez National Park (PNAB) comprises a vast portion of the northern slope of the Cordillera Central, Northern Region of the Dominican Republic. It extends from East to West, from La Ciénaga de Manabao, in the province of La Vega, to the Nalga de Maco National Park, in the upper part of the Artibonito River basin. To the north, the park borders the communities of Mata Grande, in the province of Santiago, La Difference, Los Ramones, Lomita and La Cidra, in Santiago Rodríguez. To the south it borders the José del Carmen Ramírez National Park. It covers extensive territories that include the communities of Jarabacoa, San José de Las Matas and Santiago Rodríguez. It constitutes one of the most important protected areas of the “cordillera parks”. The climate is characterized by low temperatures that range between 8 ºC below 0 to 21 ºC, the lowest occurring mostly in the Tetero, Bao and Macutico valleys. Precipitation ranges between 1,000 to 3,500 mm per year, even in some places it reaches up to 4,000 mm per year. The PNAB comprises the mountains Pico Duarte (the highest in the Antilles at 3,080 masl), La Pelona (3,097 masl) and Pico Yaque (2,769 masl); which are shared with the José del Carmen Ramírez National Park. This allows the main rivers of the region to be born in such a complex mountainous system. In fact, the park contains 12 of the country's main rivers, including the Yaque del Norte, Jagua, Bao, Amina, Guayubín, Mao and Cenovi. These are very important to maintain agricultural activities in more than 100,200 tasks, as well as industrial activities and the generation of hydroelectric power. Considering the categorization of Tolentino and Peña (1998), the classification of BirdLife International (Online World Bird Database, 2007) and the considerations of the expert Yolanda León (in litt., 2006), the types of habitats of the IBA-PNJ are Forest of Pines or Pines, Moist Broadleaf Forest (subtropical/humid tropical mountain), Humid Scrubland (subtropical/tropical mountain) and Artificial Landscapes, made up of plantations. Also, there are areas of Mixed Forest or Transition. Four (4) forest floors can be defined: maximum, upper, intermediate and lower. In the first case, Western Pinus predominates; in the second, Cecropia sp.), Cederla odorata, Juglans jamaicensis, Prestoea montana, Tropis racemosa, Citharephylum fruticosum and Petitia domilngensis are distinguished. In the intermediate floor Cusia rosea, Zantophylum spinifex, Bucida bucera and Trichillia pallida. On the lower floor, Piper adumcum and Prunas myrtifolia predominate. The area is also rich in ferns, epiphytes, and shrubs. PNAB lands are primarily used for conservation and research. However, there is a degree of use of the Park's soils, intended for agriculture. The main ecotourism attraction of the PNAB is the opportunity to walk through mountainous areas of great scenic beauty, in natural environments of extensive forests. This constitutes an excellent attraction for visitors, who have made Pico Duarte the most important and well-known ecological tourism destination in the country. Visitors come to the area mostly during the birth of the Father of the Nation Juan Pablo Duarte, in the month of January, during Holy Week and Christmas festivities. The area is restricted during the dry season, as a management measure to avoid forest fires. The most popular routes to Pico Duarte are: El Pedregal - Mata Grande - Loma del Oro - El Rodeo - Valle de Bao - La Pelona - Vallecito de Lilís - Pico Duarte. Jarabacoa - Manabao - La Ciénaga - Los Tablones - La Cotorra - Agüita Fría - La Compartición - Pico Duarte. Sabaneta Dam – Alto de la Rosa – Agüita Fría – Macutico – La Pelona –Vallecito de Lilís – Pico Duarte. The strong currents of the watercourses on the outskirts of the park also offer an excellent opportunity to practice rafting. Bird watching is very popular, due to both its abundance and diversity of avifauna. The PNAB has visitor reception centers located in Valle de Lilís, La Compartición, Vallecito del Bao, Mata Grande and La Ciénaga de Manabao, where there is a small ecological lodge. There are also facilities for the accompaniment of local guides, mule service and camping sites. Local communities make a profit through ecotourism activities; the management and conservation actions of the area are closely linked to the nearby communities.
The main threats that the place faces are mainly the advance of the agricultural frontier, the presence of cattle, the extraction of minor or subsistence wood, the development of rural infrastructures. The presence of introduced invasive species such as Sus scrofa and hunting, mainly of birds of the Columbidae family (columbids), as well as the caused forest fires that generate loss of vegetation in the area, are other threats. Serious erosion and the presence of material debris on the interpretation trails are also mentioned. Both threats are effects of public use, generated by visitation to the area. An imminent threat is constituted by the proposals for the development of infrastructure for hydraulic production.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site contains the entire known population of Eleutherodactylus rucillensis (A1e) and important populations of the Hispaniolan Green Treefrog (Boana heilprini) and the Hispaniolan Giant Treefrog (Osteopilus vastus) which trigger A1b. Fifteen species of birds meet A1a, A1b, B1, and/or B2.
Additional biodiversity: Schmidt's Robber Frog (Eleutherodactylus schmidti)
Palmchat (Dulus dominicus)
Black-crowned Palm-tanager (Phaenicophilus palmarum)
Hispaniolan Lizard-cuckoo (Coccyzus longirostris)
Stolid Flycatcher (Myiarchus stolidus)
Hispaniolan Pewee (Contopus hispaniolensis)
Hispaniolan Emerald (Chlorostilbon swainsonii)
Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus)
Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris)
Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima)
Hispaniolan Woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus)
Rufous-throated Solitaire (Myadestes genibarbis)
Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli)
Antillean Piculet (Nesoctites micromegas)
Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops)
Least Poorwill (Siphonorhis brewsteri)
Bay-breasted Cuckoo (Coccyzus rufigularis)
Podocarpus aristulatus
Greater Antillean Elaenia (Elaenia fallax)
Anthracothorax dominicus
Calyptophilus frugivorus
Corvus palmarum
Antillean Euphonia (Euphonia musica)
Manageability of the site: This site corresponds to a National Park with an existing management plan.
Delineation rationale: The KBA follows the delineation of Armando Bermúdez National Park (WDPAID: 478068).
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Only in the past and unlikely to return |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Unspecified species | Only in the future |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Amphibian Red List Authority