La Citadelle, Sans Souci, Ramiers National Park (19912)
Haiti, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1e, B1
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Parc National Naturel Citadell Sans-souci et les Ramiers
Central coordinates: Latitude: 19.5682, Longitude: -72.2309
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 45 to 768
Area of KBA (km2): 25.25257
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The National History Park - Citadel, Sans-Souci, Ramiers, a World Heritage Site is located in the central zone of the northern massif that extends to the Dominican Republic, between the coastal plains and the mountainous interior of the region. The park consists mainly of the ruins of the Sans-Souci Palace, the Citadelle Laferrière and the buildings at Ramiers. It occurs in the Northern Department on rugged karst terrain made of early Eocene (50 my BP) limestones outcroppings that serve as a refuge for many upland and lowland species (600 to 900 m elevation). It is adjacent to the tourist area associated with this historic park and the Plaine du Nord, one of the most important agricultural areas in Haiti. This site includes low montane wet forest and subtropical moist forest. The first biological zone is spread from 800 m elevation to the highest summit of northern Haiti. Natural vegetation patches are still found on mountain tops such as the summit of the Bonnet-à-l'Evêque and on the very steep slopes. The dominant plants are Tabebuia berterii (Bignoniaceae), Didymopanax tremulum (Araliaceae), Brunellia comocladiifolia (Brunelliaceae), and Weinmannia pinnata (Cunoniaceae) which are good indices of this plant association. Tree ferns, epiphytes (orchids, ferns, bromeliads, peperomias) and melastoms are abundant. The Subtropical moist forest formation is located below 800 m elevation and includes valuable trees such as Swietenia mahogany (Meliaceae), Catalpa longissima (Bignoniaceae), Roystonea regia (Palmae), Petitia domingensis (Verbenaceae), Pinus occidentalis (Pinaceae). Citrus along with other fruit trees, coffee and bananas grow in the surroundings. Many endemic species thrive on and around the karstic rocks, protecting soils from leaching and erosion during the rainy season.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site holds the entire known population of Eleutherodactylus poolei, which triggers A1a, A1e, B1.
Additional biodiversity: Schmidt's Robber Frog (Eleutherodactylus schmidti)
Hispaniolan Giant Treefrog (Osteopilus vastus)
Hispaniolan Yellow Treefrog (Osteopilus pulchrilineatus)
Hispaniolan Green Treefrog (Boana heilprini)
Tiburon Whistling Frog (Eleutherodactylus wetmorei)
Southern Crested Toad (Peltophryne guentheri)
Palmchat (Dulus dominicus)
Hispaniolan Woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus)
Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima)
Hispaniolan Lizard-cuckoo (Coccyzus longirostris)
Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris)
Stolid Flycatcher (Myiarchus stolidus)
Black-crowned Palm-tanager (Phaenicophilus palmarum)
Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus)
Hispaniolan Amazon (Amazona ventralis)
White-necked Crow (Corvus leucognaphalus)
Hispaniolan Parakeet (Psittacara chloropterus)
Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp (Celestus warreni)
Cigar-box Wood (Cedrela odorata)
Holywood Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum sanctum)
Commoner Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale)
Corvus palmarum
Greater Antillean Elaenia (Elaenia fallax)
Anthracothorax dominicus
Antillean Euphonia (Euphonia musica)
Manageability of the site: "The National Historic Park - Citadelle, Sans-Souci, Ramiers is the property of the Republic of Haiti. The protection of the site is covered by the 1941 Law on the Protection of Monuments and Sites. The National Historic Park that protects the monumental zone of the Citadelle, the Palace Sans-Souci and the Ramiers Site was created by presidential decree of 1978. ISPAN, the specialized agency of Haiti, created in 1979, is the agency responsible for its administration. The National Historic Park is directed by an Interministerial Management Council since 2013, comprising representatives of the six ministries, under the presidence of the Prime Minister of the government of the Republic. The permanent Secretariat of this Council is ensured by the Directorate General of ISPAN, the State focal point. At the beginning of 2014, ISPAN established a temporary management structure, the principal mission of which was to prepare the Management Plan for the NHP-CSSR and the final structure for its management. The long term anticipated results are the implementation of the Management Plan; the development of the NHP-CSSR in accordance with the participatory and concerted plan; the stabilization and their protection from water infiltration of the historic monuments, and the development of cultural and tourism activities. The clarification of the boundaries of the Historic Park by markers constitutes significant progress in the comprehension of the site and the preservation of its Outstanding Universal Value; however, additional work is required to define the buffer zone and establish adequate regulatory measures.
(https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/180/)"
Supersedes another site: Citadelle - Grottes Dondon
Delineation rationale: The KBA boundary corresponds to the WDPA boundary of La Citadelle, Sans Souci, Ramiers National Park (WDPAID: 199)
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Additional information
Contributors: NA