St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve (19914)
St Kitts and Nevis, Caribbean

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B2

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve

Central coordinates: Latitude: 17.3518, Longitude: -62.7788

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 300 to 1156

Area of KBA (km²): 59.58895

Protected area coverage (%): 67.05

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve is comprised of all areas over 300 meters elevation. The dominant feature of the reserve is Mt. Liamuiga (1,156 m), the highest point on St. Kitts. It is part of the mountain range which runs north to south and forms the northern part of the island. Human settlement is limited to the lower elevations, where sugarcane fields were farmed and villages dot the coastal area. Canyons, or ghauts, radiate from the peak.

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: Restricted-range species found in the reserve include the Bridled Quail-dove Geotrygon mustacea, Lesser Antillean Flycatcher Myiarchus oberi berlepshii, Purple-throated Carib Eulampis jugularis, Green-throated Carib Eulampis holosericeus, Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhyncus cristatus, Brown Trembler Cinclocerthia ruficauda pavida, Pearly-eyed Thrasher Margarops fuscatus, Scaly-breasted Thrasher Margops fuscus, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch Loxigilla noctis, and Antillean Euphonia Euphonia musica. Specific locations and population estimates were not found in the literature. Steadman et al. report that all except the Green-throated are common in undisturbed moist forests on St. Kitts.Six species of neotropical migrants have been reported from this habitat type on St. Kitts Non-bird biodiversity: No endemic or threatened botanical species are reported for St. Kitts. Restricted-range herpetofauna and bats are not known but likely exist within the proposed IBA.

Delineation rationale: Mark has the shapefiles.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Vegetation in the upper elevations is composed of rainforest, palm brake, and elfin woodland

Land use: forestry

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: It is not known if hunting is a threat to game birds such as the Bridled Quail-dove. The Wild Birds Protection Ordinance of 1913 prohibited or regulated hunting of 27 species. The National Conservation and Environment Protection Act of 1987 enables further protection for approximately 90 avian species. Enforcement levels of these laws are unknown.

Additional information