Kingstown Forest Reserve (19932)
St Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B2

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Kingstown Forest Reserve

Central coordinates: Latitude: 13.1790, Longitude: -61.1913

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 244 to 899

Area of KBA (km²): 8.25404

Protected area coverage (%): 0.49

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This proposed Reserve is the most southerly making up the proposed Central Forest Reserve. It contains four watersheds that together produce over 25% of the country’s potable water. It also encompasses the island’s highest southerly peak, Mount St. Andrew, which overlooks the capital. The forest zones contained include Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest and Dry Scrub Woodland. Due to its close proximity to the capital, where approximately 25% of the population resides, human activities (including squatting and illegal marijuana cultivation) extend into its borders. This Reserve contains portions of Parrot habitat and range that were omitted during the establishment of the St. Vincent Parrot Reserve in 1987.

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: Two (2) Globally-threatened and thirteen (13) RRS are recorded here. Other species of note include the House Wren, Short-tailed Swift, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Caribbean Elaenia and Black Hawk. Non-bird biodiversity: As part of the proposed Central Forest Reserve, species also include endemic herpetofauna A. griseus, C. vincenti, A. griseus and A. trinitatus; endemic sub-species M. bruesi and endemic flora A. vincentiana, B. rotundifolia, P. cuneata, P. vincentiana, E. vincentinum, C. vincentiana and C. tenera.

Delineation rationale: Mark has the shapefiles.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: The forest zones contained include Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest and Dry Scrub Woodland

Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | water management

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Issues of boundary encroachment for squatting, farming and illegal cultivation arise. Illegal hunting also occurs within the area.

Additional information