Maderás Volcano (20436)
Nicaragua, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1e, B1
Year of last assessment: 2021
National site name: Volcan Maderás
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.4500, Longitude: -85.5100
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Area of KBA (km2): 50.98348
Protected area coverage (%): 51.34
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Maderas volcano is a composite type volcano, occupies the eastern end of the island of Ometepe and represents the last cone of the long volcanic fracture of the Nicaraguan Pacific. It is a truncated and extinct cone. At its summit there is a depression, like an occluded crater, where a small lagoon has formed, fed by the condensation of humidity provided by the surrounding cloud forest. Unlike its young brother, the Concepción volcano, the Maderas volcano has its terminal cone covered with thick vegetation, which indicates its inactivity for several millennia. The Maderas volcano is similar in height, in a state of demolition and vegetation to the Mombacho, for which it should be considered as its emulator, presenting several endemisms of flora and fauna.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site contains the entire known population of the critically endangered amphibian Bolitoglossa insularis. Six species of birds meet Legacy Criteria and are in need of reassessment against the Global Standard.
Other site values: This KBA contains Volcán Maderas National Park and is within the Ometepe Island Biosphere Reserve, which are both managed by the Ministerio del Ambiente y Los Recursos Naturales (MARENA)
Delineation rationale: This site was validated as an IBA/KBA in 2007 by BirdLife Partners. A delineation rationale is not available.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Forest | 95 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Only in the future |