Haiti National Trust

Last updated
Haiti National Trust
Founded2015
FoundersPhilippe Bayard
S. Blair Hedges
Focus Conservation
Location
Area served
Haiti
Method Scientific research
Revenue
Donations
Website haititrust.org

Haiti National Trust is an international, non-governmental, and non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of Haiti. The Haiti National Trust seeks to establish more protected areas, including national parks, and to stop the destruction of forests, which is the primary cause of species loss in Haiti. The trust also advocates protection of the country's fragile coral reefs and coastal ecosystems. It was founded in 2015 by Philippe Bayard, president and founding member of the Audubon Society of Haiti, and S. Blair Hedges, Laura H. Carnell Professor and director of the Center for Biodiversity at Temple University. [1]

Contents

Mission

Haiti National Trust's mission is to "identify the biodiversity hotspots of Haiti, acquire land for parks, and establish long-term protective measures". [1] It works with the government of Haiti to assist in the protection of their existing national parks, and to help establish new parks.

Hot spots of biodiversity

Tiburon stream frog (Eleutherodactylus semipalmatus) Tiburon Stream Frog.jpg
Tiburon stream frog (Eleutherodactylus semipalmatus)

The Caribbean Islands are recognized as a global hot spot of biodiversity. [2] Because Haiti has a rich biodiversity which is nearly all threatened because old growth forests have been reduced to one or a few percent of their original extent, the country itself is considered a hot spot. [3] The Haiti National Trust goes one step further and defines biodiversity hot spots within Haiti, most of which are at the tops of remote mountains where the last patches of original forest remain. Scientists and associates of the trust continue to search for these hot spots, usually with a helicopter, and have so far identified 12: Bellevue, Bois Pangnol, Deux Mamelles, Grand Bois, Grande Colline, La Gonâve, La Selle, La Visite, Macaya, Morne Basile, Morne Boeuf, and Tête Boeuf. [1] Two of those, La Visite and Macaya, were the two original national parks of Haiti and their biodiversity has been studied by teams of biologists in the past. [4] [5] Most of the remaining hot spots were poorly known or unknown before teams of biologists and students, led by the Haiti National Trust cofounders, visited the sites to survey vertebrates, selected plants, and other species. [1] This work led to the discovery of new species of lizards, [6] frogs, and plants, and the rediscovery of vertebrates and plants thought to be extinct such as the Tiburon stream frog ( Eleutherodactylus semipalmatus ), La Hotte twig anole ( Anolis darlingtoni ), and Ekman's magnolia ( Magnolia ekmanii ). [1]

New national parks established

The initial three biodiversity hot spots identified by Haiti National Trust cofounders and their team were declared national parks by Haitian president, Michel Martelly, and his government. Grande Colline National Park (PNN-GC) was established on 23 July 2014 and is 1,510 hectares. [7] Grand Bois National Park (PNN-GB) was established on 23 September 2015 and is 370 hectares. [8] Deux Mamelles National Park (PNN-DM) was established on 23 September 2015 and is 2,265 hectares. [8] Previously there were only two national parks in Haiti, both established in 1983: Pic Macaya National Park (PNNM) and La Visite National Park.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pic Macaya National Park</span>

Pic Macaya National Park is one of two largest national parks of the Republic of Haiti. It is located in the country's southern peninsula, within the Massif de la Hotte. Featuring the country's last stand of virgin cloud forest, it encompasses more than 8,000 hectares. Elevations in the rugged park reach a maximum height of 2,347 meters above sea level at Pic Macaya, the second highest point in Haiti behind Pic la Selle. A majority of the park is composed of two tall peaks: Pic Macaya and Pic Formon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Visite National Park</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Leonard Ekman</span> Swedish botanist of the 20th century

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<i>Eleutherodactylus oxyrhyncus</i> Species of frog

Eleutherodactylus oxyrhyncus is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to Hispaniola and known from the Massif de la Hotte and Massif de la Selle, occurring in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The common name is rednose robber frog.

<i>Eleutherodactylus semipalmatus</i> Species of frog

Eleutherodactylus semipalmatus is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to Haiti and known from the Massif de la Hotte and Massif de la Selle. Its common name is foothill robber frog. Its natural habitat is streams and their vicinity in mesic hardwood forest at elevations of 303–1,697 m (994–5,568 ft) asl.

<i>Eleutherodactylus thorectes</i> Species of amphibian

Eleutherodactylus thorectes is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to Haiti and known from the Massif de la Hotte at high elevations. Specifically, it is known from Pic Macaya and Pic Formon at elevations of 1,700–2,340 m (5,580–7,680 ft) asl. Its natural habitats are closed pine montane forest and cloud forest with shrubs, tree ferns, bromeliads, and climbing bamboo. With a snout-vent length of 12–15 mm, this slightly arboreal species is one of the smallest of the world's frogs. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by charcoal logging and agriculture. It is known from the Pic Macaya National Park, but habitat degradation is occurring in the park too.

The Massif de la Hotte is a mountain range in southwestern Haiti, on the Tiburon Peninsula. About 2.5 million years ago, Massif de la Hotte was separated from the Massif de la Selle by a deep, wide sea channel, and formed a separate island. This resulted in a hotbed of endemism in la Hottes bird, plant, and reptile communities. The Massif de la Hotte is subdivided into the Oriental la Hotte in the East, the central la Hotte and the Occidental la Hotte on the Western tip of the Tiburon peninsula. The Occidental la Hotte is relatively remote and is one of the most biologically diverse and significant areas of all of Hispaniola. It also supports some of the last stands of Haiti's dense cloud forest on its peaks.

Morne, Morné, Mörne, etc. may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Haiti</span> Type of biodiversity in Hawaii

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communal section</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Bois National Park</span> National park in Haiti

Grand Bois National Park is a national park in Haiti. It was established on September 23, 2015, by Haitian president, Michel Martelly. The park is located in southwest Haiti, northwest of Les Anglais and it includes all areas on the mountain Morne Grand Bois of 900 meter elevation and higher. Morne Grand Bois sits directly on the border between the Sud department and the Grand'Anse department. Its highest peak is 1262 meters in elevation. Morne Grand Bois is an isolated mountain with remnant original (primary) rainforest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grande Colline National Park</span>

Grande Colline National Park is a national park in Haiti established on July 23, 2014 with an area of 1,510 hectares. The park contains the Grande Colline mountain range at the core of the Occidental La Hotte Massif in southwestern Haiti, west of Pic Macaya. There are five named peaks: Morne Desbarrières, Morne Grande Colline, Morne Petite Colline, Morne Grenouille, and Morne Lézard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deux Mamelles National Park</span> National Park in Haiti

Deux Mamelles National Park is a national park in Haiti established on September 23, 2015 with an area of 2,265 hectares. It is located on the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti, just west of a line connecting Les Anglais to the south and Jérémie to the north. The park circumscribes a U-shaped mountain, Morne Deux Mamelles, reaching 1,276 meters (4,186 ft) in elevation and is the highest mountain at the western end of the Tiburon Peninsula. Patches of the original (primary) forest remain at elevations above 1,000 meters (3,300 ft), growing on highly dissected limestone rock.

<i>Wercklea hottensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Wercklea hottensis is a species of Malvaceae endemic to the mountains of the Massif de la Hotte in South-Western Haiti.

Frodinia tremula is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It is a scrambling tree endemic to the island of Hispaniola.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Haiti National Trust. "Haiti National Trust" . Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  2. Smith, M. L., S. B. Hedges, W. Buck, A. Hemphill, S. Inchaustegui, M. Ivie, D. Martina, M. Maunder, and J. F. Ortega. 2005. Caribbean Islands. Pp 112-118 in R. A. Mittermeier, P. R. Gil, M. Hoffman, J. Pilgrim, T. Brooks, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Lamoreux, and G. A. B. da Fonseca (eds.), Hotspots revisited: Earth's biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions . Mexico City: CEMEX
  3. Hedges, S. B., and C. A. Woods. 1993. Caribbean hot spot. Nature 364:375
  4. Woods CA, Ottenwalder JA. The natural history of southern Haiti. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida; 1992
  5. Woods CA, Sergile FE, Ottenwalder JA. Stewardship plan for the national parks and natural areas of Haiti. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida; 1992.
  6. Köhler G, Hedges SB. 2016. A revision of the green anoles of Hispaniola with description of eight new species (Reptilia, Squamata, Dactyloidae). Novitates Caribaea 9: 1-135
  7. Le Moniteur, Journal Officiel de la Republique d’Haiti, No. 158, 21 August 2014
  8. 1 2 Le Moniteur, Journal Officiel de la Republique d’Haiti, No. 193, 8 October 2015