La Mensura-Pilotos National Park

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La Mensura–Pilotos National Park
Parque Nacional La Mensura-Pilotos
La Mensura.jpg
Loma La Mensura
La Mensura-Pilotos National Park
Location Holguín Province, Cuba
Coordinates 20°29′N75°50′W / 20.48°N 75.83°W / 20.48; -75.83 [2]
Area84.86 km2 (32.76 sq mi)
DesignationNational Park
Designated2008
AdministratorMinisterio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente

La Mensura-Pilotos National Park is a protected area in eastern Cuba. It covers the southern and western flanks of the Sierra de Nipe in Holguin Province. It was designated a national park in 2008, and has an area of 84.86 km2. [1]

Contents

Geography

The Sierra de Nipe is the westernmost range in the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa massif, which extends to Cuba's eastern tip. Loma La Mensura, at 995 meters elevation, is the highest point in the park and in the Sierra de Nipe. [3]

Ecology

The Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa massif is the most biodiverse region in Cuba.<ref name =Alvarez> Plant communities in the park include lowland and montane moist forest, pine forest, and scrubland. More 900 species of plants have been recorded in the Sierra de Nipe, including many Cuban and local endemic species. [2]

112 bird species have been recorded in the area, about 31% of those present in the Cuban archipelago. This includes 16 species endemic to Cuba, over half of the species endemic to the country. Eight threatened bird species are present in the park, including Cuban endemics grey-fronted quail-dove or camao (Geotrygon caniceps) and bee hummingbird or zunzuncito (Mellisuga helenae). Other Cuban endemics include the bare-legged owl or sijú cotunto (Margarobyas lawrencii), Stygian owl or siguapa (Asio stygius siguapa) and olive-capped warbler or bijirita del pinar (Setophaga pityophila). [2]

67 species of terrestrial mollusks have been recorded in the Sierra de Nipe, 90% of which are endemic to Cuba and nine of which are locally endemic. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Protected Area Profile for La Mensura-Pilotos". Protected Planet – World Database on Protected Areas. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Site factsheet: La Mensura". Data Zone by Birdlife. BirdLife International. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  3. ↑ Yosiel Álvarez, Douglas M. Fernández, Marc C. Minno, Rayner Núñez. The butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountains: a preliminary checklist of the most biodiverse Cuban region. Tropical Lepidoptera Research Volume 33, Number 1, June 2023.
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