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Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
Les Todiers covers 845 ha inside the historic park Citadelle, Sans souci, Ramiers, overlooking from its steep slopes the towns of Milot, Grande Rivière du Nord and Dondon. It lies in the Northern Department at latitude 19°61'N and longitude 72°21'W on rugged karst terrain made of early Eocene (50 myBP) limestones outcroppings that serve as a refuge for many upland and lowland birds (600 to 900 m elevation). It is adjacent to the tourist area associated with this historic park and the Plaine du Nord, one of the most important agricultural areas in Haiti. The town of Milot is inhabited by a majority of tourist guides and craftmen, whereas in the two other towns farmers represent the majority. Every year for Good Friday, thousands of young visit the monuments as a good luck pilgrimage.
The avifauna, although poorly studied is rich and diverse. It includes 15 endemics (Species such as the Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris) and the Broad-billed Tody (T. subulatus), which are allopatric in most of Haïti, occur together in the zone between 500 to 850 m elevetion in this region. Parakeets, which are usually found in lowland areas, occur occasionally with parrots above 500 m elevation. Night birds had not been surveyed.
Non-bird biodiversity: The herpetofauna of the region represents a significant part of the fauna of the island. Some reptiles such as Anolis eugenegrahami, Sphaerodactylus lazelli and Anolis christophei first found in the La Citadelle region as well as frogs such as Eleutherodactylus poolei and Eleutherodactylus schmidti limbensis.
This small acreage includes two forest formations: low montane wet forest and subtropical moist forest. The first biological zone is spread from 800 m elevation to the highest summit of northern Haiti. Natural vegetation patches are still found on mountain tops such as the summit of the Bonnet-à-l'Evêque and on the very steep slopes. The dominant plants are
Tabebuia berterii (Bignoniaceae),
Didymopanax tremulum (Araliaceae),
Brunellia comocladiifolia (Brunelliaceae), and
Weinmannia pinnata (Cunoniaceae) which are good indices of this plant association. Tree ferns, epiphytes (orchids, ferns, bromeliads, peperomias) and melastoms are abundant. The Subtropical moist forest formation is located below 800 m elevation and includes valuable trees such as
Swietenia mahogany (Meliaceae),
Catalpa longissima (Bignoniaceae),
Roystonea regia (Palmae),
Petitia domingensis (Verbenaceae),
Pinus occidentalis (Pinaceae). Citrus along with other fruit trees, coffee and bananas grow in the surroundings. Farm land in the region are well known for their citrus, coffee, cocoa, bananas due to high precipitation (2,400mm/year) and the remaining woody vegetation cover. Many endemic species thrive on and around the karstic rocks, protecting soils from leaching and erosion during the rainy season.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Although four institutions could put their resources together, the ecology of the park, however, has not been protected and is deteriorating for the following reasons: a) Few people know or appreciate the avifauna of the country since there are no bird books in the languages of the country their management. The first one published in December 2005 is for children and covers only 92 species out of 280. As food becomes scarce and fewer children are in school for economic reasons, this problem is increasing in importance.b) Institutions in charge of protected areas, i. e. ISPAN (Institut de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National) MARNDR (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development) and MDE (Ministry of Environment) have neither adequate and sufficiently trained staff, nor sufficient funding to effectively develop and protect the parks;c) By legislation the MARNDR has the responsibility to manage them, however, very few people in high positions in the government are concerned about protecting Haiti's natural heritage, therefore meager funds are available for conservation. d) MARNDR does not take a leader role in the management of fauna and flora in this area, since it is already managed by ISPAN and National Tourist Office and rather perceived as an historic park although ISPAN and Ministry of Culture are advocating protection of monuments with their natural surroundings. e) Last but not least, in spite of this already inadequate funding, the international community withdraws all financial support whenever there are political irregularities or whenever their strategic plans change.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Conservation and research activity in this area had been very sporadic but fortunately had concerned the avifauna of the region. In early 1980, Charles A. Woods and Jose A. Ottenwalder, had mistnetted birds of the Citadelle La Ferriere in northern Haiti which was updated 10 years after, in April 1993 by Heather Macpherson and Catherine Graham with funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the University of Florida. ISPAN (Institut de Sauvegarde du Patimoine National) financed by UNESCO (United Nation Education, Science and Culture Organization) and the government of Haiti undertook a major role in restoring of the three monuments having in mind the protection of the natural patrimony as well. The Ministery of Commerce through its Office of Tourism has in 1994 a plan to manage the natural environment including creating the a botanical garden in the Sans-souci area.
Parc Historique la Citadelle, Sans-Souci, les Ramiers (2,200 ha). Although this park was established 1968 by Presidential decree, primarily to assure the restoration and conservation of the most important historic monuments of the country, it does have an important role as a natural protected area, since its objective were : 1) Protection of national historic monuments in their natural environment. 2) Promotion of tourism. 3) Protection of endemic flora and fauna. In fact some studies for this park management recommend a core and a special use zone that are naturally protected by inaccessibility (slopes, relief of the terrain and monument foundations). In addition, number of guides where very interested in acquiring knowledge on how to protect wildlife once they had learned about its uniqueness.
Florence E. Sergile, University of Florida
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Citadelle - Grottes Dondon (Haiti). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/citadelle--grottes-dondon-iba-haiti on 22/11/2024.
