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Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
Mount Pleasant Reserve lies to the south-east of the proposed La Soufrière National Park and is bordered on its west and south by Richmond and Colonarie Forest Reserves, respectively. Agricultural activities occur primarily along its eastern boundary. It comprises a mixture of Rainforest and Secondary Rainforest, along with Palm Brake in its higher elevations. Dominant rainforest species include
Prestoea montana, Dacryodes excelsa , several species of Lauraceae,
Meliosma herbertii, Micropholis chrysophylloides and Sloanea caribaea . P. montana and Heliconia spp . are common in Palm Brake.
Its undulating landscape supports a rich diversity of flora and fauna and many scenic mountain vistas. The Reserve encompasses the Perseverance water catchment that produces approximately 5% of the country’s annual water output (Ivor Jackson and Associates, 2004). Erosion is a common phenomenon caused by steep slopes, heavy rainfall and accelerated by human pressure on the land. This includes deforestation to facilitate agriculture-related squatting and illegal marijuana cultivation.
Two (2) Globally-threatened Species 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.
Agricultural activities occur primarily along its eastern boundary. It comprises a mixture of Rainforest and Secondary Rainforest, along with Palm Brake in its higher elevations. Dominant rainforest species include
Prestoea montana,
Dacryodes excelsa, several species of
Lauraceae,
Meliosma herbertii,
Micropholis chrysophylloides and
Sloanea caribaea.
P.
montana and
Heliconia spp. are common in Palm Brake.Its undulating landscape supports a rich diversity of flora and fauna and many scenic mountain vistas. The Reserve encompasses the Perseverance water catchment that produces approximately 5% of the country's annual water output (Ivor Jackson and Associates, 2004).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Human activity leads to removal of prime wildlife habitat; causing loss of wildlife and accelerated erosion. Issues related to poaching of the St. Vincent Parrot continue to be a major concern.
Mount Pleasant Reserve lies to the south-east of the proposed La Soufrière National Park and is bordered on its west and south by Richmond and Colonarie Forest Reserves, respectively.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Pleasant Forest Reserve (St Vincent and the Grenadines). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-pleasant-forest-reserve-iba-st-vincent-and-the-grenadines on 22/11/2024.
