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Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
The Victoria-Mayaro Forest Reserve is found at the southeast corner of Trinidad. The reserve comprises in excess of 50000 ha and is mainly forested. However, there are a few farms and small settlements within the reserve and a number of roads and pipelines pass through. Much of the area is currently leased to the State-owned petroleum company for exploration and extraction of oil, which in part provides some degree of protection, at least against shifting agriculture and bush fires. Within the reserve the Trinity Hills rise to 303m and represent the eastern end of the Southern Range. The hillsides of the Trinity Hills are very steep and provide an element of protection. Surrounding habitation includes a fishing village to the east, several oil installations, and service providers to the oil and natural gas industries. The area is a favoured location for hunters.
The Victoria-Mayaro Reserve is infrequently visited by birdwatchers due in part to the long distance from the main population centres. In 1972 the Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary was thought to hold the last surviving Trinidad Piping-guans, as at this time there were no recent records from the Northern Range. One credible record of Piping Guans was made for the area in 2000, but this record was not submitted to the local records committee. Nevertheless the site offers the possibility of a second population of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping–guan. The site is also of national importance to the birds and terrestrial mammals as it represents one of the largest areas of intact forest in Trinidad and Tobago.
Non-bird biodiversity: The Trinidad and Tobago endemic frog Eleutherodactylus urichi is found at the Trinity hills and surrounding forest
The Trinity hills and surrounding forest reserve include some of the most intact forest in Trinidad. Two major types of evergreen seasonal forest of the
Eschweilera subglandulosa - Carapa guianensis (Crappo-Guatacare) Association occur. The predominant form is the
Pentaclethra macroloba- Sabal mauritiiformis (Bois Mulatre-Carat) sub-type which is characterized by three canopy layers of varying continuity. There is a discontinuous emergent layer of trees exceeding 30m, an almost continuous middle stratum at 12-27m and a lower story at 3-9m. Lianas and epiphytes are common and palms important in the lower story. Dominant emergent species include Crappo
Carapa guianensis, Wild Chataigne
Pachira insignis and
Guatacare Eschweilera subglandulosa. Canopy species include Bois Mulatre
Pentaclethra macroloba, Acurel
Trichilia smithii and Redwood
Guarea guara and the lower storey predominantly the Carat Palm,
Sabal mauritiiformis. The second sub-type is Mora Forest. This forest has a continuous and dense canopy at 36-42m with Mora
Mora excelsa accounting for 85-95% of the canopy layer. The middle and lower strata are discontinuous and occur at 12-27m and 3-9m respectively. Very little light penetrates to the forest floor where the ground flora is predominantly Mora seedlings.
Within the forest reserve there are a few areas of silviculture. Non-forested areas include agricultural fields within and encroach on the periphery of the reserve and one area of pasture of roughly 50 ha. A major natural gas pipeline corridor crosses the reserve.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
A large natural gas pipeline was recently constructed which, together with existing roads, fragments the formerly contiguous forest. This probably does not affect the birdlife as much as it may affect the mammalian fauna. The major threat to the habitat is gradual habitat destruction due to illegal logging or expansion of agricultural plots. The survival of any population of Trinidad Piping-guan is severely threatened by hunters.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Research has been conducted on the tree diversity and the impact of different methods for harvesting timber species. A number of small studies have been conducted on the fauna, many in support of environmental impact assessments associated with the oil and gas industry. These generally result in species lists with emphasis on birds and non-volant mammals.
The IBA selected includes the entire Victoria-Mayaro Forest Reserve which includes the Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. The wildlife sanctuary is approximately 7500 ha.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Victoria-Mayaro Forest Reserve (Trinidad and Tobago). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/victoria-mayaro-forest-reserve-iba-trinidad-and-tobago on 23/12/2024.
