Main Ridge Forest Reserve

Location

The proposed Main Ridge Forest Reserve pilot protected area, comprising 3,937 ha is currently designated the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and represents the oldest forest reserve in the western hemisphere, having been set aside in 1776.

The volcanically influenced Main Ridge Forest Reserve extends from the Northeast of the island southwesterly for approximately seventeen kilometers – see map below.

There is a maximum altitude of 549m near the midpoint of the ridge. The Main Ridge comprises of forested ridges from the North coast to, gentler slopes with deep valleys which run down to a narrow fertile coastal plain in the South (Davis et al. 1986; Thelen and Faizool 1980).

MAP

Legal Designation
  • Declared a Forest Reserve on April 13th, 1776
  • Nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August 2011
  • Voted the "World's Leading Eco-Tourism destination" by the World Travel Awards in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006

 

 

 

 

Adjacent landowners and Land Use

The reserve is surrounded by forested or agricultural lands, many of which have been abandoned and have reverted to secondary forest.

 

Socio-economic description

Ten communities surround the pilot protected area: Charlotteville, Speyside, Delaford, Betsy's Hope, Louis d'Or, Roxborough, Parlatuvier, L'Anse Fourmi, Hermitage and Bloody Bay. These ten communities have a total population of 11, 500. The population is mostly dependent on the proposed Main Ridge PA for hunting, recreation, tour guiding and water.

The Main Ridge Forest Reserve is heavily utilized for ecotourism – nature walks, bird watching and mountain biking – with the main trail, the Gilpin trail, being the focal point for intensive use.  Access to this protected area is primarily through one access road from Bloody Bay to Roxborough, which bisects the reserve. 

Although generally managed for ecotourism, this site is subject to exploitation of its local wildlife by hunters who harvest local mammals such as the nine banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), the agouti and the wild hog for commercial and subsistence purposes.

Ecological Notes

  • The vegetation at the Main Ridge Forest Reserve is considered to consist of three types, lower montane rainforest (Byrsonima spicata- Licania biglandulosa forest association), xerophytic rainforest (Manilkara bidentata- Guettarda scabra forest association) and lowland rainforest (Carapa guianensis - Andira inermis forest association) (Beard,  1946)
  • The site contains more than 160 tree species (Beard 1946)
  • Plant endemism is comparatively high for this small reserve, with an estimated 16 endemic plants thought to be found at this site
  • The Main Ridge consists of tropical rainforest restricted to the sheltered mountain valleys, lower montane forest, xerophytic rainforest, evergreen formations and some occurrences elfin woodland (Davis et al. 1986; Thelen and Faizool 1980).  Rainfall is seasonal, having less in the dry season (January to May) and more in the wet season (June to December)
  • The site is home to a total of 210 species of birds, 16 species of mammals, 24 species of snakes, and 16 species of lizards have been recorded
  • This site is the primary habitat of the globally near threatened White-tailed Sabre-wing Hummingbird (Campylopterus ensipennis) and it is an important bird area for the Americas (Devenish et al., 2009)
  • The Main Ridge is also a habitat for the Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) one of the two national birds
  • The area has high and unique avian diversity and the site is listed as an Important Bird Area in the Americas (Devenish et al., 2009)
  • This site is also a critical habitat for several threatened endemic frogs including Manophryne olmonae also known as the Bloody Bay Poison Frog, and Pristimantis turpinorum as well as endemic reptiles such as Erythrolamprus ocellatus.

Historical Significance

The Main Ridge Forest Reserve is the oldest legally protected forest reserve geared specifically towards a conservation purpose. It was established on April 13th, 1776.

Management

The Main Ridge Forest Reserve is managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Forestry of the Tobago House of Assembly.

Key Threats & Challenges

The Main Ridge Forest Reserve is a site of high biodiversity on the island of Tobago, and this protected area’s small size makes it vulnerable to several threats as follows:

  • Harvest of game species such as the tattoo (Dasypus novemcinctus), wild hog and the agouti for commercial and subsistence hunting is a threat to the diversity at this PA. Damage may also occur during the exercising of hunting dogs.  Harvesting from the rivers also occurs, e.g. harvesting of crayfish, as does the catching of birds for the purpose of caging.
  • Unsustainable levels of tourist traffic on the nature trails could potentially negatively affect wildlife at the site and lead to a degradation of the vegetation at this site (e.g. Carrying capacity of the Gilpin Trail)
  • Alien invasive species are a potential threat at this site, thus, invasive species such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis poses a significant risk at this site where there are several endemic amphibians (e.g. Manophryne olmonae, and Pristimantis turpinorum);
  • Climate change impacts including changes in hydrological regimes particularly, affecting drought intensity, could increase fire risk during the dry season, and increase drought stress for high elevation plant species at this protected area.  The current forest structure is influenced by the occurrence of tropical storms and sporadic hurricanes, there is a risk that increased occurrence of storms and hurricanes will threaten the population stability of larger trees in future.
  • The illegal mining of mud for mass
  • Suspected marijuana cultivation
  • Catching of birds for the purpose of caging
  • Exercising of hunting dogs
  • Invasive species
  • Carrying capacity of the Gilpin Trail
  • Erosion
  • Harvesting of crayfish
Current initiatives in the Protected Area

References