Management and development plan Aripo Savannas Scientific Reserve

The Aripo Savannas, located in east-central Trinidad, represents the only relatively undisturbed savanna area in the country as well as an outstanding example of a marsh formation consisting of marsh forest, palm marsh and savanna. It provides a habitat for a number of the country's rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The site is flat and the soils which are water-logged during the wet season strongly influence the vegetation. The Scientific Reserve is for the most part located within the Long Stretch Forest Reserve, from which most commercially valuable timber has been removed. A considerable amount of gravel and sand quarrying takes place along the Aripo River on the periphery of the area. The surrounding land use is primarily for forest plantations, tree crops and marginal agriculture and recently, urban development. The management plan calls for the creation of the Aripo Savannas Scientific Reserve to be managed to protect the ecosystem of the area and to provide for its scientific and educational use. To accomplish this the Reserve is divided into scientific, wilderness, and extensive use zones as well as a zone to provide for recuperation of sites where serious resource degregation has taken place. Management programs call for protection through regular patrols, limited access, prohibiting the disturbance to flora and fauna, hunting and vegetative cutting, control of fires and watershed management. An educational and interpretation program will be introduced to provide students and other visitors an opportunity to learn about the area. A research program will be carried out that will afford more information on various ecological factors influencing the Reserve. Only limited facilities are called for to implement the programs. The principal entrance and development area will be located in the south-west sector of the Reserve. This will contain an educational-administrative centre picnic and rest areas and nature trails. A primitive trail will a afford access to the interior of the Reserve. The plan call for a staged development in which inmediate attention will be given to taking necessary legal and administrative action and providing protection including the removal of all incompatible uses followed by the initiation of educational and research programs. A staff of ten officers will eventually be needed to properly manage the area. A budget of about one million dollars is necessary over a five year period for both development and administration of the area.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF) Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 14619
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	Port-of-Spain (Trinidad y Tobago) 1980
Subjects:	PLAN DE MANEJO, ZONIFICACION, INTERPRETACION, SERVICIOS DE USO PUBLICO, RESERVA CIENTIFICA ARIPO SAVANNAS, TRINIDAD Y TOBAGO,
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