Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve - Environmental Management ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ARIPO SAVANNAS ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA 4.1 Location and Boundaries of the Aripo Savannas ESA The Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve lies in North Central Trinidad between Arima and Sangre Grande. The Long Stretch of the Eastern Main Road is its eastern boundary. The Aripo River, a cut survey line and the Cumuto Main Road bounds it on the west and the course of the abandoned Trinidad Government Railway forms the southern boundary. The area of the Aripo Savannas is approximately 1800 hectares or 4448 acres. The Aripo Savannas Environmentally Sensitive Area Notice 2005 provides a more accurate description of the boundaries of the Aripo Savannas ESA. Lands of the proposed ESA of Aripo Savannas are state owned. The Forestry Division is charged with the primary responsibility of managing the Aripo Savannas. The area falls within the North East Conservancy. EMA: The Administrative Record for the Designation of Aripo Savannas as an Environmentally Sensitive Area
4.2 Geomorphology and Soils 29 Old alluvial terraces fanning out from the foothills of the Northern Range and uplifted during the Pleistocene era are the geological setting of the Savannas. The alluvial terraces consist of layers of gravel, sands and clays representing different depositional environments. Weathering and ground water movements have subsequently modified the alluvial sediments, most notably creating a hardpan layer of cemented clays that is impervious to water infiltration. Weathering has also created an infertile soil A-horizon (fine sands and sandy clays) that overlies the hardpan. The hardpan and the infertility of the soils due to weathering are the two most important features that have determined the natural savannah ecosystem. The hardpan prevents the vertical movement of water creating alternating conditions of drought and waterlogging where the hardpan is close to the surface. In these areas the only vegetation able to survive are grasses, sedges and herbs. 30 Where the hardpan is found at greater depths, trees and other woody vegetation are able to grow and create a forest ecosystem. Generally the soils throughout the Aripo Savannas are of extremely low fertility and are of little use for agriculture. 4.3 Vegetative Communities of Aripo Savannas 31 With a total of 457 plant species recorded so far, the ASSR can be subdivided into several distinct vegetation communities based on the structure and species composition. Sharon Schwab, a research student who studied the ASSR in the 1980s, divided it up into the following vegetation communities and habitats: Open Savanna Palm Marsh Marsh Forest Palm Island Intermittent Open Water Trackside Open Savanna The Open Savanna community is what people naturally think of when visualising a savannah. It is found in ten discrete areas or savannas of varying size and is a very distinctive community of open, low growing herbaceous vegetation on a flat plain, very striking when first encountered after walking through closed, crowded forest vegetation. The low stature of the vegetation is caused by the impervious hardpan layer a few centimeters beneath the soil that prevents larger plants establishing in anything but isolated individuals. In addition the soils on the Open Savanna have a very poor nutrient status. To cope with this stressful environment, plants have adopted a number of characteristics to help them survive such as trapping and eating insects and nematodes. 95 species are found in the Open Savanna community, some of which are confined to the ASSR. 29 Thelen, K.D. and S. Faizool. 1980a. System of National Parks and Other Protected Areas in Trinidad and Tobago. Forestry Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, Port of Spain, Trinidad. 30 Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve Issues Document November 2001. Sundew Tour Guiding Services. 31 Oatham, M., Flora of the Aripo Savannas: A Summary Prepared for the Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve Stakeholder Consultation. Caroni Swamp Visitors Centre 29 th of May 2002 (Entire section on vegetative communities of Aripo is reproduced from M. Oatham. EMA: The Administrative Record for the Designation of Aripo Savannas as an Environmentally Sensitive Area
Page 1 and 2: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
Page 3 and 4: (l) Mayaro/ Rio Claro Regional Corp
Page 5 and 6: 1.0 SCHEDULE IV OF THE ENVIRONMENTA
Page 7 and 8: Chap. 16:02 Chap. 66:01 “Environm
Page 9 and 10: Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserv
Page 11 and 12: (F) Armadillo (Dasypus novemcintus)
Page 13 and 14: (h) introduction of any plant or an
Page 15 and 16: 2.0 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE A
Page 17 and 18: A brief history of action on the Ar
Page 19 and 20: The islands of Trinidad and Tobago
Page 21 and 22: 1765 The Main Ridge Reserve in Toba
Page 23 and 24: National Parks and other Protected
Page 25 and 26: threatened and endangered species,
Page 27: 3.3 The Role of NGOs The NGOs and C
Page 31 and 32: a. Rhynchospora aripoensis Bitton,
Page 33 and 34: • Agricultural and residential Sq
Page 35 and 36: An Aripo Savannas Bibliography Adam
Page 37 and 38: 3.0 THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE A
Page 39 and 40: Schedule I Schedule II Schedule III
Page 41 and 42: SCHEDULE II Rule 3 (1) ( c ) GUIDEL
Page 43 and 44: SCHEDULE IV THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAG

Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve - Environmental Management ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?