Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
Encyclopedia
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is a nature reserve
in the Cayo District
of southern central Belize
. It was established in 1944 to protect and manage the native pine forest. Its boundaries are poorly defined, but it is estimated to cover an area of 106,352.5 acres (430 km²), although much of the reserve has been leased.
, Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis, but with significant broadleaf forest
(36.8%). There are small areas of grassland (3.4%) and wetland (0.6%). Roads, rivers and other features make up the remainder of the area (10.9%). The climate is subtropical with a rainy season from July to February. During the dry season
(February to May) temperatures may reach 39 °C (102 °F) with a humidity level of 70%.
The majority of the reserve is situated on a granite
massif
, with some areas of limestone
in the west of the reserve (remnants of a limestone plateau laid during the Jurassic
). Sinkhole
s and caves are common in the limestone areas. The underlying soils are predominantly sandy. The elevation of the reserve averages between 400 and 700 m (1,312 to 2,296 ft) with the highest point being Baldy Beacon at 1,017 m (3,336 ft), and dropping to 120 m (394 ft) at the lowest point of the Macal River
.
The Macal River forms the boundaries of the reserve to the west and south and is fed tributaries including Rio Frio, Rio On, Privassion Creek and Piviol Creek. To the north-east some small streams feed into Barton Creek.
had a city at Caracol
on the borders of the modern reserve as early as 1200 BC, and Mayan artifacts discovered in Barton Creek Cave
suggest that it was used as a ritual site. There is no mention of Mountain Pine Ridge in Hummell's 1921 report of Belizean forests, but it is believed he may have been the first forester to visit the area in 1897. To control increasing forestry activity in the area, a region of 1504000 acres (6,086 km²) was designated as forest reserve in October 1944, but despite fire control measures being established in 1945, much of the forest was destroyed by a fire in 1949. Few trees in the existing forest date to before this period. The reserve was reclassified in 1952 as a production forest and the 1950s saw the provision of roads and a landing strip. In 1959, the area of the reserve was reduced, losing some land to the neighbouring Sibun Forest Reserve. Hunting was banned in the reserve in 1978 in recognition of the nature conservation role that could be played by the reserve.
The reserve is home to various large mammal
s, including Cougars, Jaguar
s, Ocelot
s, White-nosed Coatis, and Baird's Tapir
s. There is a small population of Morelet's Crocodile
.
Native species of bird include the Rufous-capped Warbler
, Common Crossbill
, Pine Siskin
, Eastern Bluebird
, Stygian Owl
, King Vulture
, Ocellated Turkey
, Acorn Woodpecker
, Blue-crowned Motmot
, Plumbeous Vireo
, Keel-billed toucan
and Red-lored Parrot
. Winter visitors include the Hepatic Tanager
and Chipping Sparrow
. Orange-breasted Falcon
s are more common in the area than elsewhere in Belize. Other fauna present in the reserve are the frog species Rana juliani
(which is restricted to the Maya Mountains
) and Eleutherodactylus sandersoni
, and the fish species Poecilia
teresae. The pine forest has been seriously damaged by the Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis
, with 80% of the trees showing signs of attack.
At Barton Creek, there is a large river cave that may extend up to 4.5 miles (7.2 km) and has not been fully explored. It is accessible only by boat, and archaeological investigation have uncovered a large number of Mayan relics from the various ledges above the river, suggesting it was used for rituals. The Rio Frio Cave through which the Rio Frio runs, has the largest entrance of any cave in Belize. There are small waterfalls on the Rio On and larger drops at Big Rock Falls
on the Privassion Creek and Hidden Valley Falls. Baldy Beacon provides uninterrupted views over the reserve, as its soil is too poor to support any vegetation other than some hardy grasses.
community has existed at Barton Creek since around 1958, when Mennonites first arrived in Belize. A former logging settlement at San Luis is now abandoned.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in the Cayo District
Cayo District
Cayo District is a district in the west of the nation of Belize. The District capital is the town of San Ignacio.- Geography :The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize. It is located on the western side of the country which borders Guatemala. The nation's capital, Belmopan, is...
of southern central Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
. It was established in 1944 to protect and manage the native pine forest. Its boundaries are poorly defined, but it is estimated to cover an area of 106,352.5 acres (430 km²), although much of the reserve has been leased.
Geography
The reserve is predominantly pine forest (58.5%), primarily Honduras PineCaribbean Pine
The Caribbean Pine, Pinus caribaea, is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, which include both lowland savannas and montane forests...
, Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis, but with significant broadleaf forest
Petén-Veracruz moist forests
The Petén-Veracruz moist forests ecoregion, of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest biome, is found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.-Setting:...
(36.8%). There are small areas of grassland (3.4%) and wetland (0.6%). Roads, rivers and other features make up the remainder of the area (10.9%). The climate is subtropical with a rainy season from July to February. During the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
(February to May) temperatures may reach 39 °C (102 °F) with a humidity level of 70%.
The majority of the reserve is situated on a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
, with some areas of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in the west of the reserve (remnants of a limestone plateau laid during the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
). Sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
s and caves are common in the limestone areas. The underlying soils are predominantly sandy. The elevation of the reserve averages between 400 and 700 m (1,312 to 2,296 ft) with the highest point being Baldy Beacon at 1,017 m (3,336 ft), and dropping to 120 m (394 ft) at the lowest point of the Macal River
Macal River
The Macal River is a river running through Cayo District in western Belize. Sites along the river include the ancient Mayan town of Cahal Pech and the Belize Botanic Gardens. The Macal River discharges to the Belize River...
.
The Macal River forms the boundaries of the reserve to the west and south and is fed tributaries including Rio Frio, Rio On, Privassion Creek and Piviol Creek. To the north-east some small streams feed into Barton Creek.
History
Little is known of the early history of the area. The MayaMaya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
had a city at Caracol
Caracol
Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It is situated approximately 40 kilometres south of Xunantunich and the town of San Ignacio Cayo, and 15 kilometers away from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Plateau at...
on the borders of the modern reserve as early as 1200 BC, and Mayan artifacts discovered in Barton Creek Cave
Barton Creek Cave
Barton Creek Cave is a natural cave in Belize, known as both an archaeological site and as a tourist destination. It is located near San Ignacio in the Cayo District.- Physical description :...
suggest that it was used as a ritual site. There is no mention of Mountain Pine Ridge in Hummell's 1921 report of Belizean forests, but it is believed he may have been the first forester to visit the area in 1897. To control increasing forestry activity in the area, a region of 1504000 acres (6,086 km²) was designated as forest reserve in October 1944, but despite fire control measures being established in 1945, much of the forest was destroyed by a fire in 1949. Few trees in the existing forest date to before this period. The reserve was reclassified in 1952 as a production forest and the 1950s saw the provision of roads and a landing strip. In 1959, the area of the reserve was reduced, losing some land to the neighbouring Sibun Forest Reserve. Hunting was banned in the reserve in 1978 in recognition of the nature conservation role that could be played by the reserve.
Fauna
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, including Cougars, Jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s, Ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
s, White-nosed Coatis, and Baird's Tapir
Baird's Tapir
Baird’s Tapir is a species of tapir that is native to Central America and northern South America. It is one of three Latin American species of tapir.-Names:...
s. There is a small population of Morelet's Crocodile
Morelet's Crocodile
Morelet's crocodile, also known as the Mexican crocodile, is a modest sized crocodilian found only in fresh waters of the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. It usually grows to about in length. It is an endangered species.-History:...
.
Native species of bird include the Rufous-capped Warbler
Rufous-capped Warbler
The Rufous-capped Warbler is a New World warbler native from Mexico south to much of Central America, rarely occurring as far north as southeastern Arizona and south Texas....
, Common Crossbill
Common Crossbill
The Common Crossbill is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in the spruce forests of North America, where it is known as Red Crossbill, as well as Europe and Asia; some populations breed in pine forests in certain areas of all three continents, and in North...
, Pine Siskin
Pine Siskin
The Pine Siskin is a North American bird in the finch family. It is a migratory bird with an extremely sporadic winter range.-Description:...
, Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York....
, Stygian Owl
Stygian Owl
The Stygian Owl, Asio stygius is a medium-sized dusky colored owl. It has yellow eyes, a black beak, a dark blackish facial disk, and white eyebrows. Its underparts are a dingy buff color with dark brown barring and streaks...
, King Vulture
King Vulture
The King Vulture is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, though some believe that William Bartram's Painted...
, Ocellated Turkey
Ocellated Turkey
The Ocellated Turkey is a species of turkey residing primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula. A relative of the more common Wild Turkey , it was sometimes previously treated in a genus of its own but the differences between this species and Meleagris gallopavo are too small to justify generic...
, Acorn Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
The Acorn woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g.-Description:...
, Blue-crowned Motmot
Blue-crowned Motmot
The Blue-crowned Motmot, Momotus momota, is a colourful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of eastern Mexico, Central America, northern and central South America, and Trinidad and Tobago...
, Plumbeous Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
The Plumbeous Vireo is a small North American songbird, ranging from far southeastern Montana and western South Dakota south to the Pacific coast of Mexico, including the extreme southern regions of Baja California Sur...
, Keel-billed toucan
Keel-billed Toucan
The Keel-billed Toucan , also known as Sulfur-breasted Toucan or Rainbow-billed Toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize.- Description :...
and Red-lored Parrot
Red-lored Parrot
The Red-lored Amazon or Red-lored Parrot is a species of Amazon parrot, native to tropical regions of the Americas, from eastern Mexico south to Ecuador, with a disjunct population in central Brazil, where it occurs in humid evergreen to semi-deciduous forests up to 1,100 m altitude...
. Winter visitors include the Hepatic Tanager
Hepatic Tanager
The Hepatic Tanager, Piranga flava, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family...
and Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
The Chipping Sparrow is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.-Description:...
. Orange-breasted Falcon
Orange-breasted Falcon
The Orange-breasted Falcon is a bird of the falcon family. It is probably closely related to and looks like a larger version of the Bat Falcon. These two, in turn, are probably closest to the Aplomado Falcon and constitute a rather old American lineage of Falcos.It is found from southern Mexico to...
s are more common in the area than elsewhere in Belize. Other fauna present in the reserve are the frog species Rana juliani
Rana juliani
The Maya Mountains Frog, Rana juliani, is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is found in Belize and possibly Guatemala.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist savanna, and rivers....
(which is restricted to the Maya Mountains
Maya Mountains
The Maya Mountains are a mountain range in Belize and eastern Guatemala. The highest peaks are Doyle's Delight at and Victoria Peak at . The Maya Mountains and associated foothills contain a number of important Mayan ruins including the sites of Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit, Cahal Pech, and Chaa Creek;...
) and Eleutherodactylus sandersoni
Eleutherodactylus sandersoni
Eleutherodactylus sandersoni is a species of frog in the Leptodactylidae family.It is found in Belize and Guatemala.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, and the fish species Poecilia
Poecilia
Poecilia is a genus of euryhaline brackish water fish in family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. The type species is P. vivipara. Live-bearers, the Poecilia species are collectively known as mollies, with the exception of Endler's livebearer and the famous guppy...
teresae. The pine forest has been seriously damaged by the Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis
Dendroctonus frontalis
Dendroctonus frontalis, the southern pine beetle, is a species of bark beetle native to the forests of southern United States, Mexico and Central America. It has a hard reddish brown to black exoskeleton and measures approximately , about the size of a grain of rice...
, with 80% of the trees showing signs of attack.
Notable features
Big Rock Falls
Big Rock Falls is a 150-foot waterfall on Privassion River, in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of the Cayo District of southern central Belize....
on the Privassion Creek and Hidden Valley Falls. Baldy Beacon provides uninterrupted views over the reserve, as its soil is too poor to support any vegetation other than some hardy grasses.
Population
The area is sparsely populated with the highest concentration (a few hundred people) located at D'Silva forest station, the administrative headquarters of the Western Division of the Forestry Department. A MennoniteMennonites in Belize
As of 2008, there are close to 10,000 conservative Prussian Mennonites living in Belize. In addition to this there are another 2,000 mostly Kriol and Mestizo Belizeans who have converted to Mennonitism. Mennonites living in Belize are among the most traditional and conservative amongst all the...
community has existed at Barton Creek since around 1958, when Mennonites first arrived in Belize. A former logging settlement at San Luis is now abandoned.