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ISLAND DIRECTORY
Islands of St Lucia
St Lucia - including Maria Islands, Gros Islet [973]
Group: Windward Islands Archipelago: Lesser Antilles
Country: St Lucia Region: Caribbean Sea
Lat: 13.85º N Long : 61.00º W
Area: 639.8 sq. km Altitude: 950 m
Shoreline: 155.7 km (scale 1:640000) Coastal Index: 0.2434
Depth to nearest land: >201 m
Nearest island: 33 km group: 280 km
Nearest continent: South America Distance: 340 km Isolation Index: 41
ISLAND TYPE: volcanic with some limestone Natural Protection Indicator: 0
GEOLOGY/SOILS:
Inactive volcanos, Gros Piton 786 m, Petit Piton 738 m, Mt Gimie 935 m,
last
volcanic eruption an Soufriere in 1780; hot springs and steam vents;
broad
valleys with rivers
CLIMATE: wet tropical 21-27øC, 1400-3560 mm
CATASTROPHIC THREATS: volcanic eruptions, cyclones (1980)
Threat Indicator: 2
ECOSYSTEMS: Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 6 Marine: 2
Lower montane rainforest on slopes including some remaining primary
forest,
cloud forest on summits, dry woodland near coast, cactus scrub in north,
freshwater swamp (Bois d'Orange), littoral vegetation and mangroves on
east
coast; small young coral reefs on all coasts Forest Coral reefs, Mangroves
Percent of land: Forested: -9% Developed: 37% Degraded: 0%
| SPECIES NUMBERS: |
Total |
Endemic |
Threatened (EVRI) |
| Plants |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Butterflies |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Land snails |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Rept/Amphib |
14 |
5 |
4 |
| Land birds |
0 |
4 |
6 |
| Mammals |
0 |
0 |
0 |
SPECIES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST:
Invertebrates:
Dynastes hercules reidi (Hercules Beetle) regional endemic subspecies,
montane area of St Lucia and Martinique, Vulnerable
Reptiles/Amphibians:
14 native reptiles, 5 island endemics, 4 regional endemics
Anolis luciae, endemic
Sphaerodactylus microlepis, endemic
Cnemidophorus vanzoi, endemic, now only on Maria Islands
Liophis (Dromicus) ornatus, endemic, extinct on St Lucia, only on
Maria
Major
Bothrops caribbaeus, endemic
Birds:
4 island endemics and 8 regional endemics
Amazona versicolor (St Lucia Parrot) endemic, reduced to 150 by 1980
hurricane, 200-250 (1986), Endangered
Melanospiza richardsoni (St Lucia Black Finch) endemic, widely
distributed
but uncommon, threatened
Leucopeza semperi (Semper's Warbler) endemic, vulnerable to mongooses,
only
5 recorded since 1940s, not located in 1987, Endangered
Icterus laudabilis (St Lucia Oriole) endemic, generally distributed
Falco peregrinus tundrius (Peregrine Falcon) Endangered
Troglodytes aedon mesoleucus (St Lucia Wren) endemic subspecies,
Endangered
Ramphocinclus brachyurus sanctaeluciae (St Lucia White-breasted
Thrasher)
endemic subspecies, 75 pairs (1971) down to 60 (1987) in dry valley
scrub
to north-east, Endangered
Cichlherminia lherminieri sanctaeluciae (St Lucia Forest Thrush)
endemic
subspecies, in semi-arid forest in two ravines to north-east,
Endangered
Mammals:
3 regionally endemic bats
Megalomys luciae (St Lucia Muskrat) endemic, Extinct
ENDEMISM: Terrestrial: Terrestrial Endemism Indicator - Island: 2 Group: 3
Marine endemic species: 0
Marine Endemism Indicator - Island: 0 Group: 0
SPECIAL FEATURES : Special Features Indicator - Terrestrial: 0 Marine: 0
some seabird breeding, turtle nesting areas
INVASIVE SPECIES: Invasive Species Indicator: 3
rats, mongoose
HUMAN OCCUPATION: Inhabited, capital Castries
Population: 123000 (1986) Density: 192.2 persons/sq. km
Growth Rate: 1.6%/yr Increasing slowly
Major Human Activities: bananas, agriculture, manufacturing
HUMAN IMPACTS:
Swamps being drained and polluted, mangroves cut and cleared, reefs
threatened
by sedimentation; potential for geothermal development
Habitat: Urban Pop: 51000 Urban Indicator: 4
Accessibility: port, airport
Percent population in agr/mining/fishing: 37% Human Threat Indicator: 1
Gross Domestic Product: $ 1071 per capita Economic Pressure Indicator: 1
Conservation support: government support, legislation
PROTECTED AREAS: Protected Area Coverage Indicators - Terrestrial: 3 Marine: 0
Number: 9 Area: Terrestrial: 155.2 sq. km Marine: 0 sq. km
St. Lucia Forest Reserve, 1979 (1600 ha)
Dennery Forest Reserve, 1946 (148 ha)
Castries Water Works Forest Reserve, 1946 (12,080 ha)
De Suze Estate Reserve, 1946 (108 ha)
Quilesse Forest Reserve, 1946 (854 ha)
Ve-Vottier Forest Reserve, 1946 (200 ha)
Maria Islands Marine Reserve, 1982 (11 ha)
Pigeon Insland National Park, 1979 (20 ha)
Savannes Bay Mangroves Nature Reserve, 1982 (500 ha)
Proposed reserve:
Anse Chastanet/Pitons Marine Reserve
DATA RELIABILITY: good Data Rel. Indicator: 3
HUMAN IMPACT INDEX HI: 18
CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX CI-Terrestrial: 10 Moderate
CI-Marine: 3 Low
REFERENCES:
Johnson, Timothy H. 1988. Biodiversity and conservation in the
Caribbean:
profiles of selected islands. ICBP Monograph No. 1. International
Council
for Bird Preservation, Cambridge. 144 p.
Last updated: 14/10/90
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Page last updated: 09/05/10