Main gaps: No published descriptions of the ecology of the area but an assessment is currently underway by University of the with funding from Ramsar (D. Webber, pers. comm.. 2006) 4.6.9 Blue and Location: Upper Blue and in eastern Management Agency: , Forestry Department Current conservation status: National Park, Forest Reserve Principal targets: Montane summit savanna, montane cloud forest, very wet, wet forest on limestone, very wet, wet forest on shale, wet forest on alluvium, wet forest on serpentine, many frogs, bats, Yellow Boa, Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Principal threats: poor and illegal agricultural practices, illegal timber harvest, mining, hurricane damage, invasive species On-going conservation programmes: programmes being implemented by in accordance with their management plan. Forestry Department carrying out a biophysical inventory. Proposal for designation as World Heritage site under development. Description of the area: Upper reaches of the two mountain ranges, includes two of the largest areas of intact natural forests, areas of outstanding importance for biodiversity, landscape Ecological functions and connectivity: Very important watershed, landscape, important part of spinal forest. Main gaps: Management programmes for threatened species and habitats (specially wet forest on serpentine) Control of invasive species Connectivity to sea (e.g. north, east to and south) 4.6.10 Coastal St Mary and Location: Coastal and inland hills east of Port Maria () and south of Management Agency: Mostly privately owned Current conservation status: None, but some private landowners are interested in conservation Principal targets: Wet and mesic forest on shale; mesic forest on alluvium, mesic forest on limestone Principal threats: Coastal development, settlement, agriculture, road development, invasive species (including bamboo) On-going conservation programmes: None known Description of the area: One of the last remaining relatively undeveloped parts of the north coast, includes coastal hills and important links to marine ecosystems Ecological functions and connectivity: Coastal protection, watershed, links to marine ecosystems. Main gaps: This area urgently needs to be assessed for conservation potential as it includes potentially important examples of wet and mesic forests on shale and alluvium and is important for coastal connectivity.
Osteopilus wilderi Green Bromeliad Frog Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Hedges 2003 Eleutherodactylus jamaicensis Tree Frog Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Hedges 2003 Eleutherodactylus pentasyringos Tree Frog Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Hedges 2003 Eleutherodactylus sisyphodemus Tree Frog Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Hedges 2003 OTHER THREATENED MAMMALS Geocapromys brownii Jamaican Hutia Koenig 2004 THREATENED REPTILES Cyclura collei Jamaican Iguana Koenig 2004 Epicrates subflavus Jamaican Yellow Boa Koenig 2004 THREATENED BUTTERFLIES Papilio homerus Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Koenig 2004 OTHER THREATENED BIRDS Dendrocygna arborea West Indian Whistling Duck Koenig 2004 THREATENED PLANTS Threatened plant aggregations Aggregations of more than 4 threatened plant species Proctor 2003
Table 4: Conservation Targets - Description of Terrestrial Ecological Systems 1992; 2002; 1952) on Alluvium Cactus thorn scrub Diagnostic species include columnar cacti (Stenocereus hystrix, Dildo Pear) and Cephalocereus swartzii and other spiny species. , and Billy's Bay, St. Elizabeth on Limestone In coastal areas: Dry Limestone Scrub/Dry Limestone Thicket/Dry Semievergreen thicket over limestone, Dry Limestone Forest/Dry forest over shale (see below) woodland Diagnostic species include Coccoloba uvifera (Seaside Grape) and Thespesia populnea (Seaside Mahoe). Islets Dominated by Capparis ferruginea (Stinking Berry), Cordia sebestena (Red Cordia), Erithalis fruticosum and several other species Common trees include Metopium brownii; Ateramnus lucidus (Crab Wood), Drypetes lateriflora (Wild Orange), Bumelia salicifolia, Brya ebenus (Jamaica Ebony) and Diospyros lateriflora (Clamberry). Bursera simaruba (Red Birch) is a common emergent and there are many smaller species. Some areas may be dominated by Thrinax parviflora (Broom Thatch) Along the coast e.g. Hellshire, , Westmoreland , Bight Cays , Hellshire, Portland Ridge, . Pedro Bluff, Coastal St. James E.g. parts of Hellshire on Shale Not determined Requires assessment Margins of Hellshire and Port Henderson Hill Fairly Dry on Alluvium Thorn scrub over alluvial soils/Partly deciduous thorn thicket Thorn scrub Dominated by thorny leguminous phanerophytes 3-10 m tall. Common species include Propopis juliflora and Acacia tortuosa. (probably an anthropogenic formation) In poor drainage ponding may occur and very rare mud-loving species (Isoetes jamaicensis) may occur. , Manchester/Clarendon. Abandoned cane lands in southern St. Catherine Harris Savanna, Clarendon Fairly Dry on Limestone Dry Limestone Forest/Dry Common trees include Metopium brownii; E.g. South of , Brazeillettos,
elliptica, Ardisia brittonii, Solanum acropterum High altitude over limestone/montane Limestone Thicket/Upper Montane Thicket Complex over limestone Canopy height 4-6 m; May be dominated by Clusia havetoides, forming dense tangles. Cliffs and areas of poor soil and high rainfall in the Very on Shale over Shale (includes several variants) Canopy height 5-13 m. Constant tree species include Alchornea latifolia Clethera occidentalis, Clusia havetoides, etc. North slopes of Montane Cloud Forest over Shale Epiphytes and tree ferns abundant. Cloud forest characterized by stunted and gnarled trees, including tree ferns, with high basal area, small diameters, and slow growth rates, probably as a result of strong winds and water saturated soils. Trees and sclerophyllous. Trunks covered with epiphytes. Common species include Clethera alexandri; Eugenia alpina,etc. - Montane Savanna Montane summit savanna Grassland dominated by caespitose high altitude grass Danthonia domingensis which forms a monospecific stand to about 1 m. Confined to the N side of in the Non-mangrove Wetlands Herbaceous wetlands Freshwater Herbaceous Wetlands Freshwater Mudflat Sedge Savanna Riparian Swale - graminoid-dominated riparian swale - fern-dominated riparian swale Upper and Lower Morass, Negril Morass Brackish-water Herbaceous Wetlands Estuarine Mudflat Herbaceous Salt Marsh (salina) Margins of mangrove wetlands e.g. Rocky Point, Clarendon Riparian Almost completely destroyed. Probably dominated by an undescribed species of Lonchocarpus and Crudia spicata near Lacovia and Dominated by Symphonia globulifera (Hog Gum, Boar Gum) and Roystonea princeps (Swamp Cabbage, Morass Royal Palm), Grias cauliflora (Anchovy Pear) and Calyptronoma occidentalis (Long Thatch) Frenchmans, St. Elizabeth; Negril Royal Palm Reserve and Westmoreland Palm woodland Disturbed woodlands dominated by palms on poorly drained soils. Dominated by Roystonea princeps (Swamp Cabbage, Morass Royal Palm), Sabal jamaicensis 's Bottom, Negril (near airstrip)
Geocapromys brownii Jamaican Hutia Vulnerable Declining Fairly widespread? THREATENED REPTILES Cyclura collei Jamaican Iguana Endangered Stable Extremely limited Restricted to Hellshire Hills 100 Epicrates subflavus Jamaican Yellow Boa Vulnerable Declining Fairly widespread Forests on limestone 50 THREATENED BUTTERFLIES Papilio homerus Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Endangered Declining Fairly widespread Cockpit Country and 50 OTHER THREATENED BIRDS Dendrocygna arborea West Indian Whistling Duck Vulnerable Declining Fairly widespread Wetlands 50 THREATENED PLANTS Threatened plant aggregations Aggregations of more than 4 threatened plant species (Threatened) Not assessed Extremely limited Locations islandwide 100 Table 9: - Gap analysis - protection of habitats for selected threatened species (fine filter targets) Summary Target Name Occurences/ Area Declared PA (NRCA Act) Reserve Game Reserve Total protected Total % Black and Parrots Occurrences 6 49 0 55 242 23 Threatened Bats Occurrences 1 1 0 2 12 17 Threatened Endemic frogs Occurrences 40 49 0 90 397 23 Giant Swallowtail Occurrences 3 4 7 32 22 West Indian Whistling Duck Area 8496 0 2283 11099 46672 24 Yellow Boa Area 11980 237 3 12230 40472 30 Table 10: Cost Surface COST FACTOR (THREAT) UNIT OF MEASUREMENT INTENSITY VALUE SOURCE OF DATA Road density km/analysis unit >25 km = 500 10-25 km = 400 5-10 km = 300 1-5 km = 200 < 1 km = 100 Maps provided by Ministry of Transport and Works 2005 High population density People/analysis unit > 1000 = 100 < 1000 = 0 Statin 2000, 2001. Monocultural Presence or absence Monocultural Forestry Department
agriculture agriculture present = 100 Not present = 0 LU1998 Invasive species (bamboo) Presence or absence of bamboo Bamboo present = 200 Bamboo not present = 0 Forestry Department LU1998 Mixed land use Presence or absence of mixed land use Mixed land use present = 50 Mixed land use not present = 0 Forestry Department LU1998 Urban development (including heavy industry) Presence or absence of urban development Urban development present = 200 Urban development not present = 0 Forestry Department LU1998 Mining and quarrying (including bauxite plants, mined out areas and quarries) Presence of active mining or quarrying Mining/quarrying present = 500 Not present = 0 Map provided by Commisioner of Mines 2005 Prospecting licences for mining Licences issued Licences issued for >x% of area = 125 Map provided by Commisioner of Mines 2005 Base cost None Base cost = 100 N/a Table 11: Criteria used in MARXAN (Dorfman 2006) Planning unit size Hexagons, 1 km per side area (area 260 ha) Number of planning units 4503 Baseline modifier - with cost 0.03 Penalty factor Targets Coarse and fine filter targets included Target weighting None Goal systems Ecological/Adaptive goals Number of runs: 100 runs of 10 million iterations Model used Without protected areas, with cost Figures