Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
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Location of Sierra del Rosario in Cuba | |
Location | Cuba |
Nearest city | La Palma |
Coordinates | 22°42′36″N 83°33′59″W / 22.71000°N 83.56639°WCoordinates: 22°42′36″N 83°33′59″W / 22.71000°N 83.56639°W |
Area | 266.86 km2 (103.04 sq mi) |
Established | February 15, 1984 |
Sierra del Rosario is a mountain range in the provinces of Pinar del Río and Artemisa, Cuba. It is located in the eastern part of the Guaniguanico Range, in the north-western part of the province of Pinar del Río and in the eastern part of Artemisa's one; between the municipalities of La Palma, Los Palacios, Consolación del Sur, Bahía Honda, Candelaria and San Cristóbal.
It was established as a Biosphere Reserve and an IUCN Managed Resource Protected Area on February 15, 1984, being the first one in Cuba to be classified as such. It protects a total area of 266.86 km2 (103.04 sq mi), of tropical forests with evergreen and semi-deciduous environments.
Over 800 species of plants are hosted in the mesic forest that covers the mountains, with 35% being endemic. Fauna includes five species of bats, numerous birds (notably the Bee hummingbird), as well as the Yellow-Striped Pygmy Eleuth (Eleutherodactylus limbatus), one of the smallest frogs in the world, and various lizards such as the Anolis luteogulartis.