Cuchillas del Toa is a
Biosphere ReserveThe UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme was established in 1977 to promote an interdisciplinary approach to research, training and communications in ecosystem conservation and rational use of natural resources.-Development:...
in
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
. It is located in the eastern part of the country, mostly in the
Guantánamo ProvinceGuantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.-History:...
and reaching to the north into the
Holguín ProvinceHolguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the second most populous after Ciudad de la Habana. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín , Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa....
. Most of the reserve is established in the drainage area of the
Toa RiverThe Toa River, is a river located in the Guantánamo province of Cuba. It flows across the country. This river is 131 kilometres long and has 72 tributaries. The Toa river is well known for its crystal clear waters....
, which flows for to the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
in Baracoa.
The reserve extends along , of which to the marine area. Cuchillas del Toa is considered as one of the principal centers of biodiversity and endemism in Cuba and the insular Caribbean with pine forests, cloud forests and xeric scrub to complex coastal vegetation with
mangroveMangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater , to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater,...
s and
coral reefCoral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters containing few nutrients. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate...
s.
Cuchillas del Toa is a
Biosphere ReserveThe UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme was established in 1977 to promote an interdisciplinary approach to research, training and communications in ecosystem conservation and rational use of natural resources.-Development:...
in
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
. It is located in the eastern part of the country, mostly in the
Guantánamo ProvinceGuantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.-History:...
and reaching to the north into the
Holguín ProvinceHolguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the second most populous after Ciudad de la Habana. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín , Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa....
. Most of the reserve is established in the drainage area of the
Toa RiverThe Toa River, is a river located in the Guantánamo province of Cuba. It flows across the country. This river is 131 kilometres long and has 72 tributaries. The Toa river is well known for its crystal clear waters....
, which flows for to the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
in Baracoa.
The reserve extends along , of which to the marine area. Cuchillas del Toa is considered as one of the principal centers of biodiversity and endemism in Cuba and the insular Caribbean with pine forests, cloud forests and xeric scrub to complex coastal vegetation with
mangroveMangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater , to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater,...
s and
coral reefCoral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters containing few nutrients. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate...
s. The
karstKilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after a Yugoslavian geologist Karst. It will consist of about 30 individual...
ic system of the great cave of Moa Head lands is one of the five natural monuments in the country and one of the great cave systems in eastern Cuba. With high biodiversity in flora and fauna, there are 928 endemic species reported, including primitive species belonging to the genera
PodocarpusPodocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. The 105 species of Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees from 1-25 m in height...
and
DracaenaDracaena is a genus of about 40 species of trees and succulent shrubs classified in the family Ruscaceae in the APG II system, or, according to some treatments, separated into a family of their own, Dracaenaceae or in the Agavaceae...
. Cuchiilas del Toa is home to the highly endangered
Ivory-billed WoodpeckerThe Ivory-billed Woodpecker is one of several species whose numbers have dwindled to the point where it is uncertain whether any remain. The species is listed as critically endangered and possibly extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature...
(
Campephilus principalis),
Cuban KiteThe Cuban Kite, Chondrohierax wilsonii, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. It is endemic to Cuba....
(
Chondrohierax wilsoni), and the
Cuban SolenodonThe Cuban Solenodon or Almiqui , is a species of soricomorph that is endemic to Cuba. It belongs to the family Solenodontidae along with a similar species, the Hispaniolan Solenodon...
(
Solenodon cubanus). Some of the world’s smallest mammal species are found in the reserve. About 18,300 inhabitants (2002), in 498 communities, live in the buffer zone and transition area of this mountainous reserve. Engaged in forestry, traditional agriculture (
coffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil. Due to its...
,
coconutThe Coconut Palm is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m long, pinnae 60–90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the seed of the...
, and
cacaoCacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate...
) and
ecotourismEcotourism is travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and small scale. It helps educate the traveler; provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities; and fosters respect for...
, they also raise cattle and participate in
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
,
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24, first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odourless, tasteless, and malleable...
,
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
and
cobaltCobalt is a hard, lustrous, gray metal, a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. Although cobalt-based colors and pigments have been used since ancient times for making jewelry and paints, and miners have long used the name kobold ore for some minerals, the free metallic cobalt was...
mining. These activities had increased negative impacts in the carrying capacity of the ecosystems, one of the main problems the reserve faces today. Another interesting aspect of this biosphere reserve is its history as battlefield for freedom. In the 18th and 19th centuries, escaped African slaves called
CimmaronesMaroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together.-History:In the New World, as early as 1512, black slaves had escaped from Spanish and...
found refuge in the region. It is twinned with the
Montes Azules Biosphere ReserveThe Lacandon Jungle is a jungle in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.
It is home to the Lacandon Maya, as well as many other indigenous Maya peoples and non-indigenous people; mostly subsistence peasants.The region is located in the eastern part of the state of Chiapas, between 16°05' – 17°45' N...
in
ChiapasChiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country. Chiapas is bordered by the states of Tabasco to the north, Veracruz to the northwest, and Oaxaca to the west. To the east Chiapas borders Guatemala, and to the south the Pacific Ocean.Chiapas has an area of...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, due to similar environmental conditions and resource management.
The reserve protects tropical wet forest and coastal/
marine ecosystemMarine ecosystems are among of the Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include oceans, salt marsh and intertidal ecology, estuaries and lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs, the deep sea and the sea floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content.Such places are...
s. It surrounds the
Alejandro de Humboldt National Park Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt is a national park in the Cuban provinces of Holguín and Guantánamo. It is named after the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt who visited the island in 1800 and 1801...
and also contains
El YunqueEl Yunque is a high mountain located west of Baracoa and the Baracoa Bay in Cuba's Guantanamo Province. It has a table mountain shape that resembles an anvil ....
table mountain, the
Infierno Creek with a waterfall, the Great Cave of
MoaMoa is a municipality and city in the Holguín Province of Cuba.Large nickel deposits located in the Moa area are exploited in part by joint ventures with the Canadian company Sherritt International.-Demographics:...
(
Gran Caverna de Moa) and the Bay of Taco, north of Baracoa.
Conservation
The reserve was classified as IUCN Managed Resource Protected Area. It has a total area of , and its core area, the
Alejandro de Humboldt National Park Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt is a national park in the Cuban provinces of Holguín and Guantánamo. It is named after the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt who visited the island in 1800 and 1801...
, is sub-divided into 4 areas, called Cupeyal del Norte, Ojito de Agua, la Melba and Baracoa. Cuchillas del Toa was listed as a
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
Biosphere ReserveThe UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme was established in 1977 to promote an interdisciplinary approach to research, training and communications in ecosystem conservation and rational use of natural resources.-Development:...
in 1987.
The reserve protects species such as the
Cuban SolenodonThe Cuban Solenodon or Almiqui , is a species of soricomorph that is endemic to Cuba. It belongs to the family Solenodontidae along with a similar species, the Hispaniolan Solenodon...
(
Solenodon cubanus, almiquí),
Cuban TrogonThe Cuban Trogon or Tocororo is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Cuba, where it is also the national bird....
(
Priotelus temnurus, Cuba's national bird),
Gundlach's HawkThe Gundlach's Hawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Cuba.Its natural habitats are dry forests and lowland moist forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:
...
(
Accipiter gundlachi) and
Cuban Green WoodpeckerThe Cuban Green Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Xiphidiopicus.It is endemic to Cuba....
(
Xiphidiopicus percussus), some endangered.
Protected Areas
The different areas of the reserve have various uses, and are further divided into other protected areas, such as the proposed Ecological Reserve Quivijan-Duaba-Yunque de Baracoa and the Flora Managed Reserve of Pico Galan (Galan Peak)