The Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve (French: Réserve naturelle nationale du mont Grand Matoury) is a nature reserve in French Guiana, France. The reserve is located about eight kilometres south of Cayenne in the commune of Matoury[3] It has been named after the eponymous mountain which measures 234 metres,[4] It was first protected in 1942,[5] and extended in 2006.[4]
| Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Pierella hyalinus | |
  | |
| Location | French Guiana, France |
| Nearest city | Matoury |
| Coordinates | 4°51′49″N 52°21′23″W / 4.8637°N 52.3565°W |
| Area | 21.23 km2 (8.20 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | 6 September 2006[2] |
| Governing body | National Forests Office |
| Website | Reserves-Naturelles.org (in French) |
Overview edit
The nature reserve is located at a spot where many different environments meet. The lowlands of the coast with mangrove forests meet the old-growth forests of the highland. Numerous creeks flow through the area, and the reserve is surrounded by swamps and savannahs.[3]
In 1942, an area of 166 hectares around the mountain was designated as a nature reserve. The Mirande trail gives access to the mountain. The visitor can either follow a botanical circuit or a more sportive hiking trail.[5] On 6 September 2006, the area was incorporated in the current 2,123 hectares reserve.[6]
Flora and fauna edit
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Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve is home to a great variety of wildlife. 75 species of mammals including 37 bats have been identified, 293 species of birds, and 351 species of butterflies are home to the area.[3] Birds in the reserve include the roadside hawk, crane hawk, smooth-billed ani, hummingbirds, and the Amazonian motmot.[6]
The palm Astrocaryum minus was first described by Trail in 1877, and assumed lost. In 1995, the palm was rediscovered at Mont Grand Matoury, and is nowadays considered a distinct species.[7] The reserve is also home to a pre-Columbian Amerindian site.[3]
References edit
- ^ "Mont Grand Matoury". Protected Planet. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Décret n°2006-1124 du 6 septembre 2006 portant création de la réserve naturelle nationale du Mont Grand Matoury (Guyane)". Government of the French Republic (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d "La réserve naturelle nationale du Mont Grand-Matoury". National Forests Office (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve : At the heart of Cayenne island". Guianas Geographic. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Guide Matoury". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Mont Grand Matoury". Reserves Naturelles (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Francis Kahn and Jean-Jacques De Granville (1998). "Astrocaryum minus, Rediscovered in French Guiana". Principes. 42 (3).
External links edit
- Official website (in French)
- Mont Grand Matoury at Guianas Geographic
Media related to Réserve naturelle nationale du mont Grand Matoury at Wikimedia Commons
