Sierra Cristal National Park
National park and mountain in Cuba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sierra Cristal National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Sierra Cristal) is a national park, the first national park created in Cuba, established by presidential decree on 24 April 1930.[2] It occupies mountainous terrain in Holguín Province in eastern Cuba.[3]
| Sierra Cristal National Park | |
|---|---|
Sierra de Cristal | |
  Location within Cuba | |
| Location | Holguín Province, Cuba |
| Nearest city | Mayarí |
| Coordinates | 20°32′31″N 75°28′34″W |
| Area | 185.37 square kilometres (71.57 sq mi) |
| Established | 24 April 1930[2] |
Geography
It is located in the municipalities of Mayarí and Sagua de Tánamo in southern Holguín Province[4] It consists of mountainous terrain in the Sierra Cristal, a part of the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountain range.[4] It covers an area of 185.37 square kilometres (71.57 sq mi).[5][6] Cristal Peak (Pico Cristal) is the highest point in the park, with an elevation of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).[6]
Flora and fauna
Pine forests dominate, especially the Cuban pine (Pinus cubensis),[3] which can reach a height of 30 m (98 ft)[7] in this area. There are also ferns, orchids, and mahogany and cedar trees.[3]
There are many bird species in residence, such as the Cuban trogon (Cuba's national bird), the bee hummingbird (the smallest known bird), the Cuban parrot, and possibly the ivory-billed woodpecker (though it was last seen in Cuba in 1987 and may be extinct[8][9]).[3]
The endangered Cuban solenodon (Solenodon cubanus),[6] a small, shrew-like mammal and the hutia, a moderately large rodent, can be found here.[3]
Conservation
The park was created by presidential decree on 24 April 1930, initially covering an area of 26,800 hectares (66,000 acres),[10] to protect the flora and fauna, but in 1958 it was acknowledged that little had been done in the way of conservation.[2]
A research center established in 1988 in Pinares de Mayarí monitors the ecology of the region.[7]