Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve

4°51′49″N 52°21′23″W / 4.8637°N 52.3565°W / 4.8637; -52.3565Area21.23 km2 (8.20 sq mi)[1]Established6 September 2006[2]Governing bodyNational Forests OfficeWebsiteReserves-Naturelles.org (in French)

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 (768 ft),[4] It was first protected in 1942,[5] and extended in 2006.[4]

Overview

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 (410 acres) 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-hectare (5,250-acre) reserve.[6]

Flora and fauna

Cayenne stubfoot toad in Mont Grand Matoury

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

  1. ^ "Mont Grand Matoury". Protected Planet. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ a b c d "La réserve naturelle nationale du Mont Grand-Matoury". National Forests Office (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve : At the heart of Cayenne island". Guianas Geographic. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Guide Matoury". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Mont Grand Matoury". Reserves Naturelles (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  7. ^ Francis Kahn and Jean-Jacques De Granville (1998). "Astrocaryum minus, Rediscovered in French Guiana". Principes. 42 (3).
  • Official website (in French)
  • Mont Grand Matoury at Guianas Geographic
  • Media related to Réserve naturelle nationale du mont Grand Matoury at Wikimedia Commons