BEST%III%'%Working%document% ! Remark: This document gathers information from the list of references previously validated for the island. It is a working document that will be implemented following your comments and corrections. It will be used as a guide during the consultation process that will involve local governments, institutions and organizations. The objectives are to identify and map Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in order to define conservation outcomes. KBAs are defined at 3 ecological levels: (1) species, including: globally threatened species, restricted-range species, and species gathering in important number during their life cycle; (2) sites: habitats that are home to the species previously identified; habitats and ecosystems that play important ecological processes and contribute to the persistence of biodiversity ; (3) ecological corridors: inter-connected landscapes of sites. Regarding the information and references cited hereafter, a list of "potential KBAs" is proposed in App.2. This is a working process that will be validated through the consultation of local actors. Ecosystem profile Draft - Aruba IBAs, RAMSAR site and Parke Nacional Arikok in Aruba Policy and Socioeconomic context ! Political Status - Aruba lies off the north-west coast of Venezuela and is the westernmost of the 3 Dutch islands (c.80km from Curacao). Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire (also called the ABC islands) form the Leeward Islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba is the nearest Dutch island to mainland Venezuela and is located 27km north from Paraguaná peninsula. The maximum depth between Aruba and the Venezuelan coast does not exceed 135 m, whereas BC islands are separated from South American mainland by a deep water trench (c. 1000m). - Since January 1986, Aruba became an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. St Maarten and Curaçao followed in October 10th 2010. This island is a European Oversea Country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ! Demographic Trends and Socio-economic context (Central Bureau of Statistics) - Area: 193 km² (Mount Jamanota, 188m) - EEZ: 25,287 km², EEZ of the ABC Islands: 68,873 km² - Population (2014): 107,394 inhabitants, density: 556 inhabitants /km² - GDP (US$/ inhabitant): 25,300 (2011) - Aruba is one of the richest countries in the Caribbean. 1! ! BEST%III%'%Working%document% ! - Main economic activities: oil refining and trans-shipment facilities; off-shore financial services; tourism, with associated services and construction industries. Protected and/or managed areas (References: DCNA 2012a) ! List of protected areas - Parke Nacional Arikok (created in 2000 over 3,400 ha) is managed by Fundacion Parke Nacional Arikok. This land area covers about 18% of the island, includes Mount Jamanota (highest peak, 188m) and significant areas of cactus scrub. There is 15 privately owned plots of land within the Park. - In Aruba’s Zoning policy document of 2009 four marine areas were indicated to be managed as marine protected areas (Ruimtelijk Ontwikkelingsplan Aruba - Planbeschrijving 2009). These 4 marine areas gather important coral reefs and seagrass beds: coastal and marine area contiguous to Parke Nacional Arikok, coral reefs close to Oranjestad, "Eastern Cape" Sero Colorado and Mangel Halto-Isla di Oro. For now, there is no marine park officially created. - The Aruba Marine Park Foundation, a citizen organization, has been created in 2010 to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources and to strengthen the protection of the marine environment and wildlife through the creation of a marine park. For now, this local NGO has not a specified area to manage according to the Nature conservation ordinancy. - Aruba’s Zoning policy mapped the eastern side of the island as natural contiguous areas ("natuurgebied", Ruimtelijk Ontwikkelingsplan Aruba - Planbeschrijving 2009). Amandine ! 9/1/2015 10:04 AM Comment [1]: is!the!project!of!"Linear!Park"! included!within!these!natural!areas!?! Unknown Formatted: Font:(Default) Arial, 10 pt, Font color: Background 1 - Establishment in 2015 of "Yarari" marine mammal and shark sanctuary that encompasses the EEZ of Saba and Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean Nature Policy Plan 2013-2017, Project "Save our sharks", Debrot et al. 2011). Yarari Sanctuary will form part of the network of marine mammal sanctuaries in the region, with Agoa Sanctuary in the French EEZ, Silver Banks Sanctuary in the Dominican Republic and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in the northern USA. On-going projects - Projects under study - Designation of a Marine Park in Aruba. Directorate of Nature and Environment has and will continue to advise the government of Aruba on the establishment of a Marine Park (Gisbert Boekhoudt, Robert Kock, pers. com. 2015). 2! ! BEST%III%'%Working%document% ! - Design (2010) and implementation of Linear Park phase one (2011). A park development connecting urban, recreational/ natural and tourism entities together using local vegetation and cultural design, Amandine ! 9/1/2015 10:04 AM improving a healthy lifestyle (Gisbert Boekhoudt, Robert Kock, pers. com. 2015). Comment [2]: This!is!a!project!to!extend! terrestrial!protected!areas!besides!PNA!,!correct!?!If! International recognition of natural habitats and wildlife so!can!you!locate!it!on!the!map!?!! - 1 area listed as RAMSAR site (70 ha): Spaans Lagoen. A bill has been drafted in order to ratify Spaans Lagoen as a RAMSAR site. - 4 Important Bird Areas (IBA) over 611 ha designated by Birdlife International. Action, management plans & Programs - Management Plan for the natural resources of the EEZ of the Dutch Caribbean (Meesters et al. 2010) - Conservation Action Plan for the Aruba Island rattlesnake - Bat research and Conservation Plan for ABC islands, Bat Conservation Program for Aruba - Policy Plan for Nature and Environment by the Government of Aruba - Multiannual Research and Monitoring Program to support the Nature and Environment Policy (including seabird monitoring, coral reef monitoring, other keystone species monitoring, etc.) Biological importance of the ecosystems Species outcomes ! List of Taxa assessed as globally threatened (IUCN Red List). List of species are indicated in Appendix 1. Taxonomic Critically Endangered Vulnerable Total Group endangered Plants 3 Invertebrates - Corals 2 2 5 - Molluscs 1 - Crustaceans 1 Fishes 2 3 15 Sharks and Rays 2 6 (+2 esp. occ.) Reptiles 1 1 (+1 esp occ.) (1 esp occ.) Mammals - Bats 1 - Marine mammals (1 esp occ.) Total Occ., occasional species List of species geographically restricted (References: Barendsen et al. 2008, DCNA 2012b, Debrot et al. 2006, Hulsman et al. 2008, Luksenburg 2013, Miller et al. 2003, Nassar and Simal 2014, van Buurt 2006, Gisbert Boekhoudt, Robert Kock, pers. com. 2015) Taxonomic Number of endemic species group Plants - 3 plant species endemic of Aruba (Melocactus stramineus, Agave arubensis, A.!rutteniae) - 5 plant species endemic to ABC islands (Agave vivipara, Aristida arubensis, Cynanchum boldinghii, Paspalum curassavicus, Melocactus macracanthos)! - at least 7 plant species endemic of ABC islands and the northern Venezuela and Colombia region - several plant subspecies are strictly endemic to Aruba such as Melocactus curvispinus koolwijkianus. Invertebrates 3! ! BEST%III%'%Working%document% ! - Molluscs - 18 species endemic of Aruba (including 17 marine molluscs) - 9 species endemic of the ABC islands, including the Vulnerable Hieroglyphic Cone (Conus hieroglyphus) - 22 species endemic of ABC islands, northern Venezuela and Columbia region - Arachnids - 2 pseudoscorpions endemic of Aruba (Pseudochthonius arubense, Pachyolpium arubense) and 2 arachnids endemic of ABC islands (Selenops curaçaoe, Rhopalurus hasethi) - Insects - 4 species endemic of Aruba (Epitragus hummelincki, Heterachtes arubae, Urgleptes hummelincki, Meinertellus xerophilus) - 9 species endemic of ABC islands and 3 endemic of ABC islands, northern Venezuela - Crustaceans - 4 species endemic of Aruba (including the VU isopod Arubolana imula) and 1 species endemic of AC islands - Echinoderms - 1 species endemic of ABC, northern Venezuela and Columbia region (Nemaster grandis) Freshwater - 2 freshwater Molly fishes endemic of ABC, northern Venezuela and Columbia fishes region (Cyprinodon dearborni, Poecilia vandepolli) Reptiles - 3 species endemic of Aruba (Cnemidophorus arubensis, Phyllodactylus julieni, Crotalus unicolor) - 1 species endemic of AC islands (Anolis lineatus) - 1 subspecies endemic of Aruba and Venzuela (Leptodeira annulata bakeri) Birds - 2 subspecies endemic to Aruba: Brown-throated Parakeet (Aratinga pertinax arubensis), Aruban Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia arubensis) Mammals - 1 bat species restricted to ABC islands-northern Venezuela and Colombia region (Leptonycteris curasoae) - 1 mouse species restricted to ABC islands-northern Venezuela and Colombia region (Calomys hummelincki) - 1 rabbit subspecies restricted to AC islands and northern Venezuela region: (Sylvilagus floridanus nigronuchalis) ! Species aggregations / List of species occurring at key stages of their life-cycles - Seabird species (particularly terns) congregate in high numbers over San Nicolas Bay (IBA) from February till September. Habitat outcomes ! Terrestrial areas - The National Terrestrial Park is home to several endangered and/or restricted-range species, including: the endemic Aruban Rattlesnake, endangered plant species (Melocactus stramineus, which is also island endemic, Guaiacum sanctum), the endemic plant species Agave arubensis, A. rutteniae,