The Enriquillo wetlands are a
flooded grasslands and savannas ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
on the island of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
. They cover about around several low-lying lakes in southwestern Hispaniola in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
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]
Geography
The Enriquillo wetlands occupy a depression in the southwestern portion of the island, surrounding several lakes. The largest of the lakes is hyper-saline Lake Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic. The surface of Lake Enriquillo is about 44 meters below sea level. Other lakes include freshwater Rincón Lake in the Dominican Republic, and saltwater Etang Saumâtre and freshwater Trou Caïman
Trou Caïman (literally " Caiman's Hole" in French), sometimes called Eau Gallée by locals, is a saltwater lake in Haiti known for its excellent birdwatching opportunities.
Description
The lake is 9 km (5.6 mi) long, 3 km (1.9&n ...
in Haiti.[
]
Flora
Principal wetland plants around Lake Enriquillo are the buttonwood mangrove (''Conocarpus erectus''), cattails (''Typha domingensis''), saltwort (''Batis maritima''), and the purslane '' Sesuvium portulacastrum''.[BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Enriquillo Lake National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 28/12/2020.]
Dry scrublands surround the wetlands, part of the Hispaniolan dry forests
The Hispaniolan dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). They cover , around 20% of the island's area.
Geography
The dry forests are found mostly on ...
ecoregion.
Fauna
The wetlands are an important resting, feeding, and breeding location for migratory and resident birds, including the American flamingo (''Phoenicopterus ruber'') and roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'').[
The wetlands are home to the island's largest population of American crocodile (''Crocodylus acutus''). Two Hispaniolan endemic iguanas, the ]rhinoceros iguana
The rhinoceros iguana (''Cyclura cornuta'') is an endangered species of iguana that is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and its surrounding islands. A large lizard, they vary in length from ...
(''Cyclura cornuta'') and Ricord's iguana
''Cyclura ricordii'', also known as Ricord's ground iguana or Ricord's rock iguana, is an endangered species of medium-sized rock iguana, a large herbivorous lizard. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Repub ...
(''C. ricordii''), live in drier areas bordering the lake. Lake Rincón is important habitat for the Hispaniolan slider
The Hispaniolan slider (''Trachemys decorata'') or Haitian slider is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae found on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Habitat
The Hispaniolan slider is a freshwater turtle. They ca ...
(''Trachemys decorata'') a species of turtle endemic to the island.[
]
Protected areas
397 km, or 63%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[
]
References
External links
* {{WWF ecoregion , id=nt0903, name=Enriquillo wetlands
Enriquillo wetlands (DOPA)
Enriquillo wetlands (Encyclopedia of Earth)
Ecoregions of the Caribbean
Ecoregions of the Dominican Republic
Ecoregions of Haiti
Flooded grasslands and savannas
Geography of Hispaniola
Neotropical ecoregions