The Central Suriname Nature Reserve ( nl, Centraal Suriname Natuurreservaat (CSNR)) is a conservation unit in

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

. It preserves an area of tropical rainforest. The reserve is in pristine condition.

History

The Central Suriname Nature Reserve was created in 1998 by

Conservation International Conservation International (CI) is an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. CI's work focuses on science, policy and partnership with businesses, governments and communities. The organ ...

and the government of

from the fusion of three existing nature reserves: Ralleighvallen, Tafelberg and Eilerts de Haan gebergte. It was designated a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 2000 for its pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem. The forest received material support from Microsoft co-founder Jeff Harbers.

Environment

The reserve is in the

Guianan moist forests The Guianan moist forests (NT0125) is an ecoregion in the east of Venezuela, north of Brazil and the Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana). It is in the Amazon biome. The climate is hot and humid, with two rainy seasons each year. As of 1996 ...

ecoregion. It contains of both montane and lowland primary tropical forest including sections of the Guyana Highlands. It is known for its rapids and bird species, including the Guiana Cock of the Rock (''

Rupicola rupicola The Guianan cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola rupicola'') is a species of cotinga, a passerine bird from South America. It is about in length and weighs about . It is found in tropical rainforests, near its preferred habitat of rocky outcrops. The f ...

'').Nature Reserve of Suriname
Visit Suriname Over 5,000 different plants have been identified, and large mammals like the

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

giant armadillo The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the Glyptodontidae, glyptodonts, were much l ...

, and eight species of primates. A research station is located at the foot of

Voltzberg Voltzberg is a mountain in Suriname at . It is part of the Emma Range and is located in the Sipaliwini District. It is named after the German geologist Friedrich Voltz. Voltzberg used to form a nature reserve together with the close by Raleigh ...

and the area is tourist attraction. Some of the most outstanding features in Central Suriname Nature Reserve are several

granite dome Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface. Generally, domical features such as these are known as bornhardts. Bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed o ...

s - uplifted monoliths of granite rising high above the surrounding rainforest. Barren surface of dark-colored

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

is exposed to impact of Sun thus creating unique

xerophytic A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or places in the Alps or th ...

biotope which includes also endemic plant species. The best known granite dome is the 245 m high Voltzberg. Other attractions include the

Julianatop Julianatop is the highest mountain in Suriname at . It is located in the Sipaliwini District. The mountain is named after Juliana of the Netherlands. The Amerindian name of the mountain is Ipinumin (). The mountain was supposedly climbed by the ...

(1230 m), the highest mountain in Suriname, the Tafelberg (Table Mountain, 1026 meters), the

Hendriktop Hendriktop is a mountain in Suriname at . It is part of the Emma Range and is located in the Sipaliwini District. The mountain is named after Hendrik of the Netherlands. The mountain was first climbed by A. van Stockum in 1902. References Exter ...

(908 m), the

Van Stockumberg Van Stockumberg is a mountain in Suriname at . It is part of the Emma Range and is located in the Sipaliwini District. It is named after the Dutch explorer A. J. van Stockum. It is next to the Voltzberg, however the Van Stockumberg is much more di ...

(360 m), and Duivelsei (''Devil's Egg''), a rock seemingly balanced on the edge of a mountain. Morning fog (2719242329)

The

Eilerts de Haan Mountains The Eilerts de Haan Mountains ( nl, Eilerts de Haangebergte) are a mountain range in Sipaliwini District, Suriname. It is a southern part of Wilhelmina Mountains and is maximum 986 m high. The mountain range is part of the Central Suriname Nature R ...

are named for

Johannes Gijsbert Willem Jacobus Eilerts de Haan Johannes Gijsbert Willem Jacobus (Johan) Eilerts de Haan (born in Noordwolde, Friesland, Noordwolde, October 3, 1865 - died in the interior of Suriname, August 29, 1910) was a Dutch explorer and soldier. Eilerts de Haan Nature Park in Suriname is ...

, an explorer who died in Suriname's interior.

References

External links

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UNESCO site: Central Suriname Nature ReserveConservation International site: Central Suriname Nature Reserve
{{authority control Nature reserves in Suriname Sipaliwini District Guayana Highlands Protected areas established in 2000 World Heritage Sites in Suriname