Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve

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,[4] It was first protected in 1942,[5] and extended in 2006.[4]

Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Pierella hyalinus
Map showing the location of Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve
LocationFrench Guiana, France
Nearest cityMatoury
Coordinates4.8637°N 52.3565°W / 4.8637; -52.3565
Area21.23 km2 (8.20 sq mi)[1]
Established6 September 2006[2]
Governing bodyNational Forests Office
WebsiteReserves-Naturelles.org (in French)

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 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 hectares 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. "La réserve naturelle nationale du Mont Grand-Matoury". National Forests Office (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. "Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve : At the heart of Cayenne island". Guianas Geographic. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  5. "Guide Matoury". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  6. "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).
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