Sierra de Bahoruco National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
A stand of Brunellia trees in the park
Location	Pedernales Province, Independencia Province and Barahona Province in Dominican Republic
Area	278,240 acres (1,126.0 km2)
Established	1983

The Sierra de Bahoruco National Park is a special protected area in the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic. It was created in 1983 by a special rule from the country's leader, Salvador Jorge Blanco, who was the President at that time. This rule helped protect the park's amazing nature.

Exploring the Park's Geography

The Sierra de Bahoruco National Park is next to Lake Enriquillo and Jaragua National Park. These three areas work together as a "biosphere reserve." A biosphere reserve is a place where nature is protected, but people can also live and work there in a way that doesn't harm the environment. This special reserve was set up in 2002.

The park is found in three different provinces: Pedernales Province, Independencia Province, and Barahona Province. It also shares a border with Haiti. The park covers a large area, about 1,126 square kilometers. A big part of the park includes the Bahoruco Mountain Range, which has tall mountains.

Southwest of the Bahoruco Peninsula, you'll find a beautiful place called La Bahia de las Aguilas, which means "Bay of Eagles." This bay is about 8.5 kilometers long, and more than half of that is a sandy beach. It's a very important part of the biosphere reserve because it's home to many rare and endangered animals. These include the Hispaniolan Solenodon, the Hutia (also called Hutia Conga), and Rhino Iguanas.

Climate and Different Habitats

The park has many different types of environments, called "biomes." Near the sea, you can find warm, dry forests with broadleaf trees. As you go higher into the center of the park, the climate changes, and you'll find cooler, wetter areas that are like temperate rainforests.

In the mountains, the average temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius (about 64 degrees Fahrenheit). The park also gets a good amount of rain each year, usually between 1,000mm and 2,500mm. This variety of climates helps many different plants and animals live here.

The Park's Geology: Rocks and Caves

The Bahoruco Mountain Range is made mostly of sedimentary rocks like limestone and marl-stone. These rocks formed millions of years ago from layers of sediment and contain old algae. Underneath these layers, there are volcanic rocks from the Caribbean plateau.

One of the most famous spots in the Sierra de Bahoruco is El Hoyo del Pelempito, which means "Pelempito's Hole." This amazing place is 361 meters (about 1,184 feet) below sea level! It formed millions of years ago when underground cave systems collapsed. This happened because of pressure from the Earth's tectonic plates moving below the surface.

El Hoyo del Pelempito is shaped like a triangle, about 2.5 kilometers wide and 7 kilometers long. The temperature inside this hole usually stays between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius (59 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit). The mountains around it are much taller, reaching over 1,800 meters (about 5,900 feet) high.

Amazing Plants and Animals

Hispaniolan trogon

The Sierra de Bahoruco National Park is full of diverse plant life. You can see large areas of pine forests and many big broad-leaved trees. There are also mixed forests and a wide variety of beautiful orchids.

The park is a birdwatcher's paradise! Out of 32 bird species that are found only on the island, 30 of them live in this park. Many of these birds are threatened, meaning their populations are shrinking. Some of the special birds you might find here include:

• Bay-breasted cuckoos
• Hispaniolan amazons
• Least poorwills
• White-necked crows
• Western chat-tanagers
• La Selle thrushes

The park is also home to other interesting birds like Stygian owls and sharp-shinned hawks. Protecting this park helps these unique birds survive.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Sierra de Bahoruco para niños