View source for Sierra de Bahoruco National Park

{{Short description|National park in the Dominican Republic}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name            = Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
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| photo           = Brunellia comocladifolia 3.JPG
| photo_caption   = A stand of ''Brunellia'' trees in the park
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| location        =  [[Pedernales Province]], [[Independencia Province]] and [[Barahona Province]] in [[Dominican Republic]]
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| coordinates     = {{coord|18.16|-71.5|type:landmark_region:DO_dim:50000|display=inline,title}}
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| established     = 1983
| area_acre       = 278240
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The '''Sierra de Bahoruco National Park''' is an environmentally protected national park located in the South-western region of [[Dominican Republic]]. It was created in 1983 by [[President of the Dominican Republic|Presidential Decree]] (No. 1315/83) during the presidency of [[Salvador Jorge Blanco]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decreto 1315-83 {{!}} PDF {{!}} República Dominicana {{!}} Gobierno|url=https://es.scribd.com/document/490230360/Decreto-1315-83|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Scribd|language=en}}</ref>
==Geography==
The park is bordered by [[Lake Enriquillo]] and [[Jaragua National Park]]. Together with the two parks, it constitutes the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo biosphere reserve, created on November 6, 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reserva de la Biosfera: Jaragua, Bahoruco y Enriquillo » Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, September 8-13, 2015|url=https://www.dreff.org/2015/reserva-de-la-biosfera-jaragua-bahoruco-y-enriquillo/?lang=en|access-date=2021-08-06|language=en}}</ref>
The park is located within the provinces of [[Pedernales Province]], [[Independencia Province]] and [[Barahona Province]] and borders [[Haiti]]. It has an area of approximately 1126&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. Part of the park includes the [[Baoruco Mountain Range|Bahoruco Mountain Range]].
Also located South-west of the Bahoruco Peninsula is [[Bahía de las Águilas]] (Bay of Eagle's), a bay which stretches out 8.5&nbsp;km in length, 5.4&nbsp;km of which constitutes beach area in its central region, and is a highly protected part of the Biosphere-reserve for its concentration of endemic and endangered species like The [[Hispaniolan solenodon|Hispaniolan Solenodon]], The [[Hutia]] (Hutia Conga), and Rhino Iguanas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bahía de las Águilas, descripción técnica desde la Geografía Física {{!}} Geografía Física – República Dominicana|url=https://www.geografiafisica.org/2013/02/22/bahia-de-las-aguilas-descripcion-tecnica/|access-date=2021-08-06|language=es-ES}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-21|title=Explore Bahía de Las Águilas · Visit Dominican Republic|url=https://visitdominicanrepublic.com/destinations/bahia-de-las-aguilas/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Visit Dominican Republic|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Climate==
There are a variety of [[biome]]s in the park, ranging from [[tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests]] at sea level, to [[temperate rainforest]] in the center of the park. In the mountains, the average temperature is 18&nbsp;°C, and the average annual rainfall is between 1000mm and 2500mm.
==Geology==
The geological formation of the Bahoruco Mountain Range rests atop sedimentary limestone and [[Marl|marl-stone]] from the [[Eocene]] and Pliocene eras, which contain various species of [[algae]], and is at its base supported by volcanic rock from the caribbean plateau.
Sierra de Bahoruco is home to one of the most emblematic sites on the Bahoruco Peninsula, '''El Hoyo del Pelempito''' (Pelempito's Hole), located 361 meters below sea level, Pelempito is the product of a collapsing of cave systems below its surface millions of years ago, due to pressure from underlying tectonic plates.
El Hoyo del Pelempito has a width of 2.5 kilometers and length of 7 kilometers, forming a triangular shaped depression with an oscillating temperature of 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, while the surrounding border mountains can reach up to and surpass 1,800 meters in height.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nacional|first=El|title=El Hoyo de Pelempito "El Gran Cañón" del Caribe|url=https://elnacional.com.do/el-hoyo-de-pelempito-el-gran-canon-del-caribe/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=El Nacional|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hoy|date=2004-12-23|title=El Hoyo de Pelempito, una impresionante depresión natural {{!}} Hoy Digital|url=https://hoy.com.do/el-hoyo-de-pelempito-una-impresionante-depresion-natural/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=hoy.com.do|language=en}}</ref>
==Vegetation and fauna==
[[File:Hispaniolan Trogon (Priotelus roseigaster) (8082799519).jpg|295x160px|thumb|left|Hispaniolan trogon]]
The park contains vast areas of pine forest and large [[broad-leaved tree]]s, mixed forest and a wide variety of orchids.
There are 32 species of endemic birds that inhabit the island, of which 30 can be found in the park. The park is home to several threatened species, including [[bay-breasted cuckoo]]s, [[Hispaniolan amazon]]s, the [[least poorwill]], [[white-necked crow]]s, [[western chat-tanager]]s and [[La Selle thrush]]es. The park also has populations of [[Stygian owl]]s and [[sharp-shinned hawk]]s.<ref>{{cite book |author1=David C. Wege |author2=Verónica Anadón-Irizarry |author3=Mayra Vincenty |title=Important bird areas in the Caribbean |date=2008 |publisher=BirdLife International |isbn=0946888655 |page=167}}</ref>
==References==
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[[Category:National parks of the Dominican Republic]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1983]]
[[Category:1983 establishments in the Dominican Republic]]