Araya and Paria xeric scrub
The Araya and Paria xeric scrub is a unique dry coastal shrubland located in northern Venezuela, characterized by its arid environment and biodiversity. This ecoregion encompasses the Araya and Paria Peninsulas, which are flanked by the Caribbean Sea and include significant islands such as Margarita, Coche, and Cubagua. The region features a mix of landscapes, including sandy plains, salt marshes, and mountainous areas, providing habitats for a variety of flora and fauna. It is home to over 340 species of birds, including the endangered red siskin, and 140 mammal species, showcasing the ecological richness despite its limited species diversity.
The vegetation is primarily composed of xerophytic thorn scrubs and halophytic herbs adapted to the saline and semi-desert conditions. However, this delicate ecosystem faces numerous threats, including deforestation, overgrazing, and human expansion, which jeopardize its wildlife and native plant species. Conservation efforts are underway, particularly on Margarita Island, although many areas remain unprotected. The Araya and Paria xeric scrub serves as a vital refuge for rare species and is significant for understanding coastal desert biomes in the Caribbean region.
Araya and Paria xeric scrub
- Category: Desert Biomes.
- Geographic Location: South America.
- Summary: The Araya and Paria xeric scrub is a dry coastal shrubland in northern Venezuela that is the last refuge of several rare species.
Bounded on three sides by the Caribbean Sea, the Araya and Paria xeric (arid-adapted) scrub ecoregion is primarily comprised of a 2,000-square-mile (5,180-square-kilometer) peninsula of desert and shrubland located on the northernmost tip of Venezuela, occupying the arid zones of the Araya and Paria Peninsulas of the Cordillera de la Costa, Venezuela's coastal mountain range. This neotropic ecoregion also extends south to Cumaná, the capital of the Venezuelan state of Sucre, and stretches north of the mainland into the Caribbean Sea to include the islands of Margarita, Coche, and Cubagua, all of which are part of the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta. The Araya Peninsula juts eastward into the Caribbean Sea from Venezuela's northern coast, and the Paria Peninsula juts westward toward the island of Trinidad and separates the Gulf of Paria from the Caribbean Sea. The combined Araya-Paria Peninsula is connected to the Venezuelan mainland by the Cariaco–Yaguaraparo Isthmus.
Located 23 miles (37 kilometers) north of the Araya Peninsula, and with an area of 360 square miles (932 square kilometers), Margarita Island is comprised of east and west arms joined by an isthmus. To the south lie the smaller islands of Coche and Cubagua. The larger, eastern part of Margarita Island features a mountainous central region of peaks and valleys. The tallest peak, Cerro Copey, reaches a height of 3,000 feet (914 meters). The smaller, western arm also features a mountainous landscape on its Macanao Peninsula, reaching almost 2,500 feet (762 meters) at the top of Cerro Macanao. The large coastal plain stretching between the mountain ranges features white-sand beaches, dunes, and salt marshes.
Mangroves and coconut palms line the coastal areas of the Araya-Paria region. Its inland landscapes feature a mix of shrubland; woodlands of deciduous thorns; and land converted for agricultural use, including farms and pastures. In the east, the Paria Peninsula features the littoral and interior mountain range that forms the northeastern section of the Cordillera de la Costa, a forest and montane ecoregion that is an extension of the Andes Mountains, also known as the Maritime Andes. To the east, a stretch of lowlands populated by bamboo forests and shrubland separates these mountains from a mountainous region in the center of the peninsula dominated by Cerro San José, which reaches an altitude of more than 3,600 feet (1,097 meters). In the west, the Araya Peninsula features a long, sandy, arid plain covered in salinas, or salt marshes, due to its frequent inundation by seawater. The Gulf of Cariaco is bordered by the coastline from the tip of Araya south to Cumaná.
Biodiversity
The biodiversity of this region is similar to that of other xerophytic (characterized by extremely low moisture) regions of the Caribbean, and though it does not have a wide diversity of species, the region is notable for being the home of several rare and restricted-range species. At least 340 bird species have been recorded, including more than 12 hawk, 11 heron, eight dove, five sandpiper, and three parrot species, as well as the endangered red siskin (Carduelis cucullata). There are also three invasive bird species: the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis), and great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus). The Laguna of Chacopata, located on the Caribbean coast of the Araya Peninsula, is a refuge for Venezuela's largest pelican colony.
The area has more than 140 recorded mammal species, including more than 90 bat, six opossum, and five mouse species. Specific mammals include the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), Venezuelan red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus), crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), southern naked-tailed armadillo (Cabassous unicinctus), striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus), greater grison (Galictis vittata), and silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus). The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is also an invasive species.
Vegetation
The coastlines of this region are populated by xerophytic thorn scrubs that thrive in low-water conditions, as well as halophytic coastal herbs that thrive in depressions that are regularly flooded with saltwater. These low-height types of vegetation are well adapted to the saline, semi-desert environment of the Araya-Paria littoral range. Plant species common to this region include perennial herbs that tolerate high-salinity soil, such as glasswort (Salicornia fruticosa) and crested saltbush (Atriplex pentandra), and coastal herbs such as gullfeed (Scaevola plumieri) and salt couch grass (Sporobolus virginicus).
Environmental Threats
The Araya-Paria xeric ecosystem faces several threats. Deforestation has affected the Macanao Peninsula lowlands, as has exploitation of sand and gravel. This area in particular is vital to the health of the yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot (Amazona barbadensis). Vehicles driven on beaches, primarily to support the area's thriving tourism sector, have been found to destroy turtle nests. The xerophytic plants throughout the region are threatened by goats' overgrazing. Threats associated with human expansion—such as urbanization, pollution, and the introduction of nonnative species—also degrade the natural environment. In addition, the pet trade in the blue-crowned parakeet (Aratinga acuticaudata neoxena) and yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot, as well as habitat destruction, are pushing these bird species toward extinction.
Protected areas on Margarita Island include Cerro Copey National Park, Guayamurí Natural Monument, and Cerro Matasiete, though the majority of the Macanao Peninsula remains under private ownership and is unprotected. There have been efforts to create a protected fauna refuge in the Macanao Peninsula, though the government has not approved any proposal.
Bibliography
Larsen, K. and L. B. Holm-Nielsen, eds. Tropical Botany. London: Academic Press, 1979.
Padron, Victor, Jordi Marinell, and Rosa Domenech. The Marine Neogene of Eastern Venezuela—A Preliminary Report. Caracas: Universidad Central de Venezuela, 1993.
Schipper, Jan. “Araya and Paria Xeric Scrub.” One Earth, www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/araya-and-paria-xeric-scrub/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
Stattersfield, A. J., M. J. Crosby, A. J. Long, and D. C. Wege. Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. Birdlife Conservation Series No. 7. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International, 1998.