The Central Suriname Nature Reserve

The Central Suriname Nature Reserve, established by Government Decree SB 1998 no. 65, comprises more than 1.6 million hectares of primary tropical forest in the upper Coppename River watershed of West-Central Suriname. The Reserve forms a corridor linking three important former protected areas in Central Suriname: the Raleighvallen Nature Reserve in the north, and the Tafelberg and Eilerts de Haangebergte Nature Reserves in the central and southern portion of the corridor. The Nature Reserve also effectively protects the watershed of one of Suriname's most important river systems, the Coppename River.
The three nature reserves that merged into the Central Suriname Nature Reserve were part of Suriname's outstanding nature conservation system. Eight nature reserves, one nature park, and one multiple-use management area currently exist, ranging in size from 100 to 220,000 hectares, and including both tropical forest ecosystems in the interior as well as a number of important coastal formations. With the creation of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, Suriname's protected areas system will cover 12 percent of the total land surface of the country.

The northern part of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, formerly known as the Raleighvallen Nature Reserve, established in 1961, is one of the most important protected areas in South America. The former reserve covered approximately 78,000 hectares and is located about an hour's flight from Paramaribo. Vegetation in Raleighvallen consists mostly of moist highland forest, the same forest that covers approximately 80 percent of Suriname. The large variety of tree species reach more than 4-5 stories into the air, with the uppermost canopy about 30 meters, and sometimes as much as 40-50 meters, high. The under-growth is mostly palms, and the forest floor is sparsely populated with fern and fern mosses.
The Raleighvallen area is characterized by dramatic geological formations and waterfalls, including a number of granite inselbergs rising out of the forest. The most famous of these, the 250 meter high Voltzberg Dome, can be easily climbed by tourists. The area's many forest types contain a high diversity of plant life. Nearly 1,000 vascular plants have been collected in the former reserve. Raleighvallen also contains more than 400 of Suriname's 576 known bird species, including scarlet, red-and-green and blue-and-gold macaws, great tinamou (tinamus major), black curassow (crax alectov) and cock-of-the-rock (rupicola rupicola). The area is also home to all eight species of Suriname's primates and stable populations of jaguar, giant armadillos and giant river otters.

 

© Conservation International Suriname

The central part, formerly known as Tafelberg Nature Reserve, established in 1966, covered approximately 140,000 hectares in Central Suriname, between the Saramacca and Coppename Rivers. The former reserve, located in a remote area that includes the geographic center of Suriname, has no surrounding human populations. Tafelberg is made up of primary rainforest and savanna ecosystems, and includes both the easternmost Tepui (flat-topped mountain) in South America and the only Roraima sandstone mountain in Suriname.

Although biological surveys have been conducted at Tafelberg in the past, very little is known about its biodiversity. Of the 1,330 plant species that have been collected within the former reserve, 29 are endemic.

The most southern part of the Nature Reserve was formerly known as the Eilerts de Haan Gebergte Nature Reserve. The former reserve, established in 1966, covered approximately 220,000 hectares. Situated in South-Central Suriname, east of the Corantijn River, it forms with Zuid River and Lucie River the southern border of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve. The area includes part of the Eilerts de Haan Gebergte mountain range and is made up of primary tropical rain forest and savanna ecosystems. Since there has been very little exploration or biological surveys in the former reserve, very little is known about its flora and fauna. Nevertheless, the diversity in Wilhelmina Gebergte, a mountain range bordering the reserve, is likely very similar to that of Eilerts de Haan Gebergte. Wilhelmina Gebergte contains 3,000 vascular plants, 11 of which are endemic.