Biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

in Suriname is high, mostly because of the variety of habitats and the temperature. The average annual temperature in the coastal area is between 26° and 28° Celsius. Suriname can be divided into four major ecological zones, namely from north to south; # The young coastal plain # The old coastal plain # The Savannah or Zanderij belt # The interior residual uplands.

Habitats and species

The coast of Suriname is wild and consists of mud banks, sand beaches, mangrove forests and lagoons. The Guiana current flows along the coast of Suriname. The

North Brazil Current The North Brazil Current (NBC) is a warm water ocean current that is part of the southwestern North Atlantic Gyre. It begins when the westward moving Atlantic South Equatorial Current splits in half and flows northwestward, following the coastline ...

, a warm water ocean current, is renamed as the Guiana current. The confusion surrounding its name is due partly to the seasonal change in flow of nearby currents. The

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

forests have only one story with a height of 20–25 meters. They are almost completely homogenous and dominated by black mangrove (''Avicenna germinans''). The mangrove forests are important as staging and wintering areas for birds, such as the

scarlet ibis The scarlet ibis (''Eudocimus ruber'') is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but it ...

(''Eudocimus ruber''). However, poaching is a major problem in the coastal area. According to Ottema, a 2006 study reveals that tens of thousands of protected shorebirds and waders are poached annually. The Nature Conservation Division of the Forestry ministry attempts to prevent poaching by employing more forest guards as well as through environmental education. Furthermore, Ottema opined that the Large-billed seed finch or Twatwa is almost extirpated. Inland from the mangroves lie salt water and brackish

lagoons A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

, surrounded by grass and fern vegetation with low plant species diversity. The

orange-winged amazon The orange-winged amazon (''Amazona amazonica''), also known locally as orange-winged parrot and loro guaro, is a large amazon parrot. It is a resident breeding bird in tropical South America, from Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago south to Peru, Bo ...

(parrot), creates it nest in the lagoons. Further inland, species rich freshwater and shrub swamps can be found. On the coastal plan, parallel to the shoreline, lie old sand and shell ridges. The savannabelt, a mosaic of diverse landscapes and ecosystems, is located south of the coastal plan. Different plants and animals, such as the love-vine (lenkiwisi) ( ''

Cassytha filiformis ''Cassytha filiformis'' or love-vine is an orangish, wiry, parasitic vine in the laurel family (Lauraceae), found in warm tropical regions worldwide in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. It is an obligate parasite, meaning it ...

''), sundews (''

Drosera ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginou ...

'' sp.), sabana-fungu (''Licaniai acana''),

tortoises Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...

(''Chelonodis'' sp.), snakes,

iguanas ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his ...

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

and the long-nosed or naked- tailed armadillo ('' Dasypus'' sp.) grow and live in the savannabelt of Suriname. Leatherback Turtle near Galibi

Four kind of sea turtles create nest on the beaches. These sea turtles are: # Aitkanti or leatherback turtle (''Dermochelys corriacea'') # Krape or

green turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

(''Chelonia mydas'') # Warana or

olive ridley sea turtle The olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in ...

(''Lepidochelys olivacea'') # Karet or hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata''). Suriname is rich in freshwater resources. Suriname has 228.00 per capita cubic meters of renewable freshwater resources annually. However, these resources are seriously threatened by human activities, such as gold mining. Suriname has more or less 61 endemic freshwater fishes. According to Mol, the

Atlantic goliath grouper The Atlantic goliath grouper or itajara (''Epinephelus itajara''), formerly known as the jewfish, is a saltwater fish of the grouper family and one of the largest species of bony fish. The species can be found in the west ranging from northeaste ...

(''Epinephelus itajara'') is endangered. White faced saki (5941062382)

In the highlands, mountains, such as

Bakhuys Mountains The Bakhuis Mountains () are a mountain range in central Suriname, spanning 110 kilometres. The mountain range form of the Northern part of the Wilhelmina Mountains, and the mountains and its village were named after the Dutch explorer and Royal D ...

, Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains,

Julianatop Julianatop is the highest mountain in Suriname at . It is located in the Sipaliwini District. The mountain is named after Juliana of the Netherlands. The Amerindian name of the mountain is Ipinumin (). The mountain was supposedly climbed by the ...

, are part of the

Guiana Shield The Guiana Shield (french: Plateau des Guyanes, Bouclier guyanais; nl, Hoogland van Guyana, Guianaschild; pt, Planalto das Guianas, Escudo das Guianas; es, Escudo guayanés) is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a ...

. The Guiana Shield is one of the regions of highest biodiversity in the world, and has many

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

species. It can be said that the

white-faced saki The white-faced saki (''Pithecia pithecia''), called the Guianan saki and the golden-faced saki, is a species of the New World saki monkey. They can be found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. This species lives in the und ...

is endemic to

the Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

. The Guianan piculet (''Picumnus minutissimis'') is probably endemic to Suriname. It has not been confirmed for neighboring countries. The rest of Suriname is covered with forests. Most of the forests are undisturbed because of the low human population density of 2.7 people /km. There are still new species discovered in Suriname. In 2012, Conservation International Suriname (CIS) announced that 60 new species were discovered in het Grensgebergte and

Kasikasima Kasikasima, also spelt Kassikassima, is a mountain in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It is high. The village of Paloemeu and its Vincent Fayks Airport are north, and are the entry point for canoe ride tours to the mountain provided by ...

. Among the newly discovered species were: the chocolate- colored “cocoa” frog and the juvenile planthopper.

Number of groups of plants and animals in Suriname

The table shows the number of the groups of plants and animals which can be found in Suriname anno 2009.

Nature Protection Act 1954 and the Game Act 1954

The Nature Protection Act 1954 and the Game Act 1954 are important for the protection of nature in Suriname. The Nature Protection Act 1954 regulates the establishment and the management of

nature reserves A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

and other protected areas. The Game Act 1954 states which species of wild life may be hunted and during which period. There are four categories of wild animals, namely protected animals, game species, cage species and predominantly harmful species. The

giant anteater The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which it is the largest member. The only extant member of the genus ''Myrmecophag ...

, red-faced spider monkey, ocelot, jaguar,

bush dog The bush dog (''Speothos venaticus'') is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first identified by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossi ...

and the

Guiana dolphin The Guiana dolphin (''Sotalia guianensis''), also known as the estuarine dolphin or costero, is a dolphin found in the coastal waters to the north and east of South America, and east of Central America. It is a member of the oceanic dolphin fami ...

are some of the mammals that are under complete protection in Suriname.

Protected areas

Suriname has 11 Nature Reserves, 1 Nature park and 4 Multi Use Management Areas (MUMA"S). A protected area is an area set aside for the preservation and protection of highly important natural and cultural features, for the regulation of the scientific, educational and recreational use. On March 5, 2015,the leaders of the

indigenous peoples in Suriname Indigenous peoples in Suriname, Native Surinamese, or Amerindian Surinamese, are Surinamese people who are of indigenous ancestry. They comprise approximately 3.5% of Suriname's population of 612,985. Contemporary groups * Akurio, Tapanahoni and ...

presented a declaration for the protection of a 7.2 million preserve, to members of parliament. Conservation International-Suriname and the

World Wide Fund For Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...

worked to support the vision of the Trio and Wayana communities to map the preserve and lay out strategies to fund and ensure the success of the initiative. The plan includes the provision of jobs for tribe members as rangers and guards. The indigenous leaders also intent to establish the value maintaining the unspoiled rivers.

Protected Areas in hectares in 2010

The table shows the Protected Areas in Suriname in

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...

(ha) in 2010.

International conventions

Suriname is signatory to many international conventions aimed at protection and conservation of the biodiversity. The most important are the

Convention on Biological Diversity The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its ...

, the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of intern ...

and the

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

. In 2007, the ministry of the Environment presented the National Biodiversity Strategy and in 2013 the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

References

External links

Sipaliwini Savanna
{{Suriname topics Environment of Suriname