Three Sisters Cloud Forest Preserve
| Three Sisters Cloud Forest Preserve | |
|---|---|
| Réserve de la forêt de nuages des Trois Sœurs Twa Se Nwaj Forè Prezeve | |
 Three Sisters Forest Reserve | |
 Location of the Preserve in Carucere | |
| Location | New Sheaford Parish and Côte Azure Parish, Carucere |
| Nearest city | New Sheaford |
| Area | 21,130 ha (52,213 acres) |
| Established | 1973 |
The Three Sisters Cloud Forest Preserve is a Carucerean reserve located in western Marien within the New Sheaford and Côte Azure parishes. Founded in 1972 near the Three Sisters Mountains, today the Reserve consists of over 21,130 ha (52,213 acres) of cloud forest, of which 80% of which is virgin forest. It draws roughly 100,000 visitors a year, including many scientists. The reserve consists of three distinct biological zones with high biomass and biodiversity. The reserve is home to over a thousand unique plant species and a couple hundred animal species such as the endemic Sisserou parrot.
History
Evidence shows that Nati tribes used the area around the Three Sisters for hunting and gathering for over a thousand years. After Euclean colonization, surviving Nati people fled into the mountains to escape; there they mixed with Bahian slaves to form the Caruceran Maroons. For the majority of the colonial period, the cloud forest was largely left intact as the logistics of maintaining a large-scale woodcutting operation was too difficult due to the steep terrain and the altitude. By the 1950s, the region was only affected by small logging operations by local foresters and small villages mostly populated by Maroons.
Biologists began to take note of the Three Sisters in the 1960s. Despite the lack of infrastructure and shelter with which to conduct scientific research, they were interested in the unique habitat that was largely untouched. Several expeditions noted that the abundance of fauna and the habitats were ideal for research purposes. In 1964 a young graduate student, Petras Adomaitis, from the National University of Saint Jerome visited the region while doing doctoral research on the Sisserou parrot. During his research he was struck by the immense biological diversity and richness of the region, but worried about its future as Carucere was undergoing a population boom.
In 1971, Petras returned to Carucere with the intent to establish a small biological preserve in the region. Using some of his family inheritance, he initially bought several acres of land and bought out several squatters in the area. He was then contacted by the University of Jameston who offered to assist him in his venture; with their help, the private reserve expanded to 330 acres a year after. The preserve gradually expanded over the decades with several purchases made with assistance of private sponsors and the University. In 1989, Petras founded the Three Sisters Conservancy dedicated to conservation, research, education, and recreation in the Reservation. With the growth of ecotourism since the 2000s, the number of tourists has dramatically increased. In 1997, a environmentally sustainable hotel was built for tourists. In 2007 Petras passed away; his will granted part of his inheritance to the Conservancy, which led the further expansion of the Reserve. The reserve reached its current size in 2010.
Geography
The Three Sisters Cloud Forest Preserve spans 211.3 sq km2 across the New Sheaford and Côte Azure parishes. It is centered around the Three Sisters Range, surrounding Marianne peak and covering the southern slopes of Elizabeth and Valérie peaks. The reserve sits between 1874 meters and the peak of Marianne at 2883 meters above sea level. Due to the elevation, there are three distinct bio-regions; the southernmost slope of Marianne, the mountain pass between Marianne and Elizabeth, and the southeastern slopes of the Three Sisters. The Reserve typically has a cool and humid environment with frequent canopy level cloud cover. It is located 22 km from the nearest major settlement, New Sheaford.
Biology
Trees in the Reserve are similar to other cloud forests, with shorter trees and dense branches forming dense, compact crowns that catch wind-driven cloud moisture, which falls from the trees as fog drip. Due to the high moisture, the Reserve is extremely biodiverse and supports a high level of biomass. The Preserve is known for its significant diversity of Epiphytes, "air plants" that grow on other plants, including several species unique to Carucere. There are many orchids species in the Reserve which mostly reside on on trees as epiphytes, while others prefer rocks semi covered with moss, and others grow only at ground level in the shade.
The dense vegetation is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The Reserve is famous for its large variety of different bird species. There are a hundred species of long distance migratory birds, which reproduce in Asteria Superior and pass through the Three Sisters during their migration or spend the winter in the area. Over a dozen species of hummingbirds have been found in the reserve, feeding on the flowering plants. The steep terrain and dense foliage make it a prime habitat for the Oilbird. The critically endangered Sisserou parrot, endemic to Carucere, has been occasionally spotted. Other species of birds present include macaw, potoo, vireo, and toucan. The region is home to several dozen species of bats that roost in the trees or in caves and feed on insects, fruit, or small animals. The Reserve has recorded at least 50 different species of amphibians and reptiles. There are several frog species, including the tiny golden tree frog and Marien poison frog. The most common reptile found in the region is the green iguana; its sister species, the critically endangered Golden Isles iguana is only occasionally found.
Recreation
The Reserve is accessible by several dirt roads that wind up the mountainside. A bus service that runs six times per day runs between the Reserve and the small town of Bouna. The Reserve has a small hotel on site that hosts up to 70 visitors, a small restaurant, a gift shop, and a nature center with exhibits on the park. The nature center is primarily used to educate visitors about the park and hosts several youth and volunteer programs. The park has over 50 kilometers of hiking trails and several suspension bridges for the most environmentally sensitive or difficult terrain.
Research and Conservation
The Three Sisters Cloud Forest Preserve has a research station operated by the Conservancy, that is used by students and scientists to study all aspects of the cloud forest ecosystem. Currently the station hosts the Sisters Project to protect and monitor the ecosystem of the Reserve, in cooperation with the University of Jameston and National University of Saint Jerome. As part of the program, both universities conduct research, expeditions, and field courses. Studies conducted by the universities have discovered over a hundred new species of floral and fauna and have greatly contributed to the understanding of cloud forests.