Country: Turks and Caicos Islands
Administrative region: North Caicos (Island)
Central co-ordinates: 21.94069 N, 71.93097 W
Area: 4.35km²
Qualifying IPA Criteria
A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species, B(ii)Site contains an exceptional number of species of high conservation importance, B(iii)Site contains an exceptional number of socially, economically or culturally valuable species, C(iii)Site contains nationally threatened or restricted habitat or vegetation types, AND/OR habitats that have severely declined in extent nationally
IPA assessment rationale
This site qualifies as a TIPA under criterion A(i) as it is one of the five best sites for the globally threatened orchid, Encyclia caicensis. Eight species from the list of species of high conservation importance are also found here, qualifying it under criterion B(ii). Additionally it qualifies under B(iii), with 15 species of social, cultural or national importance occurring within the site. It also qualifies under criterion C(iii) as being one of the five best sites for two threatened habitat types: coastal coppice and palustrine marsh.
Site description
This site is situated at the north-eastern end of North Caicos. The western boundary is with the Kings Road and the site includes the northern coastline at Horsestable Beach and Greenwich Creek.
Botanical significance
This site supports large populations of the orchids Encyclia caicensis and Encyclia altissima, which have large populations in coastal coppice habitat along the northern coast of the TIPA. Three further threatened species occur here, Argythamnia argentea, Chamaecrista caribaea and Stenandrium carolinae.
In addition, the site contains several species of high conservation importance such as Coccothrinax inaguensis, Euphorbia gymnonota and Argythamnia lucayana, all of which are endemic to the Lucayan archipelago. The site has historically been an important area for harvesting of plants of socio-economic importance, in particular Cat’s Tails Typha domingensis. This is a pantropical aquatic reed, which is rare in Turks and Caicos due to the limited availability of freshwater habitats. The seed head fluff of this plant was harvested to use as ‘down’ for pillow stuffing, whilst the stems were used for making mats and baskets.
Habitat and geology
This TIPA is one of the five best sites in Turks and Caicos for the coastal coppice and palustrine marsh habitats. The coastal coppice habitat is formed on limestone sands and is dominated by Coccothrinax palms which are a critical phorophyte for orchids such as Encyclia caicensis. Palustrine marshes are also interspersed in this TIPA alongside smaller areas of tropical dry forest, scrub and coastal scrub, palustrine swamp and ponds. The mosaic of wetland and karstic habitats here include caves permanently filled with water, which support interesting endemic aquatic invertebrates and crustaceans.
Conservation issues
This TIPA is threatened by fire, development (especially along the northern coast at Crab Farm), sand mining, storm surges and proliferation of invasive species.
Site assessor(s)
Assessed by:
Bryan Naqqi Manco, Department for Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Government
Junel Blaise, Department for Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Government
Dodly Propser, Department for Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Government
Amy Barker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Sara Bárrios, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Elloise Budd, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Stuart Cable, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Colin Clubbe, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Marcella Corcoran, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Thomas Heller, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Juan Viruel, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Tim Wilkinson, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Date of first assessment: 14th Feb 2025
IPA criterion A species
| Species | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 1% of global population | ≥ 5% of national population | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Entire global population | Socio-economically important | Abundance at site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argythamnia argentea | A(i) |  |
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| Chamaecrista caribaea | A(i) | |
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| Encyclia caicensis | A(i) | |
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| Stenandrium carolinae | A(i) | |
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Argythamnia argentea
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Chamaecrista caribaea
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Encyclia caicensis
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Stenandrium carolinae
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
IPA criterion C qualifying habitats
| Habitat | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 5% of national resource | ≥ 10% of national resource | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Areal coverage at site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal coppice | C(iii) | |
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Coastal coppice
Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
≥ 10% of national resource:
Areal coverage at site:
General site habitats
| General site habitat | Percent coverage | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Caves/Karst | |
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| Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Forest | |
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| Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland | |
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| Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | |
Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Caves/Karst
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Forest
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Threats
| Threat | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas | High | Ongoing - increasing |
| Energy production & mining - Mining & quarrying | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Climate change & severe weather - Storms & flooding | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Energy production & mining - Mining & quarrying
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Climate change & severe weather - Storms & flooding
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Recommended citation
Bryan Naqqi Manco, Junel Blaise, Dodly Propser, Amy Barker, Sara Bárrios, Elloise Budd, Stuart Cable, Colin Clubbe, Marcella Corcoran, Thomas Heller, Juan Viruel, Tim Wilkinson (2025) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Greenwich and Tattyland Down Pond (Turks and Caicos Islands). https://tipas.kew.org/site/greenwich-and-tattyland-down-pond/ (Accessed on 01/07/2025)