Country: British Virgin Islands
Administrative region: Anegada (Province)
Central co-ordinates: 18.72751 N, 64.33798 W
Area: 38km²
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, 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
The entire island of Anegada qualified as a TIPA as it contains 11 globally threatened species widespread across the island, it is nationally species-rich and was identified by the BVI TIPAs National Team as the best site for three of the threatened terrestrial habitats, i.e. Coastal shrubland, Dry salt flats and Mangroves. It also has high percentages of the national resources for these habitats.
Site description
Anegada has an area of 38 km2 and is the most northern and easterly island of the BVI archipelago.
Botanical significance
Anegada Island has a rich flora, with 288 native species recorded so far, and three of the four BVI endemic plants grow there. It contains 11 globally threatened species widespread across the island, being nationally species-rich. Anegada also holds the whole population in the BVI of the Puerto Rican Bank endemics Varronia rupicola (EN), Leptocereus quadricostatus (EN) and Mitracarpus polycladus (EN).
Habitat and geology
It is the only island comprised entirely of limestone and a unique example of dry forests on limestone in the territory. This island holds most of the Dry salt flats and Salt ponds national resource for the BVI. The xerophytic low-growing vegetation found on most of the limestone and coastal dunes is a result of the constant winds sweeping across this low-lying island and limited resources derived from its poor substrate. Remaining pockets of limestone forests are mainly found in the eastern half of the island and the cays of the Western Ponds.
Conservation issues
The many threats to the Anegada Island TIPA include grazing by feral livestock, sand mining, habitat degradation and fragmentation, urban development and invasive species.
Ecosystem services
Anegada’s Salt ponds and Dry salt flats are important breeding sites for migratory birds and 99 species of birds have been recorded for the island. The Western Salt Ponds of Anegada were internationally designated a Ramsar site in 1999 for their wetlands, birds and plants.
Site assessor(s)
BVI TIPAs National Team, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands - BVI Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration
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 |
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| Agave missionum Trel. | A(i) |  |
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| Argythamnia stahlii Urb. | A(i) | |
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| Guaiacum officinale L. | A(i) | |
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| Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose | A(i) | |
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| Malpighia woodburyana Vivaldi | A(i) | |
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| Metastelma anegadense Britton | A(i) | |
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| Mitracarpus polycladus Urb. | A(i) | |
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| Senna polyphylla var. neglecta H.S.Irwin & Barneby | A(i) | |
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| Vachellia anegadensis (Britton) Seigler & Ebinger | A(i) | |
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| Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl | A(i) | |
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| Sabal causiarum (O.F.Cook) Becc. | A(i) | |
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| Varronia rupicola (Urb.) Britton | A(i) | |
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Agave missionum Trel.
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:
Argythamnia stahlii Urb.
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:
Guaiacum officinale L.
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:
Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose
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:
Malpighia woodburyana Vivaldi
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:
Metastelma anegadense Britton
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:
Mitracarpus polycladus Urb.
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:
Senna polyphylla var. neglecta H.S.Irwin & Barneby
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:
Vachellia anegadensis (Britton) Seigler & Ebinger
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:
Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl
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:
Sabal causiarum (O.F.Cook) Becc.
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:
Varronia rupicola (Urb.) Britton
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 |
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| Coastal Shrubland | C(iii) | |
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| Dry Salt Flats | C(iii) | |
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| Mangroves | C(iii) | |
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Coastal Shrubland
Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
≥ 10% of national resource:
Areal coverage at site:
Dry Salt Flats
Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
≥ 10% of national resource:
Areal coverage at site:
Mangroves
Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
≥ 10% of national resource:
Areal coverage at site:
Bibliography
Identifying and Conserving Tropical Important Plant Areas in the British Virgin Islands (2016-2019): Final Technical Report
Recommended citation
BVI TIPAs National Team (2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Anegada Island (British Virgin Islands). https://tipas.kew.org/site/anegada-island/ (Accessed on 24/04/2024)
Acknowledgement
Map of the BVI TIPAs Network available from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World