Anegada Island

BVITIPA001
Anegada Island

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
Agave missionum Trel. A(i) False False True False False
Argythamnia stahlii Urb. A(i) False True False False False
Guaiacum officinale L. A(i) False True False False False
Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose A(i) False True False False False
Malpighia woodburyana Vivaldi A(i) False False True False False
Metastelma anegadense Britton A(i) True False False False False
Mitracarpus polycladus Urb. A(i) False True False False False
Senna polyphylla var. neglecta H.S.Irwin & Barneby A(i) True False False True False
Vachellia anegadensis (Britton) Seigler & Ebinger A(i) True False False False False
Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl A(i) False True False False False
Sabal causiarum (O.F.Cook) Becc. A(i) False False False False False
Varronia rupicola (Urb.) Britton A(i) True False False False False

Agave missionum Trel.

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
True
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Argythamnia stahlii Urb.

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
True
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Guaiacum officinale L.

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
True
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
True
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Malpighia woodburyana Vivaldi

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
True
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Metastelma anegadense Britton

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
True
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Mitracarpus polycladus Urb.

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
True
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Senna polyphylla var. neglecta H.S.Irwin & Barneby

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
True
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
True
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Vachellia anegadensis (Britton) Seigler & Ebinger

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
True
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
True
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Sabal causiarum (O.F.Cook) Becc.

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
False
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
Abundance at site:

Varronia rupicola (Urb.) Britton

Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
True
≥ 5% of national population:
False
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
False
Entire global population:
False
Socio-economically important:
False
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 Shrubland C(iii) False False True
Dry Salt Flats C(iii) False False True
Mangroves C(iii) False False True

Coastal Shrubland

Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
False
≥ 10% of national resource:
False
Areal coverage at site:

Dry Salt Flats

Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
False
≥ 10% of national resource:
False
Areal coverage at site:

Mangroves

Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
False
≥ 10% of national resource:
False
Areal coverage at site:

Bibliography

The BVI TIPAs National Team, 2019

Identifying and Conserving Tropical Important Plant Areas in the British Virgin Islands (2016-2019): Final Technical Report

Available online

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 12/12/2024)

Acknowledgement

Map of the BVI TIPAs Network available from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World