Country: Turks-Caicos Is.
Administrative region: Middle Caicos (Island)
Central co-ordinates: 21.78935 N, 71.69706 W
Area: 9.04km²
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), due to being the only known site in TCI (thus inferred to have greater than or equal to 5% of the national population) of the Lucayan endemic herb Lobelia lucayana. It is also one of the five best sites for the threatened tree Zanthoxylum flavum. It additionally qualifies under criterion B(ii) and B(iii) due to containing 11 (greater than or equal to 20%) of species of high conservation importance and 24 species (greater than or equal to 15%) from the list of socially, culturally or economically important species. Under criterion C for threatened habitats, this species qualifies under criterion C(iii) by being one of the five best sites for the palustrine swamp habitat, limestone thicket and tropical dry forest habitats.
Site description
This TIPA is situated in the Lorimers area at the eastern end of Middle Caicos. It includes the historical Haulover Plantation site to the north and the field road to Big Pond to the south. The south-eastern boundary follows Increase Road and the southern boundary is with that of the RAMSAR site. The western boundary extends up to pond edges and along Lorimers creek to the east.
Botanical significance
This TIPA is significant as it is the only known contemporary site for the threatened endemic Lobelia lucayana, which has only been recorded in TCI in recent decades from the field road to Big Pond. This species is a small ephemeral white-flowered herb which favours the shady, moist conditions of areas such as Garden Pond. The site also contains populations of the threatened species Encyclia caicensis, Pseudophoenix sargentii, Zanthoxylum flavum and Stenandrium carolinae, as well as several species of social, cultural or economic importance such as the rare tree Bursera simaruba and Island Heather Limonium bahamense. Much of this TIPA floods in the rainy season, allowing rare aquatic plants such as Echinodorus berteroi and Marsilea nashii to grow.
Habitat and geology
This site largely consists of a dominating continuous limestone thicket and tropical dry forest, for which it is one of the best sites in TCI. Both of these habitats are nationally threatened. The site contains the titular ‘Garden ponds’; three ephemeral ponds that are recharged by precipitation. Around these ponds are key areas of nationally threatened palustrine swamps.
Conservation issues
Development is a potential threat to this area. Poaching of Pseudophoenix palms is also a potential issue for that 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encyclia caicensis | A(i) |  |
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| Lobelia lucayana | A(i) | |
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| Stenandrium carolinae | A(i) | |
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| Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl | A(i) | |
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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:
Lobelia lucayana
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:
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:
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone thicket | C(iii) | |
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| Tropical dry forest | C(iii) | |
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Limestone thicket
Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
≥ 10% of national resource:
Areal coverage at site:
Tropical dry forest
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Forest | |
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| Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland | |
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| Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools [under 8 ha] | |
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| Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools | |
Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Forest
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools [under 8 ha]
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Threats
| Threat | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants - Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Medium | Future - inferred threat |
| Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Climate change & severe weather - Storms & flooding | High | Ongoing - increasing |
Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants - Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Future - inferred threat
Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Climate change & severe weather - Storms & flooding
Severity:
High
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: Garden Ponds (Turks-Caicos Is.). https://tipas.kew.org/site/garden-ponds/ (Accessed on 20/06/2025)