La Tigra National Park
Encyclopedia
La Tigra National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional La Tigra) was the first national park
in Honduras
, by decree No. 976-80 whose principal objective is "The Conservation, Ecologic Preservation and Maintenance of The Hydrologic Potential of this Reserve". It was established on 1 January 1980 and covers an area of 238.21 square kilometers. It has an altitude of between 1,800 and 2,185 metres.
In addition to its exuberant natural beauty and with a seductive historic past, the La Tigra Mountain with its immense cloud forest
tropical vegetation also provides more than 30% of the necessities of the capital city, Tegucigalpa
, and 100% of the bordering communities and has been protected since the early 1920s, evidence of this are the weir
s of Jutiapa
. It is a cloud forest with an area of 328 km² (127 sq mi), located 25 km (16 mi) from Tegucigalpa.
This park is found really near to the city of Tegucigalpa, located to the north of it, to just a few 22 km (14 mi). of distance away. The park's access points are four, but for visiting purposes 2 routes are mainly used: the highway leading to El Hatillo and the highway that leads to Valle de Ángeles
, San Juancito
and Cantarranas. The park provides two Visitors Center and Eco Lodges, one in the community of Jutiapa and the other in the community of El Rosario. To access the first one, taking the road to El Hatillo (22 km (13.7 mi)) will do it, spending approximately 50 minutes to reach it, passing through several communities on its way. To access the second one, at just 1½ of Tegucigalpa the road to Valle de Angeles, San Juancito (36 km (22.4 mi)) located in the village of El Rosario will lead to Rosario's Visitors' Center., at an elevation of 1650 m (5,413 ft). This last one equipped for several activities, including a museum.
The Park with its 240 km² (93 sq mi) is divided in two zones: nucleus and buffer. The nucleus zone (7.5 km² (3 sq mi)) of the park counts with 8 hiking trails that cross it, adding up to more than 23 km (14 mi), from which, two of them connect both visitors' centers.
s, 13 species of reptile
s (2 rare and 2 venomous), over 200 species of bird
s (migratory and resident) distributed in 39 families and 13 orders and 31 species of mammal
s, 6 of which are endangered, 2 threatened and 2 are considered rare.
Bromeliads
, fern
s, moss
, fungi
and the giants of the forest; oak
s, encino, pine
, ceibo
– the sacred tree of the Mayans
. Also avocado
trees, which are the main food source for the quetzal
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, by decree No. 976-80 whose principal objective is "The Conservation, Ecologic Preservation and Maintenance of The Hydrologic Potential of this Reserve". It was established on 1 January 1980 and covers an area of 238.21 square kilometers. It has an altitude of between 1,800 and 2,185 metres.
In addition to its exuberant natural beauty and with a seductive historic past, the La Tigra Mountain with its immense cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
tropical vegetation also provides more than 30% of the necessities of the capital city, Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
, and 100% of the bordering communities and has been protected since the early 1920s, evidence of this are the weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
s of Jutiapa
Jutiapa
Jutiapa is a municipality in the Jutiapa department of Guatemala. Located 124 km from the city of Guatemala at an altitude of 892 m , it is the capital of the department of Jutiapa....
. It is a cloud forest with an area of 328 km² (127 sq mi), located 25 km (16 mi) from Tegucigalpa.
This park is found really near to the city of Tegucigalpa, located to the north of it, to just a few 22 km (14 mi). of distance away. The park's access points are four, but for visiting purposes 2 routes are mainly used: the highway leading to El Hatillo and the highway that leads to Valle de Ángeles
Valle de Ángeles
Valle de Ángeles is a municipality in the Honduran department of Francisco Morazán.The local holiday is October 4th, San Francisco Day.- Location :...
, San Juancito
San Juancito, Honduras
San Juancito is a small pueblo in central Honduras, located 40 kilometers northeast of Tegucigalpa, the nation's capital. The town is in the department of Francisco Morazán. Including the dependent hamlets of Nuevo Rosario, Guacamaya, and Plan Grande, the population totals at about 1400...
and Cantarranas. The park provides two Visitors Center and Eco Lodges, one in the community of Jutiapa and the other in the community of El Rosario. To access the first one, taking the road to El Hatillo (22 km (13.7 mi)) will do it, spending approximately 50 minutes to reach it, passing through several communities on its way. To access the second one, at just 1½ of Tegucigalpa the road to Valle de Angeles, San Juancito (36 km (22.4 mi)) located in the village of El Rosario will lead to Rosario's Visitors' Center., at an elevation of 1650 m (5,413 ft). This last one equipped for several activities, including a museum.
The Park with its 240 km² (93 sq mi) is divided in two zones: nucleus and buffer. The nucleus zone (7.5 km² (3 sq mi)) of the park counts with 8 hiking trails that cross it, adding up to more than 23 km (14 mi), from which, two of them connect both visitors' centers.
Flora and fauna
In what fauna concerns, its consists of approximately 3 species of amphibianAmphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s, 13 species of reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s (2 rare and 2 venomous), over 200 species of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s (migratory and resident) distributed in 39 families and 13 orders and 31 species of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, 6 of which are endangered, 2 threatened and 2 are considered rare.
Bromeliads
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana...
, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, fungi
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
and the giants of the forest; oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s, encino, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, ceibo
Erythrina crista-galli
Erythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, most notably in California...
– the sacred tree of the Mayans
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
. Also avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
trees, which are the main food source for the quetzal
Quetzal
Quetzals are strikingly colored birds in the trogon family . They are found in forests and woodlands, especially in humid highlands, with the five species from the genus Pharomachrus being exclusively Neotropical, while the single Euptilotis species is almost entirely restricted to western Mexico...
.