Hispaniolan moist forests

Hispaniolan moist forests
Hispaniolan moist forests
	Hills north of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
	Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
Realm	Neotropical
Biome	tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders	Greater Antilles mangroves; Hispaniolan dry forests,; Hispaniolan pine forests;
Geography
Area	45,350 km2 (17,510 sq mi)
Countries	Dominican Republic; Haiti;
Conservation
Conservation status	Critical/endangered
Global 200	Greater Antillean moist forests
Protected	3,244 km2 (7%)

19°00′N 70°42′W / 19°N 70.7°W / 19; -70.7 The Hispaniolan moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Hispaniola. They cover 46,000 km² (18,000 sq mi), around 60% of the island's area.^[1]

Geography

Moist forests occur on most of the eastern half the Dominican Republic, stretching from the coast all the way to high elevations in the mountains. In Haiti, they are found in the Tiburon Peninsula in the southern part of the country as well as the Massif du Nord. The drainage basins for the island's main rivers, the Yaque del Norte and Yaque del Sur, Yuna, and Artibonite, occur in this ecoregion. The forests cover diverse topography, including flatlands, valleys, plateaus, slopes and foothills up to an elevation of about 2,100 m (6,900 ft). Soils are either calcareous (neutral or somewhat alkaline) or acidic.^[1]

Climate

Mesic forests receive 1,000 to 2,000 mm (39 to 79 in) of annual rainfall, while more than 4,000 mm (160 in) falls in wet forests. The rainy season lasts from April to December. Temperature varies from 23 to 24 °C (73 to 75 °F) in open areas near the coast and averages around 20 °C (68 °F) in higher areas. Freezing temperatures occur in the highest zones at certain times of the year.^[1]

Flora

Moist forests are classified as being either lowland mesic, montane mesic, lowland wet, or montane wet.

Characteristic lowland species are Haitian catalpa (Catalpa longissima), particularly in well-drained soils, and West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni). Puerto Rican royal palm (Roystonea borinquena) is common where soil is calcareous. Paradise tree (Simarouba glauca), anón de majagua (Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus), jagua (Genipa americana), black olive (Bucida buceras), West Indian lancewood (Oxandra lanceolata) and amacey (Protium balsamiferum) are found in small secondary stands. Isolated trees are home to fustic (Maclura tinctoria), logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum), iris (Hippeastrum puniceum), caracolí (Abarema glauca), córbano (Pseudalbizzia berteroana), West Indian elm (Guazuma ulmifolia), palo de leche (Rauvolfia nitida), and spiny fiddlewood (Citharexylum spinosum).

Areas where soils are superficial or savannas have formed from degraded forest are indicated by trees such as the sandpaper tree (Curatella americana), grandleaf seagrape (Coccoloba pubescens), Jamaican nettletree (Trema micrantha) and Tabebuia species. Cashews (Anacardium occidentale) are present in zones that have marginal earth and precipitation closer to that of the dry forests.

Yellow olivier (Buchenavia capitata), sablito (Didymopanax morototoni), maricao (Byrsonima spicata), aguacatillo (Alchornea latifolia), West Indian cherry (Prunus myrtifolia), árbol de Santa Maria (Calophyllum brasiliense), cocuyo (Hirtella triandra), American muskwood (Guarea guidonia), palo de yagua (Casearia arborea), locust (Hymenaea courbaril), balatá (Manilkara bidentata), and sierra palm (Prestoea montana) grow in mesic forests. Hispaniolan pine (Pinus occidentalis) is common on lateritic soils.

Wet forests consist of trees covered by parasitic plants and epiphytes. The principal indicator species include tree ferns (Cyathea spp.) and Chionanthus species. At higher elevations, characteristic species are the trembling schefflera (Frodinia tremula), black sapote (Diospyros revoluta), almendrón (Prunus occidentalis), Fadyen's silktassel (Garrya fadyenii), Weinmannia pinnata, Oreopanax capitatus, Brunellia comocladifolia, Hispaniolan pines, and Cyathea species.

Fauna

Birds

Birds of the moist forests include the Hispaniolan amazon (Amazona ventralis), Hispaniolan parakeet (Aratinga chloroptera), Hispaniolan lizard cuckoo (Coccyzus longirostris), palm crow (Corvus palmarum), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima), narrow-billed tody (Todus angustirostris), stolid flycatcher (Myiarchus stolidus), Hispaniolan pewee (Contopus hispaniolensis), rufous-throated solitaire (Myadestes genibarbis), Hispaniolan woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus), white-necked crow (Corvus leucognaphalus), palmchat (Dulus dominicus), Hispaniolan trogon (Priotelus roseigaster), ruddy quail-dove (Geotrygon montana), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), white-winged warbler (Xenoligea montana), green-tailed warbler (Microligea palustris), Antillean siskin (Carduelis dominicensis), La Selle thrush (Turdus swalesi), eastern chat-tanager (Calyptophilus frugivorus), and Hispaniolan crossbill (Loxia megaplaga).

Mammals

Native mammals include the Hispaniolan hutia (Plagiodontia aedium), Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus),^[1] and 18 bat species such as the Cuban flower bat (Phyllonycteris poeyi).^[3]

Reptiles

Reptiles include Marcano's galliwasp (Panolopus marcanoi) and Ialtris haetianus.

Protected areas

11.53% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include (with IUCN protected area category):^[4]

Las Neblinas Scientific Reserve Ia
Loma Barbacoa Scientific Reserve Ia
Loma Guaconejo Scientific Reserve Ia
Loma Quita Espuela Scientific Reserve Ia
La Salcedoa Scientific Reserve Ia
Sierra Prieta Biological Reserve Ib
Loma Charco Azul Biological Reserve Ib
Cotubanamá (Del Este) National Park II
Los Haitises National Park II
La Citadelle, Sans Souci, Ramiers National Park III
Jaragua National Park II
Sierra de Bahoruco National Park II
Parc Macaya National Park II
Zone Reservée Péligre National Park V
Cabo Cabrón National Park II
Humedales del Ozama National Park II
Manglares del Bajo Yuna National Park II
Montaña La Humeadora National Park II
Anacaona National Park II
Aniana Vargas National Park II
Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó National Park II
La Gran Sabana National Park II
La Hispaniola National Park II
Luis Quin National Park II
Manolo Tavarez Justo National Park II
Máximo Gómez National Park II
Picky Lora National Park II
Punta Espada National Park II
Saltos de la Jalda National Park II
Lagon des Huîtres National Park VI
Sant d'Eau National Park III
Forêt des Pins 2 National Park II
Les Matheux National Park III
Deux Mamelles National Park II
Los Haitises Specially Protected Area (Cartagena Convention) II
Jaragua Specially Protected Area (Cartagena Convention) II
La Caleta Specially Protected Area (Cartagena Convention) II
Sierra de Bahoruco Specially Protected Area (Cartagena Convention) II
Bosque Húmedo de Río San Juan Natural Monument III
Cabo Francés Viejo Natural Monument III
Cabo Samaná Natural Monument III
Cerro de San Francisco Natural Monument III
Hoyo Claro Natural Monument III
Isla Catalina Natural Monument III
Lagunas Cabarete y Goleta Natural Monument III
Las Caobas Natural Monument III
Loma Isabel de Torres Natural Monument III
Loma la Altagracia o Loma la Enea Natural Monument III
Diego de Ocampo Natural Monument III
Reserva Antropológica Cuevas de Borbón o del Pomier Natural Monument III
Río Cumayasa y Cueva de las Maravillas Natural Monument III
Salto de La Damajagua Natural Monument III
Salto El Limón Natural Monument III
El Saltadero Natural Monument III
La Ceiba Natural Monument III
La Tinaja Natural Monument III
Laguna Gri-Grí Natural Monument III
Las Marías Natural Monument III
Miguel Domingo Fuerte Natural Monument Wildlife Refuge III
Punta Bayahibe Natural Monument III
Salto de Socoa Natural Monument III
Saltos de Jima Natural Monument III
Salto Grande Natural Monument III
Bahia de Luperón Wildlife Refuge IV
Cueva de Los Tres Ojos Wildlife Refuge VI
La Gran Laguna o Perucho Wildlife Refuge IV
Lagunas de Bávaro y El Caletón Wildlife Refuge IV
Laguna Saladilla Wildlife Refuge IV
Lagunas Redonda y Limón Wildlife Refuge IV
Manglar de la Jina Wildlife Refuge IV
Ría Maimón Wildlife Refuge IV
Río Chacuey Wildlife Refuge IV
Río Soco Wildlife Refuge IV
Cañón Río Gurabo Wildlife Refuge IV
Gran Estero Wildlife Refuge IV
Laguna Mallén Wildlife Refuge IV
Laguna San José Wildlife Refuge IV
Río Higuamo Wildlife Refuge IV
Río Dulce Wildlife Refuge IV
Barrero Forest Reserve V
Cabeza de Toro Forest Reserve V
Cayuco Forest Reserve V
Cerro Chacuey Forest Reserve V
Guanito Forest Reserve V
Hatillo Forest Reserve V
Las Matas Forest Reserve V
Loma El 20 Forest Reserve V
Loma Novillero Forest Reserve V
Río Cana Forest Reserve V
Villarpando Forest Reserve V
Baradéres-Cayemites Managed Natural Resources Protected Area VI
Jérémie-Abricots Managed Natural Resources Protected Area VI
Port Salut-Aquin Managed Natural Resources Protected Area IV
Guagui National Recreation Area VI
Guaraguao - Punta Catuano National Recreation Area VI
Boca de Nigua National Recreation Area V

References

^ a b c d "Hispaniolan moist forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
^ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Hispaniolan moist forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
^ Hispaniolan Moist forests | DOPA Explorer. Retrieved 15 May 2023.

[WWF-1] "Hispaniolan moist forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2010-11-20.

[Dinerstein-2] Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]

[WildWorld-3] World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Hispaniolan moist forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-11-20.

[dopa-4] Hispaniolan Moist forests | DOPA Explorer. Retrieved 15 May 2023.