Hispaniolan moist forests


The Hispaniolan moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Hispaniola. They cover, around 60% of the island's area.

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. Soils are either calcareous or acidic.

Climate

Mesic forests receive of annual rainfall, while more than falls in wet forests. The rainy season lasts from April to December. Temperature varies from in open areas near the coast and averages around in higher areas. Freezing temperatures occur in the highest zones at certain times of the year.

Flora

Variations in elevation and rainfall result in several different forest types, including lowland mesic, montane mesic, lowland wet, or montane wet.
Characteristic lowland species are Haitian catalpa, particularly in well-drained soils, and West Indian mahogany. Puerto Rican royal palm is common where soil is calcareous. Paradise tree, anón de majagua, jagua, black olive, West Indian lancewood and amacey are found in small secondary stands. Isolated trees are home to fustic, logwood, iris, caracolí, córbano, West Indian elm, palo de leche, and spiny fiddlewood.
Areas where soils are superficial or savannas have formed from degraded forest are indicated by trees such as the sandpaper tree, grandleaf seagrape, Jamaican nettletree and Tabebuia species. Cashews are present in zones that have marginal earth and precipitation closer to that of the dry forests.
Yellow olivier, sablito, maricao, aguacatillo, West Indian cherry, árbol de Santa Maria, cocuyo, American muskwood, palo de yagua, locust, balatá, and sierra palm grow in mesic forests. Hispaniolan pine is common on lateritic soils.
Wet forests consist of trees covered by parasitic plants and epiphytes. The principal indicator species include tree ferns and Chionanthus species. At higher elevations, characteristic species are the trembling schefflera, black sapote, almendrón, Fadyen's silktassel, Weinmannia pinnata, Oreopanax capitatus, Brunellia comocladifolia, Hispaniolan pines, and Cyathea species.

Fauna

Birds

Birds of the moist forests include the Hispaniolan amazon, Hispaniolan parakeet, Hispaniolan lizard cuckoo, Hispaniolan palm crow, American kestrel, vervain hummingbird, narrow-billed tody, stolid flycatcher, Hispaniolan pewee, rufous-throated solitaire, Hispaniolan woodpecker, white-necked crow, palmchat, Hispaniolan trogon, ruddy quail-dove, red-tailed hawk, white-winged warbler, green-tailed warbler, Antillean siskin, La Selle thrush, eastern chat-tanager, and Hispaniolan crossbill.

Mammals

Native mammals include the Hispaniolan hutia, Hispaniolan solenodon, and 18 bat species such as the Cuban flower bat.

Reptiles

Reptiles include Marcano's galliwasp and Ialtris haetianus.

Protected areas

11.53% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include :
  • 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 II
  • Jaragua Specially Protected Area II
  • La Caleta Specially Protected Area II
  • Sierra de Bahoruco Specially Protected Area 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