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G455 Caribbean Seasonal Evergreen Lowland Rainforest Group
Type Concept Sentence: These are lowland and submontane seasonal evergreen forests of the Antilles dominated by mostly evergreen species of tropical affinities.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Caribbean Seasonal Evergreen Lowland Rainforest Group
Colloquial Name: Caribbean Seasonal Evergreen Lowland Rainforest
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group includes upland forests growing below 700 m elevation in moist but seasonal climates in the Caribbean Islands. Forests within this group have a canopy height of 20-25 m, not densely closed, and a second denser layer 8-15 m high. About 70% of canopy species are evergreen. Understory vegetation is rather sparse and terrestrial ferns can dominate the herb layer. Lianas can be present or even abundant, especially in forests growing on calcareous and alluvial soils. Pinnate and broadleaf species are dominant, but this group includes shorter, open canopy sclerophyllous forests with succulents and cacti on poor, serpentine substrates in moist areas of eastern Cuba, southwestern Puerto Rico, and south Tobago. Floristically, these are diverse forests and different islands have different composition.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Besides moisture availability and lowland distribution, the composition of this group is influenced by the substrate and past land use. Extensive areas of lowland seasonal evergreen forests in the islands have been converted and current "mature" forest cover can represent secondary forest grown after such distinct land uses as shade coffee plantations, pastures or sugar cane. Past land use and its effects on the soils influence current composition. Some of the diagnostic tree species of successional forests are Cecropia schreberiana, Andira inermis, Schefflera morototonii, and Bocconia frutescens.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This group includes mostly evergreen, 20- to 25-m tall forests of semi-closed canopy and at least two canopy strata. Presence of lianas and the structure and composition of the understory depend on soils and the stand history. Under the same favorable climatic conditions this group includes a type of shorter and more open moist forest or woodland that grows on ferritic soils derived from serpentine bedrock in areas of Cuba and Puerto Rico. This forest is less than 15 m tall, has two canopy layers, slender trees, mostly sclerophyllous and lauraceous trees and shrubs, abundant lianas, presence of cacti, and is poor in epiphytes.
Floristics: Common tree species on limestone substrate are Dendropanax arboreus, Quararibea turbinata, Coccoloba diversifolia, Coccoloba pubescens, Zanthoxylum martinicense, Bursera simaruba, Cedrela odorata, Clusia rosea, and Bucida buceras. In Jamaica the seasonal evergreen forest occurring in the so-called Cockpit country and on limestone peaks from about 300 to 700 m elevation include Brosimum alicastrum, Buchenavia tetraphylla (= Buchenavia capitata), Cecropia schreberiana (= Cecropia peltata), Dipholis nigra, Manilkara zapota (= Lucuma mammosa), Manilkara excisa (= Mimusops excisa), Cojoba arborea (= Pithecellobium arboreum), Podocarpus purdieanus, Prunus occidentalis, Zanthoxylum martinicense, and the endemic Nectandra hihua (= Nectandra antillana), Psidium montanum, Sloanea jamaicensis, and Ziziphus chloroxylon. The dense subcanopy which reaches heights of about 12 m consists of its own characteristic species such as Simaruba glauca, Trophis racemosa, Zanthoxylum flavum, and several endemic species such as Stenostomum jamaicense (= Antirhea jamaicensis), Comocladia pinnatifolia, Mosquitoxylon jamaicense, Ocotea staminea, Sapium laurifolium (= Sapium jamaicense), and Spathelia glabrescens. Seasonal evergreen forests on volcanic, sedimentary, and alluvial substrates include Andira inermis, Manilkara bidentata ssp. surinamensis, Melicoccus bijugatus, Roystonea borinquena, Roystonea elata, Capparis baducca, Chionanthus compactus, and Cordia alliodora, among many other species. In St. John in the Virgin Islands dominant species are Ardisia obovata, Cestrum laurifolium, Eugenia monticola, Nectandra coriacea, and Poitea florida (= Sabinea florida). Diagnostic species of forests growing on serpentine substrate are Pilosocereus royenii, Thouinia striata var. portoricensis, Plumeria alba, Croton lucidus, Pictetia aculeata, and Comocladia dodonaea; endemic species of Puerto Rico restricted to serpentine substrate are Mikania stevensiana, Calyptranthes triflora, Myrcia maricaensis, and Brunfelsia densifolia.
Dynamics: Normal gap dynamics provide light, the major environmental limiting factor to plant growth in the closed-canopy humid tropical forest, and maintain the forest in shifting mosaic steady state. Major disturbance regimes caused by hurricanes are quite common throughout the Caribbean forests. Studies have found that elevation, slope and aspect play a more important role in the relative damage caused by hurricanes than latitudinal or longitudinal location, with lower elevation, windward slopes experiencing more damage than higher elevation, leeward slopes.
Environmental Description: Forests in this group occur below 700 m above sea level, in flatlands, basins, or well-drained slopes of the Caribbean Islands, under moist climate and on several different substrates.
Climate: In the Caribbean, moist forests occur mainly in lowland areas influenced by northeasterly or northwesterly winds, and windward mountain slopes, e.g., northern part of eastern Cuba, northern Jamaica, eastern Hispaniola, northern Puerto Rico, and small patches in the Lesser Antilles. Seasonal evergreen forests occur where annual mean precipitation is over 1100 mm and below 2800 mm, and only experience water stress during a short dry season from December through April of monthly rainfall of 60 mm or more, or due to particular soil conditions. This factor is coupled with high temperature (mean temperature 18°C or more in the coldest month of the year) and a strong evapotranspiration.
Soil/substrate/hydrology: Forests in this group grow on volcanic, sedimentary and alluvial substrates, also on limestones and on ultramafic substrate derived from serpentine bedrock. The latter two confer a distinct physiognomy to otherwise dense, tall forests.
Climate: In the Caribbean, moist forests occur mainly in lowland areas influenced by northeasterly or northwesterly winds, and windward mountain slopes, e.g., northern part of eastern Cuba, northern Jamaica, eastern Hispaniola, northern Puerto Rico, and small patches in the Lesser Antilles. Seasonal evergreen forests occur where annual mean precipitation is over 1100 mm and below 2800 mm, and only experience water stress during a short dry season from December through April of monthly rainfall of 60 mm or more, or due to particular soil conditions. This factor is coupled with high temperature (mean temperature 18°C or more in the coldest month of the year) and a strong evapotranspiration.
Soil/substrate/hydrology: Forests in this group grow on volcanic, sedimentary and alluvial substrates, also on limestones and on ultramafic substrate derived from serpentine bedrock. The latter two confer a distinct physiognomy to otherwise dense, tall forests.
Geographic Range: This group is found on all the islands in the Greater Antilles and most of the Lesser Antilles.
Nations: BS,CU,DM,DO,GD,GP,HT,JM,LC,MQ,PR,TT,VC,VE,VI
States/Provinces: No Data Available
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860738
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.A Tropical Forest & Woodland Subclass | S17 | 1.A |
| Formation | 1.A.2 Tropical Lowland Humid Forest Formation | F020 | 1.A.2 |
| Division | 1.A.2.Eg Caribbean-Mesoamerican Lowland Humid Forest Division | D091 | 1.A.2.Eg |
| Macrogroup | 1.A.2.Eg.1 Caribbean Lowland Humid Forest Macrogroup | M281 | 1.A.2.Eg.1 |
| Group | 1.A.2.Eg.1.a Caribbean Seasonal Evergreen Lowland Rainforest Group | G455 | 1.A.2.Eg.1.a |
Concept Lineage: G454 concept covered by G455 (CJ 5-14-13)
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Lowland Rainforest Zone, Upland vegetation (Dansereau 1966)
? Seasonal-evergreen Forest Zone (Dansereau 1966)
? Seasonal-evergreen Forest Zone (Dansereau 1966)
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