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G459 Pterocarpus officinalis Caribbean Flooded Forest Group
Type Concept Sentence: These are Caribbean broadleaf evergreen- and palm-dominated floodplain forests which occur in the wide valleys of lowland rivers, or on rich, black alluvial soils, most commonly in the Greater Antilles.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Terocarpo Caribbean Flooded Forest Group
Colloquial Name: Caribbean Flooded Forest
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This Caribbean group occurs in basins and plains along the coast, in the wide valleys of lowland rivers, or on rich, black alluvial soils. It can also occur right behind the mangrove communities in coastal areas with high rainfall and/or abundant riverflow. Depending on the duration of the flooding period, forests can have one or more tree layers; broadleaf evergreen trees and palms are typical. The canopy can be 10-15 m, 15-18 m, or 20-25 m high. The following list of species is diagnostic: Acoelorraphe wrightii, Bucida buceras, Calophyllum antillanum, Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense, Ficus spp., Melicoccus bijugatus, Myrsine cubana, Nephrolepis biserrata, Prestoea acuminata var. montana, Pterocarpus officinalis, Roystonea borinquena, Roystonea regia, Sabal parviflora, Sabal yapa, Sideroxylon portoricense, Swietenia mahagoni, Symphonia globulifera, Tabebuia angustata, and Tabernaemontana amblyocarpa.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Caribbean alluvial swamp forests with broadleaf evergreen trees and palms. Pterocarpus officinalis is most often a dominant tree.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Forests with broadleaf evergreen trees and palms. These can be up to 25 m tall.
Floristics: Broadleaf evergreen trees and palms are typical. The following list of species is diagnostic: Acoelorraphe wrightii, Bucida buceras, Calophyllum antillanum (= Calophyllum brasiliense), Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense (= Cladium jamaicense), Ficus spp., Melicoccus bijugatus, Myrsine cubana, Nephrolepis biserrata, Prestoea acuminata var. montana (= Prestoea montana), Pterocarpus officinalis, Roystonea borinquena, Roystonea regia, Sabal parviflora, Sabal yapa, Sideroxylon portoricense (= Bucida subinermis), Swietenia mahagoni, Symphonia globulifera, Tabebuia angustata, and Tabernaemontana amblyocarpa.
Dynamics: In the Caribbean, hurricanes constitute a trigger of periodic disturbance that provides long-term opportunities for species invasions and long-term ecosystem response in floodplain forests. A study about the effects of a hurricane in a Puerto Rican floodplain palm forest (Frangi and Lugo 1998), showed that the dominant species became more dominant and created low instantaneous tree mortality (1% of stems) and reductions in tree biomass (-16 Mg/ha/yr) and density, although not in basal area. Five years after the hurricane, the palm floodplain forest had exceeded its pre-hurricane above-ground tree biomass, tree density, and basal area. Delayed tree mortality was twice as high as instantaneous tree mortality after the storm and affected dicotyledonous trees more than it did palms. Regeneration of dicotyledonous trees, palms, and tree ferns was influenced by a combination of factors including hydroperiod, light, and available space (Frangi and Lugo 1998).
Environmental Description: Pterocarpus officinalis is indicative of this group. It occurs in floodplains in low-elevation areas, but also up to 450 m elevation in the Luquillo forest of Puerto Rico (Wadsworth and Little 1964).
Climate: Climates vary from very humid to seasonal. Soil/substrate/hydrology: This group occurs in basins and plains along the coast, in the wide valleys of lowland rivers, or on rich, black alluvial soils. It can also occur right behind the mangrove communities in coastal areas with high rainfall and/or abundant riverflow. Areas of karst may have few rivers, and the floodplain forests are only where groundwater emerges, such as in low areas near the coast in northeastern Puerto Rico.
Climate: Climates vary from very humid to seasonal. Soil/substrate/hydrology: This group occurs in basins and plains along the coast, in the wide valleys of lowland rivers, or on rich, black alluvial soils. It can also occur right behind the mangrove communities in coastal areas with high rainfall and/or abundant riverflow. Areas of karst may have few rivers, and the floodplain forests are only where groundwater emerges, such as in low areas near the coast in northeastern Puerto Rico.
Geographic Range: This Caribbean group occurs in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago.
Nations: CU,DO,PR,TT
States/Provinces: No Data Available
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860773
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.4 Tropical Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F029 | 1.A.4 |
| Division | 1.A.4.Ed Caribbean-Central American Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D093 | 1.A.4.Ed |
| Macrogroup | 1.A.4.Ed.1 Caribbean Floodplain Forest Macrogroup | M618 | 1.A.4.Ed.1 |
| Group | 1.A.4.Ed.1.a Terocarpo Caribbean Flooded Forest Group | G459 | 1.A.4.Ed.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pterocarpus Swamp -- 39.1 (Dansereau 1966)
= Puerto Rico land cover type 45, Freshwater Pterocarpus swamp (Gould et al. 2008) [Flooded freshwater swamps on the coastal plain and along riparian areas.]
< Seasonal-Swamp Forest (Beard 1955)
= Seasonally flooded rainforest formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Swamp Forest (Beard 1955)
= Puerto Rico land cover type 45, Freshwater Pterocarpus swamp (Gould et al. 2008) [Flooded freshwater swamps on the coastal plain and along riparian areas.]
< Seasonal-Swamp Forest (Beard 1955)
= Seasonally flooded rainforest formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Swamp Forest (Beard 1955)
- Areces-Mallea, A. E., A. S. Weakley, X. Li, R. G. Sayre, J. D. Parrish, C. V. Tipton, and T. Boucher. 1999. A guide to Caribbean vegetation types: Preliminary classification system and descriptions. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. 166 pp.
- Beard, J. S. 1955. The classification of tropical American vegetation types. Ecology 36:89-100.
- Borhidi, A. 1991. Phytogeography and vegetation ecology of Cuba. Akademiai Kiado. Budapest, Hungary. 858 pp. plus color plates and map by A. Borhidi and O. Muniz (1970) inside of back cover.
- Dansereau, P. 1966. Studies on the vegetation of Puerto Rico. Part I. Description and integration of the plant-communities. University of Puerto Rico, Institute of Caribbean Sciences. Special Publication No. 1. Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. 287 pp.
- Dominica Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Forestry and Wildlife Division. No date. Maps of vegetation and land cover in Dominica. Unpublished.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Frangi, J. L., and A. E. Lugo. 1998. A flood plain palm forest in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico five years after Hurricane Hugo. Biotropica 30:339-348.
- Gould, W. A., C. Alarcón, B. Fevold, M. E. Jiménez, S. Martinuzzi, G. Potts, M. Quiñones, M. Solórzano, and E. Ventosa. 2008. The Puerto Rico Gap Analysis Project. Volume 1: Land cover, vertebrate species distributions, and land stewardship. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-39. USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Río Piedras, PR. 165 pp.
- Josse, C., G. Navarro, P. Comer, R. Evans, D. Faber-Langendoen, M. Fellows, G. Kittel, S. Menard, M. Pyne, M. Reid, K. Schulz, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2003. Ecological systems of Latin America and the Caribbean: A working classification of terrestrial systems. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- TNC [The Nature Conservancy]. 2004a. Greater Caribbean Ecoregional Plan. An ecoregional plan for Puerto Rico: Portfolio design. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
- Tolentino, L., and M. Peña. 1998. Inventario de la vegetacion y uso de la tierra en la Republica Dominicana. Moscosoa 10:179-202.