Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plants
Hispaniola presents a bewildering assortment of plants. In every season there is something
flowering, fruiting or filling the air with exotic fragrances, and it makes the place truly ma-
gical. Nearly a third of the 5600-odd species are endemic, spread across more than 20 dis-
crete vegetation zones, ranging from desert to subtropical forest to mangrove swamp.
Of these vegetation zones, by far the most prevalent is the subtropical forest, which
blankets the slopes of many of the DR's valleys and is found throughout the Península de
Samaná. This is a majestic landscape, dominated by royal palms with large curving fronds,
and native mahogany trees.
True tropical rainforest is rare, both because areas receiving enough rainfall are scarce
and because the grand trees of this forest type have been extensively logged. Green-leaved
throughout the year, these dense humid forests support a wealth of tree ferns, orchids, bro-
meliads and epiphytes. Examples can still be found in the Vega Real.
Above 1830m, the habitat gives way to mountain forests characterized by pines and
palms, as well as ferns, bromeliads, heliconias and orchids. Although threatened by coffee
plantations and ranching, large tracts still exist in Parques Nacionales Armando Bermúdez
and José del Carmen Ramírez.
Thorn and cacti forests abound in the southwest corner of the DR. Parque Nacional
Jaragua (
Click here
), the country's largest protected area, consists largely of thorn forest,
cacti and agaves, and receives less than 700mm of rain a year.
Mangrove swamps are a characteristic feature along the coast around the DR's Bahía de
Samaná and pockets along the northern coastline. They're hugely important wildlife habit-
ats, serving as nurseries for many marine species and nesting grounds for water birds, as
well as buffering the coast against the erosive power of storms and tides.
An overview of Caribbean coral reefs can be found in the eye-opening
A Guide to the Coral Reefs of the
Caribbean,
by Mark Spalding.
