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Overview
The
Caribbean Islands encompass a wide variety of landscapes,
from mountainous to coastal, including: tropical rainforests,
very diverse karst forests, dry mountain and coastal
ecosystems and mangrove stands bordering coastal and
lower riverine areas. Ecosystem conditions parallel
this range of diversity, from pristine areas in Dominica
and other islands to the extremely degraded forests
in Haiti. As human population and tourism increase,
intensive use of natural resources for economic and
rural/urban development also increases. This use has
resulted in erosion, over fishing, monoculture cropping,
pollution of rivers, beaches and reefs and habitat destruction.
These islands also host a lively tourism industry which
is an economic mainstay for inhabitants but which places
significant pressure on natural resources.
Threats
to the Forest
Throughout the region, areas of primary forests
that represent about 3% of all remaining forests are
being converted to secondary forests, resulting in a
loss of unique biodiversity through habitat destruction.
In addition, former forest tracts, which were once farmed
and depleted of fertility, are being abandoned, thus
causing erosion. Land degradation affects the agricultural
potential of the land and threatens the survival of
the varied fauna, including organisms in rivers and
coastal areas, that these forests directly and indirectly
support.
Why
Does the US Forest Service Work in the Caribbean?
The US Forest Service's International
Institute of Tropical Forestry, based in Puerto
Rico, is a leader in tropical forest research. The work
of the Institute is directly applicable to the sustainable
management of tropical ecosystems, which harbor unique
flora and fauna. Research spanning over 60 years in
the Caribbean National Forest and other state forests
in Puerto Rico has resulted in a wealth of information.
Managers from the Caribbean National Forest have analyzed
and applied this information to improve forest management
and technology transfer to advance sustainable forest
management. This information is now being shared with
other organizations in the Caribbean and around the
world.
More
recently, research efforts have been focused towards
reforestation and on ways to accelerate restoration
of degraded lands in the Caribbean. Through the establishment
of plantations for timber production and non-timber
benefits in degraded lands, a renewable resource of
forest products will be available so that the unique
biodiversity in primary forests can remain undisturbed.
The
US Forest Service also works closely with the US Agency
for International Development's Regional Environmental
Program for the Caribbean, which encompasses Jamaica,
Dominican Republic and Dominica. Together, they are
working on initiatives to instill Best Management Practices
and fire management in forested areas. The partnership
also works to encourage sustainable development of the
tourism industry.
In
addition to working with other government agencies,
the US Forest Service collaborates with local country
and international non-governmental organizations. Through
a partnership with Ducks
Unlimited and The
Nature Conservancy, the US Forest Service provides
support to a collaborative Migratory Bird Conservation
Program. The program includes monitoring, habitat management,
and planning for bird conservation. There are several
projects throughout the Caribbean including the Bahamas,
Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago.
- For
more information about the International Institute
for Tropical Forestry, click
here.
- For
more information on the Caribbean National Forest,
click
here.
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