Dear Ecologers, This is a compilation of all of those who responded on vegetation classification systems in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean.
Many thanks to all those who responded. Cheers, Greg The standard classification scheme used in the Caribbean continues to be Holdridge, although several groups are working on more species specific approaches to mapping. Holdridge did his PhD dissertation (Univ. of Michigan) in Haiti, "The Pine Forest and Adjacent Mountain Vegetation of Haiti, considered from the Standpoint of a New climatic Classification of Plant Formations" in 1947. According to "Life Zone Ecology" revised edition (Aug. 1967) by L.R. Holdridge published by the Tropical Science Center in San Jose, Costa Rica, p. 13, the Holdridge model was developed "After several years of forestry work in the Caribbean region and a specific vegetation study in a mountain area in Haiti..." Other projects include: The Nature Conservency recently produced a multi-layered map of the Dominican Republic. http://edcintl.cr.usgs.gov/tnc/index.html Natureserve have a classification system that they are building for the Caribbean and elsewhere. http://www.natureserve.org/publications/lacEcologicalsystems.jsp The US Forest service has done some mapping in Costa Rica. Ewel, J. J., and J. L. Whitmore. 1973. <http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/cr133.htm#63737> The ecological life zones of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. Forest Service Research Paper ITF-18. Institute of Tropical Forestry, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. 72 pp Other References: As well as Helmer etal 2002 Mapping the Forest Type and Land Cover of Puerto Rico, a Component of the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspots, Caribbean Journal of Science, Vol. 38, No. 3-4, 165183 <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/publications/cjs_map_pr.pdf> Hager, J., and T. A. Zanoni. 1993. La vegetacion natural de la Republica Dominicana: Una nueva clasificacion. Moscosoa 7: 39-81. Hartshorn G., G. Antonini, R. DuBois, D. Harcharik, S. Heckadon, H. Newton, C. Quesada, J. Shores, and G. Staples. 1981. The Dominican Republic, Country Environmental Profile: A Field Study. JRB Associates, McLean, Virginia. Greg Newman and Tim Fahey from Cornell University did vegetation surveys in the Parque Nacional Armando Bermúdez around pico duarte in 1999A. W. Kuchler produced vegetation maps of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. The citation and legends are reproduced in "International Bibliography of Vegetation Maps, Section 1, South America, Ed. A. W. Kuchler, 1980. -- Gregory J. Sharam PhD Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd. Vancouver, BC V6T-1Z4 ++ 778-772-4734 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
