Cuban dry forest

Cuban dry forest
Name	Cuban dry forest
Biogeographic realm	Neotropical
Biome	Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Area km2	60,000
Countries	Cuba
Conservation	Critical/Endangered

Cuban dry forest is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the island of Cuba. It spans lowland plains, karstic mogotes, and coastal terraces and supports distinctive assemblages of plants and animals adapted to seasonal drought. The ecoregion has been shaped by geological events, colonial land use, and 20th‑century agricultural policies, making it a focus for conservation among Caribbean ecoregions.

Geography and climate

The ecoregion occupies parts of the Isle of Youth, western Pinar del Río Province, central Matanzas Province, eastern Camagüey Province, and coastal zones near Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo Bay. Topography includes Mogotes, karstic Viñales Valley limestone hills, coastal sabana plains, and riverine terraces along the Cauto River and Yumurí River. Climate is strongly seasonal under the influence of the North Atlantic High, with a pronounced dry season from November to April and a wet season driven by Atlantic hurricane season events and tropical waves. Annual precipitation ranges from 400 to 1,200 mm depending on rainshadow effects from the Sierra de los Órganos, Sierra del Escambray, and Nipe-Sierra Maestra massif, and mean temperatures reflect tropical lowland conditions moderated by elevation near Pico Turquino.

Flora and plant communities

Vegetation is characterized by xerophytic and drought-deciduous species that form stratified dry forests, thornscrub, coastal scrub, and seasonal woodlands. Dominant genera include Prosopis, Haematoxylon, Erythroxylum, Bursera, and endemic taxa allied to Myrtaceae and Fabaceae. Notable trees and shrubs are members related to Bourreria, Tabebuia, Sideroxylon, and the economically significant Guaiacum officinale historically exploited in colonial trade. Understories host endemic orchids and bromeliads linked to Caribbean floras referenced by collectors associated with institutions such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and the Smithsonian Institution. Coastal zones feature mangrove associates near Ciénaga de Zapata, saline‑tolerant halophytes, and cactus species reminiscent of floras documented by 19th‑century botanists like Charles Wright and collectors employed by the Royal Society.

Fauna and endemism

Faunal assemblages include endemic reptiles, amphibians, birds, and invertebrates reflective of Cuba’s insular evolution. Representative taxa include terrestrial endemics associated with studies by the American Museum of Natural History and species described by naturalists such as Thomas Barbour. Avifauna features species with restricted ranges noted in surveys by BirdLife International and regional ornithologists, while mammals include endemic hutia species and radiations comparable to findings from Wilson and Reeder mammal compendia. Herpetofauna includes endemic anoles and troglophilic salamanders tied to karst landscapes, taxa frequently cited in papers from the Caribbean Herpetology community. Invertebrate diversity encompasses endemic beetles and lepidopterans documented in collections at the Natural History Museum, London and the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba.

Ecology and ecosystem processes

Primary productivity and nutrient cycling are influenced by marked seasonality, litterfall pulses during senescence, and episodic inputs from cyclonic disturbances such as Hurricane Gilbert and Hurricane Matthew. Fire regimes, both natural and anthropogenic, interact with soil development on limestone and terra rossa substrates derived from Cuba’s geological history recorded in stratigraphic studies housed at the Geological Society of America. Pollination networks involve native bees and hummingbirds studied in comparative analyses by researchers at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, while seed dispersal relies on endemic frugivores and introduced mammals referenced in invasive species assessments by the IUCN.

Human impacts and land use

Human colonization since the arrival of Christopher Columbus initiated land conversion for cattle ranching and crop production under Spanish colonial systems codified in the Laws of the Indies. Twentieth‑century shifts including sugarcane expansion, mechanized agriculture promoted during the Republic of Cuba (1902–1959), and state land reforms after the Cuban Revolution accelerated deforestation and fragmentation. Contemporary land uses include smallholder agriculture, charcoal production, and tourism development near sites such as Varadero and Trinidad, Cuba, with infrastructure linked to projects by UNESCO and the World Bank reported in development assessments. Introduced herbivores and invasive plants documented by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International further degrade native plant communities.

Conservation and protected areas

Conservation efforts encompass a mosaic of protected areas, biosphere reserves, and community initiatives administered by Cuban agencies in coordination with international bodies like the United Nations Environment Programme and conservation NGOs including Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy. Key protected sites overlapping dry forest habitats include portions of the Ciénaga de Zapata Biosphere Reserve, Alexander Humboldt National Park buffer zones, and local nature reserves in Pinar del Río. Ex situ conservation and botanical garden programs involve institutions such as the Jardín Botánico de Cuba and collaborative research with universities including the University of Havana and Florida International University. Priorities identified by conservation planners and published in assessments by IUCN and BirdLife International emphasize habitat restoration, invasive species control, fire management, and integration of traditional landholders into payment for ecosystem services schemes supported by multilateral donors like the Global Environment Facility.

Category:Ecoregions of Cuba