![Sepioteuthis sepioidea (Caribbean Reef Squid)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Sepioteuthis_sepioidea_%28Caribbean_Reef_Squid%29.jpg)
The wildlife of Haiti is important to the country because of its
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
. According to the
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is a collaboration centre of UN Environment Programme, based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. UNEP-WCMC has been part of UN Environment Programme since 2000, and has ...
, Haiti is considered to be "one of the most biologically significant countries of the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
". With an estimated 5,600 plant species on the island of
Hispaniola, some of which only occur in Haiti, 36% are considered as endemic to the island.
A mountainous area country, it is situated in the western three-eighths of
Hispaniola and shares a border with the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
. There are nine life zones, from low desert to high cloud forests, as well as four mountain ranges, and hundreds of rivers and streams and the coral reefs in the seas that surround the islands.
Issues of environmental damage, expanding population, deforesting and erosion are of concern;
less than 2% of the original forest remains on account of deforestation.
This degradation is traced from the 17th century to 19th century starting with the French colonization of the Haiti and population explosion during the 20th century and for the purpose of forestry and sugar-related industries, degraded the forests. and the environment.
Geography
The features of the island terrain (generally mountainous) varies from
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
elevation of to the highest point on the
Chaine de la Selle mountain of . The land use distribution reported is of arable land 36.04%, permanent crops 10.09% and others 53.87%, with an irrigated area of 97,000 ha.
The Massif de la Hotte (of 2.5 million years age) is part of the far-southwestern mountain range of the island, has a few vestiges of cloud forests (within
Pic Macaya National Park
Pic Macaya National Park (french: Parc National Pic Macaya) is one of two national parks of the Republic of Haiti. It is located in the country's southern peninsula, within the Massif de la Hotte. Featuring the country's last stand of virgin cl ...
) and are known for endemic plant and reptile species. The
gray-crowned palm-tanager is one of the rare endemic bird species here.
Climate is tropical; mountains in the east cut off trade winds and cause semiarid conditions in some areas. The average annual precipitation is which varies with topography and wind direction.
The island is in the center of the
hurricane belt
Hurricane Alley is an area of warm water in the Atlantic Ocean stretching from the west coast of northern Africa to the east coast of Central America and Gulf Coast of the Southern United States. Many hurricanes form within this area. The sea su ...
and hence experiences severe storms from June to October; occasional floods and
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
s also take place, and in some years
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
s are also experienced.
[
]
Protected areas
The regions of extreme biodiversity in Haiti have been brought under legal law (under legal enactment of June 23, 1983) of protection and preservation of the ecology and the biodiversity of the identified areas. These regions are declared as national parks, and specifically the two large gazetted national parks are the Morne La Visite National Park as part of the Massif de La Selle
In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...
(mountain range) and Pic Macaya National Park
Pic Macaya National Park (french: Parc National Pic Macaya) is one of two national parks of the Republic of Haiti. It is located in the country's southern peninsula, within the Massif de la Hotte. Featuring the country's last stand of virgin cl ...
in the Massif de la Hotte
The Massif de la Hotte is a mountain range in southwestern Haiti, on the Tiburon Peninsula. About 2.5 million years ago, Massif de la Hotte was separated from the Massif de la Selle by a deep, wide sea channel, and formed a separate island. This ...
(hill massif) is also an integral part. Apart from the major aspect of conservation of plants and animals in general, the park administration are also entrusted with the task of preserving the endangered species of mammals such as '' Plagiodontia aedium'' and '' Solenodon paradoxus''. In addition there are two other parks the Pine Forest National Park, in the eastern Massif de la Selle, and the Historic Citadel National Park in the Massif du Nord
The Massif du Nord is the longest mountain range of Haiti.
Geography
The mountain range is located in the northern region of Haiti, in the departments of the and in . The range's altitude varies from . The Plaine-du-Nord lies along the norther ...
. In these four parks no hunting, illegal logging
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corruption, corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, o ...
and transfer of land for any development activity are allowed; however, enforcement of the laws has not been stringent due inadequate funding for maintenance and security arrangements. However, visitors are allowed to see the wild life, the water falls and the general rain forest vistas in these parks.
While the four national parks protect an area of , there are proposals on the anvil to bring 18 more areas of the country under protective cover which encompass an area of another .[
]
La Visite National Park
La Visite National Park covers an area of (established in 1983) along the ridge of the Massif de la Selle
In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...
range between the hill peaks of Morne d’Enfer (elevation ) and Morne Kadenau () with the highest mountain of Pic Cabayo lying within the park rising to an elevation . It is at distance of to the south of Port-au-Prince. According to the floristic survey carried out by Walter S. Judd of the University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, the plants recorded in the park are 326 species of tracheophytes
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...
that includes 262 species of angiosperms
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants ...
, 76 species of mosses, 19 species of liverworts. In addition, the vascular plant
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...
species reported are 112 of which 32% are endemic species to Haiti.[ Reforestation programme has been undertaken since 2011 under which 300,000 seedlings were under planting in memory of the 300,000 people who perished in Haiti in the earthquake of 12 January 2010.][
]
Pic Macaya National Park
The Pic Macaya National Park
Pic Macaya National Park (french: Parc National Pic Macaya) is one of two national parks of the Republic of Haiti. It is located in the country's southern peninsula, within the Massif de la Hotte. Featuring the country's last stand of virgin cl ...
, on the southern peninsula, which is from Port-au-Prince and to the northwest of Les Cayes, has a designated area of that includes a ravine formation located between the mountain peaks of Pic Formon () and Pic Macaya (). The park receives an annual average rainfall of . The Rivere Ravine Sud rises from these mountains and flows through the park. Karst limestone formations and agricultural areas are also part of the park. There are two major types of vegetation in the park – the wet forests on limestone formations (in an elevation range of 800-1200m), and the cloud forest combined with pine forest including endemic plant species. The largest broad leaf trees are of pine some of which are in height. Detailed floristic surveys have recorded 470 species of tracheophytes, which include 367 species of anglosperms, 99 species of mosses, 63 species of liver worts. In addition, the vascular plant species reported are 136, of which 29% are endemic to Haiti.[ Orchids are also found in large numbers. Other wildlife consists of birds and amphibians which are mostly endemic. The most productive agricultural lands of the Plaine de Cayes are within the park area. The park has many trekking paths including to the mountain trek to peak Pic Macaya ().]
Coral reefs
Coral reefs in Haiti cover a stretch of of coast. While it is assessed that the coral reefs are over exploited for fishing, with elkhorn coral
Elkhorn coral (''Acropora palmata'') is an important reef-building coral in the Caribbean. The species has a complex structure with many branches which resemble that of elk antlers; hence, the common name. The branching structure creates habit ...
put on the US Endangered Species List, the reef structure is stated to be stable and the living coral are generally occupy 10% of reefs, and algae and sponge cover about 50%. The fish habitat hosts Caribbean fish species and invertebrate species with the reef structure providing the needed habitat. Use of fish trap, fishing net, spear or line fisherman with their paddle or sailboats are a common sight along the coral reefs. In order to bring the fish yield from the coral reefs to the level of 35 tons per km2 noted in other coral reef regions of the world, the MacArthur Foundation has initiated a project in Haiti to enhance fish production, from its present meager level, through a network of marine protected areas. The project also envisages inculcating knowledge to the Haitians on the economic potential and the need to also monitor the reefs.
Some of the underwater species are 35 species of hard coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...
s in the reefs, 55 species of sponge
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...
s, 12 gorgonians.
Flora
The ecoregions of Haiti include the Hispaniolan moist forests
The Hispaniolan moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Hispaniola. They cover , around 60% of the island's area.
Geography
Moist forests occur on most of the eastern half the Dominican Republic, stretc ...
(about only of undisturbed rainforest), Hispaniolan dry forests
The Hispaniolan dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). They cover , around 20% of the island's area.
Geography
The dry forests are found mostly on ...
, Hispaniolan pine forests
The Hispaniolan pine forests are a subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The ecoregion covers , or about 15% of the island. It lies at elevatio ...
(in parts of the two national parks), Enriquillo wetlands (remnants of an old marine channel), and Greater Antilles mangroves
The Greater Antilles mangroves is a mangrove ecoregion that includes the coastal mangrove forests of the Greater Antilles – Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Geography
Mangroves are estimated to cover 5,569 km in Cuba (or 4.8% of th ...
which cover an area of only .[ Giant tree ]fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
s, orchids
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
, bayahondes (a variety of mesquite
Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus '' Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas.
They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under gr ...
) on the hill slopes, cacti, acacias, and thorny woods on the dry plains, and mangrove forests on the coast line.[
The nation has 300 orchids and 600 fern species.] Mahogany, rose wood and cedar
Cedar may refer to:
Trees and plants
*''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae
*Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar
Places United States
* Cedar, Arizona
* ...
are some of the trees that still exist at higher altitudes.
Fauna
Threatened species
In the Massif de la Hotte alone there are 42 globally threatened mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.[ The coastal zone ecosystem has been fairly well preserved and has coral reefs, mangrove forests and estuaries. Coral reefs are not part of the national parks.] There are 38 species under the threatened and endangered list and some of them may have been extirpated too. Of these, nearly 50% are endemic and threatened with extinction and three are critically threatened. The critically endangered species are black-capped petrel
The black-capped petrel (''Pterodroma hasitata''), also known as the diablotín, is a small seabird native to the West Indies in the genus '' Pterodroma''. It is a long-winged petrel with a grey-brown back and wings, with a white nape and rump. ...
, Ridgway's hawk
Ridgway's hawk (''Buteo ridgwayi'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae endemic to the island of Hispaniola (both Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean. It is classified as Critically Endangered because of habitat destructi ...
(also endemic), stygian owl
The stygian owl (''Asio stygius'') is a medium-sized "typical owl" in subfamily Striginae. It is found in Mexico, parts of Central America, Cuba, Hispaniola, and 10 countries in South America.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ''Handbook of ...
, and western chat-tanager
The western chat-tanager (''Calyptophilus tertius'') is a Vulnerable species of passerine bird belonging to the family Calyptophilidae. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Taxonomy ...
and eastern chat-tanager
The eastern chat-tanager (''Calyptophilus frugivorus'') is a Near Threatened species of passerine bird belonging to the family Calyptophilidae. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic; it is possibly extirpated fr ...
, both endemic.
Avifauna
Etang Saumâtre has over 100 waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...
species as well as flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbea ...
. There are over 200 species of avifauna, including the palmchat
The palmchat (''Dulus dominicus'') is a small, long-tailed passerine bird, the only species in the genus ''Dulus'' and the family Dulidae endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). It is rela ...
, La Selle thrush
The La Selle thrush (''Turdus swalesi'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). A skulker of broadleaf and pine forests around 1300m, it is l ...
, introduced guineafowl
Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched ...
, and grey-crowned tanager which is unique to Haiti.
BirdLife International has identified 10 Important Bird Areas in Haiti, which cover about (1% of land area of Haiti). Of these, five are located in the four protected areas system while the other five are yet to be initiated. The prominent near threatened species is the grey-crowned palm-tanager (''Phaenicophilus poliocephalus''). As of 2013, the bird species identified are 266 of which globally threatened are 14, 2 are endemic. and nine introduced species. The species which are critically threatened, near threatened, endangered and vulnerable category are the following. Hispaniolan trogon
The Hispaniolan trogon (''Priotelus roseigaster'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It
is endemic to Hispaniola (both Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean. It is one of the only two trogon species found in the Caribbea ...
(''Priotelus roseigaster'') is endemic, near threatened according to Red List IUCN and is the national bird of Haiti.
;Critically endangered
* Ridgway's hawk
Ridgway's hawk (''Buteo ridgwayi'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae endemic to the island of Hispaniola (both Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean. It is classified as Critically Endangered because of habitat destructi ...
(''Buteo ridgwayi'')
;Endangerered
* Bay-breasted cuckoo
The bay-breasted cuckoo (''Coccyzus rufigularis'') is an Endangered species of bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispanio ...
(''Coccyzus rufigularis'')
* La Selle thrush
The La Selle thrush (''Turdus swalesi'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). A skulker of broadleaf and pine forests around 1300m, it is l ...
(''Turdus swalesi'')
* Hispaniolan crossbill
The Hispaniolan crossbill (''Loxia megaplaga'') is a crossbill that is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and the only representative of the ''Loxia'' genus in the Caribbean.
Taxonomy & evol ...
(''Loxia megaplaga'')
;Near-threatened
* Northern bobwhite
The northern bobwhite (''Colinus virginianus''), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in th ...
(''Colinus virginianus'')
* Reddish egret
The reddish egret (''Egretta rufescens'') is a medium-sized heron that is a resident breeder in Central America, The Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Gulf Coast of the United States (primarily Texas), and Mexico. The egret is known for its unusual ...
(''Egretta rufescens'')
* Piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'')
* Semipalmated sandpiper
The semipalmated sandpiper (''Calidris pusilla'') is a very small shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''pusilla'' is Lati ...
(''Calidris alba'')
* Buff-breasted sandpiper
The buff-breasted sandpiper (''Calidris subruficollis'') is a small wader, shorebird. The species name ''subruficollis'' is from Latin ''subrufus'', "reddish" (from ''sub'', "somewhat", and ''rufus'', "rufous") and ''collis'', "-necked/-throated" ...
(''Tryngites subruficollis'')
* White-crowned pigeon
The white-crowned pigeon (''Patagioenas leucocephala'') is a fruit and seed-eating species of bird in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. It is found primarily in the Caribbean.
John James Audubon painted these pigeons, including the waterco ...
(''Patagioenas leucocephala'')
* Plain pigeon
The plain pigeon (''Patagioenas inornata'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in the four Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola (in the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Its natural habitats are fores ...
(''Patagioenas inornata'')
* Least pauraque
The least poorwill or least pauraque (''Siphonorhis brewsteri'') is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae, and the only confirmed extant species of its genus. It is Endemism, endemic to the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by ...
(''Siphonorhis brewsteri'')
* Chimney swift
The chimney swift (''Chaetura pelagica'') is a bird belonging to the swift family Apodidae. A member of the genus ''Chaetura'', it is closely related to both the Vaux's swift and the Chapman's swift; in the past, the three were sometimes consider ...
(''Chaetura pelagica'')
* Hispaniolan trogon
The Hispaniolan trogon (''Priotelus roseigaster'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It
is endemic to Hispaniola (both Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean. It is one of the only two trogon species found in the Caribbea ...
(''Priotelus roseigaster'')
* Palm crow
The palm crow (''Corvus palmarum'') is a relatively small corvid that occurs on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola ( Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Cuba, where it was formerly very frequent, but is now reduced in population.
Taxonomy
Th ...
(''Corvus palmarum'')
* Golden-winged warbler
The golden-winged warbler (''Vermivora chrysoptera'') is a New World warbler. It breeds in southeastern and south-central Canada and in the Appalachian Mountains in northeastern to north-central United States. The majority (~70%) of the global pop ...
(''Vermivora chrysoptera'')
* Gray-crowned palm-tanager (''Phaenicophilus poliocephalus'')
;Vulnerable
* West Indian whistling-duck
The West Indian whistling duck (''Dendrocygna arborea'') is a whistling duck that breeds in the Caribbean. Alternative names are black-billed whistling duck and Cuban whistling duck.
Distribution
The West Indian whistling duck is widely scatter ...
(''Dendrocygna arborea'')
* Hispaniolan parakeet
The Hispaniolan parakeet (''Psittacara chloropterus'') (Spanish: ''perico'' or ''periquito''), colloquially known as xaxabí, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae that is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominica ...
(''Aratinga chloroptera'')
* Hispaniolan parrot
The Hispaniolan amazon or Hispaniolan parrot (''Amazona ventralis''), colloquially known as cuca, is a species of Amazon parrot in the family Psittacidae
The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrot ...
(''Amazona ventralis'')
* White-necked crow
The white-necked crow (''Corvus leucognaphalus'') is the largest of the four Caribbean corvids. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic); it was formerly also extant on Puerto Rico, but has been ...
(''Corvus leucognaphalus'')
* Golden swallow (''Tachycineta euchrysea'')
* Bicknell's thrush
Bicknell's thrush (''Catharus bicknelli'') is a medium-sized thrush, at and . One of North America's rarest and most localized breeders, it inhabits coniferous mountain tops and disturbed habitats of the Northeast. While very similar in appeara ...
(''Catharus bicknelli'')
* White-winged warbler
The white-winged warbler (''Xenoligea montana''), also called the white-winged ground-warbler, is a Vulnerable species of bird of the family Phaenicophilidae, the Hispaniolan tanagers. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola which is shared ...
(''Xenoligea montana'')
Reptiles
The American crocodile
The American crocodile (''Crocodylus acutus'') is a species of crocodilian found in the Neotropics. It is the most widespread of the four extant species of crocodiles from the Americas, with populations present from South Florida and the coasts ...
is reported at Etang Saumâtre. Caimans are also reported in the rivers in the southern part of the peninsula.[ ]Snake charming
Snake charming is the practice of appearing to hypnotize a snake (often a cobra) by playing and waving around an instrument called a pungi. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerou ...
is an active trade in Haiti, and wild snakes are often hunted in the country.
Amphibians
Six species of amphibians (frogs) have been reported. These are: Hispaniolan ventriloquial frog, Macaya breast-spot frog, La Hotte glanded frog, Macaya burrowing frog, Mozart's frog and Hispaniolan crowned frog. However, La Selle grass frog, the reportedly extinct species, has not been traced. The endemic frogs species are found in the remote southern mountains of Haiti and are considered "a ‘barometer species’ for ecological health" of the island country.
Molluscs
A certain species of tree snail in Haiti can only survive on a specific type of tree in the country. Such snails, such as the candy-stripe tree snail, are "so admired for their beauty".
See also
References
{{Reflist, 2
Fauna of Haiti
Haiti