Eusebio Cano^*, Alverto Veloz, Ana Cano-Ortiz

Show more
Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, (Botany), University of Jaen, Jaen, Spain.
Botanical National Garden Rafael Ma, Moscoso of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Department of Sustainability Interra, Resources and Engineering SL, Plaza of Spain, Salamanca, Spain.
Show less

Abstract: This article presents a study of the cloud forest dominated by the Prestoea montana (R. Graham) Nichols. This is a hyperhumid forest located in ravines and shaded areas with cloud condensation, and at heights ranging from 350 - 1250 masl. This type of forest is always found in thermal and mesotropical belts, without ever reaching the supratropical belt. This study was based on works published by other authors and on our own field sampling. The article begins by describing the geological, bioclimatic, biogeographic and floristic aspects of the areas in the study, specifically the hyperhumid areas in the central and eastern mountains. Due to the scarcity of phytosociological works on this area, we apply a statistical treatment to compare our communities with other associations described in Cuba. This comparison reveals that these forest groups are floristically quite distant from each other, both with regard to alliance and association species. We therefore propose two new communities: Cyathea furfuracea Baker and Prestoea montana (Grah.) Nichol; Ormosia krugii Urb. and Prestoea montana (Grah.) Nichol.

Keywords: Cloud Forest, Hispaniola, Communitiy, Central and Eastern Ranges

Cite this paper: Cano, E. , Veloz, A. and Cano-Ortiz, A. (2014) Rain Forests in Subtropical Mountains of Dominican Republic. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 5, 1459-1466. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2014.510161.

References

[1]   Mollat, H., Wagner, B.M., Cepek, P. and Weiss, W. (2004) Geological Map of the Dominican Republic 1:250,000. Geolog. Jahrb., Hannover.

[2]   Cano, E., Veloz Ramirez, A., Cano Ortiz, A. and Esteban Ruiz, F.J. (2009) Distribution of Central American Melastomataceae: Biogeographical Análisis of the Caribbean Islands. Acta Botanica Gallica, 156, 527-557.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12538078.2009.10516176

[3]   Cano, E., Veloz Ramirez, A. and Cano Ortiz, A. (2010) Contribution to the Biogeography of the Hispaniola (Dominican Republic, Haiti). Acta Botanica Gallica, 157, 581-598.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12538078.2010.10516233

[4]   Cano, E., Veloz Ramirez, A. and Cano Ortiz, A. (2011) Phytosociological Study of the Pinus occidentalis Forests in the Dominican Republic. Plant Biosystems, 145, 286-297.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2010.547685

[5]   Cano, E., Cano Ortiz, A., Del Río González, S., Alatorre Cobos, J. and Veloz, A. (2012) Bioclimatic Map of the Dominican Republic. Plant Sociology, 49, 81-90.

[6]   Rivas-Martínez, S., Sánchez Mata, D. and Costa, M. (1999) North American Boreal and Western Temperate Forest Vegetation. Syntaxonomical Synopsis of the Potential Natural Plant Communities of North America, II. Itinera Geobotanica, 12, 5-326.

[7]   Rivas-Martínez, S., Navarro, G., Penas, A. and Costa, M. (2011) Biogeographic Map of South America. A Preliminary Survey. International Journal of Geobotanical Reserarch, 1, 21-40.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5616/ijgr110002

[8]   García, R., Mejía, M. and Zanoni, T. (1994) Floristic Composition and Main Plant Associations in Evano Verde Scientific Reserve, Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 8, 86-130.

[9]   Guerrero, A., Jiménez, F., Höner, D. and Zanoni, T. (1997) The Flora and Vegetation of the Hill Barbecue, Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 9, 84-116.

[10]   Hager, J. and Zanoni, Th. (1993) The Natural Vegetation of the Dominican Republic: A New Classification. Moscosoa, 7, 39-81.

[11]   Höner, D. and Jiménez, F. (1994) Vascular Flora and Vegetation of the Hill Horseshoe, Cordillera Oriental, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 8, 65-85.

[12]   May, T. (1997) Early Stages of Succession in a Cloud Forest of Magnolia pallescens after Fire (Loma Casabito, Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve, Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic). Moscosoa, 9, 117-144.

[13]   May, T. and Peguero, B. (2000) Flora and Vegetation of the Hill Mogote, Jarabacoa, Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 11, 11-37.

[14]   Mejía, M. and Jiménez, F. (1998) Flora and Vegetation of the Hill the Humeadora, Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 10, 10-46.

[15]   Mejía, M., García, R. and Jiménez, F. (2000) Sub-Region Fitogeográfica Barbecoa-Casabito: Floristic Richness and Its Importance in the Conservation of the Flora of the Spanish Island. Moscosoa, 11, 57-106.

[16]   Slocum, M.G., Mitchell Aide, T., Zimmerman, J.K. and Navarro, L. (2004) Natural Regeneration of Subtropical Montane Forest after Clearing Fern Thickets in the Dominican Republic. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 20, 483-486.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0266467404001646

[17]   Zanoni, T. (1990) The Flora and Vegetation of Hill Diego de Ocampo, Cordillera Septentrional, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 6, 19-45.

[18]   Zanoni, T., Mejía, M.M., Pimentel, J.D. and García, R.G. (1990) The Flora and Vegetation of the Haïtises, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 6, 46-97.

[19]   Cano, E. and Veloz, A. (2012) Contribution to the Knowledge of the Plant Communities of the Caribbean-Cibensean Sector in the Dominican Republic. Acta Botanica Gallica, 159, 201-210.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12538078.2012.696933

[20]   Lugo, A.E., Francis, J.K. and Frangi, J.L. (1998) Prestoea montana (R. Graham) Nichols. Sierra Palm. SO-ITF-SM-82, US. Department o Agriculter, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experimental Station, New Orleans, 420-450.

[21]   Borhidi, A. (1991) Phytogeography and Vegetation Ecology of Cuba. Academiai Kiado, Budapest.

[22]   Reyes, O.J. (2005) Study Synecological Submontane Rainforests on Metamorphic Rocks of the Complex. Foresta Veracruzana, 7, 15-22.

[23]   Reyes, O.J. and Acosta Cantillo, F. (2010) Phytocoenoses in the Evergreen Forests of Eastern Cuba. I. Ocoteo-Phoebietum elongatae in the Limestone Hills of the Great Plateau of Guantánamo. Foresta Veracruzana, 12, 9-16.

[24]   Reyes, O.J. and Acosta Cantillo, F. (2010) Phytocoenoses in the Evergreen Forests of Eastern Cuba. II. Guareo guidoniae-Zanthoxyletum martinicensis in Sagua Baracoa. Foresta Veracruzana, 12, 1-6.

[25]   Reyes, O.J. and Acosta Cantillo, F. (2011) Phytocoenoses in the Evergreen Forests of Eastern Cuba. III. Pruno-Guareetum guidoniae in the Sierra Maestra. Foresta Veracruzana, 13, 1-6.

[26]   Rivas-Martínez, S. (2005) Notions on Dynamic-Catenal Phytosociology as a Basis of Landscape Science. Plant Bio-systems, 139, 135-144.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11263500500193790

[27]   Van der Maarel, E. (1979) Transformation of Cover-Abundance Values in Phytosociology and Its Effects on Community Similarity. Vegetatio, 39, 97-114.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00052021

[28]   Rivas-Martínez, S. and Loidi, J. (1999) Bioclimatology of the Iberian Peninsula. Itinera Geobotanica, 13, 41-47.

[29]   Rivas-Martínez, S. (2004) Biogeographic, Bioclimatic and Vegetation Synopsis of North America. Fitosociología, 41, 19-52.

[30]   Galán de Mera, A. (2005) Phytosociological Classification of the Vegetation of the Caribbean and South America. Arnaldoa, 12, 86-111.

[31]   Galán de Mera, A. and Vicente Orellana, J.A. (2006) Approach to Syntaxonomical Scheme Vegetation Caribbean and South America. Anales de Biología, 28, 3-27.

[32]   Collevatti, R.J., Lima-Ribeiro, M.S., F. Diniz-Filho, J.A., Oliveira, G., Dobrovolski, R. and Terribile, L.C. (2013) Stability of Brazilian Seasonally Dry Forest under Climate Change: Interferences for Long-Term Conservation. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 4, 792-805.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2013.44098

[33]   Lippok, D., Walter, F., Hensen, I., Beck, S.G. and Schleuning, M. (2013) Effects of Disturbance and Altitude on Soil Seed Banks of Tropical Montane Forests. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 29, 523-529.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0266467413000667

[34]   Durigon, J., Milena Durán, S. and Gianoli, E. (2013) Global Distribution of Root Climbers Is Positively Associated with Precipitation and Negatively Associated with Seasonality. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 29, 357-360.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0266467413000308

[35]   Mejía, M., Pimentel, J. and García, R. (2011) Trees and Shrubs of the Karst Region Haïtises, Dominican Republic. Moscosoa, 17, 90-114.

[36]   Cano, E., Cano Ortiz, A. and Veloz, A. (2014) Contribution to the Knowledge of the Edaphoxerophilous Communities of the Samana Peninsula (Dominican Republic). Plant Sociology, 51, in press.