Climate and Vegetation
Climate: The average annual rainfall usually varies between 1,000 mm and 2,000 mm. Hurricanes visit from about June to November with maximum frequency in September. Precipitation is highest during the summer. The higher in elevation, the wetter the forest. The forest becomes drier near the coast. It is under dominance of the trade winds throughout the year with the strongest easterly winds during the wintertime. The average temperature in the forest is around 25 degrees Celsius. Because the ocean surface controls much of the island's temperature, there is little regional climatic differences although some do exist with increased distance from the coast.
Vegetation:
Originally, dry forests of Cuba accounted for more than half of the island’s vegetation—located in numerous regions from west to east, on plains and coastal regions, hills and mountains, from sea level to higher elevations. Dry forests exist as a result of the influence of climate and soil—they have little ability to retain water. The forests develop on soils that may be limestones or acid, poorly-drained, culminicola or sepentinites.
Many types of dry forests in Western Cuba are manifested based on three factors: water availability, soil, and altitude. Classification of these deciduous forests begins with identifying the principal tree species as either evergreen or semi-deciduous (Bisse 1988, Habitats terrestres Cuba 1997).
A main characteristic of the evergreen forest is that most of its trees do not lose their leaves (more than 70%). It is classified based on the predominating leaf length (mesophilous vs. microphyllous) in the area. The mesophilous forest is low-laying or submontane with tall arboreal stories and trees growing as high as 15-30 m with shrubs, grasses, epiphytes and lianas. The microphyllous evergreen forest is located coastal and subcostally. It is characterized by its development on limestone. It contains both evergreens and deciduous trees growing from 5-15 m high and contains throny shrubs, succulents, herbaceae, epiphytes and dry lianas.
The semi-deciduous (sub-evergreen) forests are characterized by having about half evergreen or deciduous trees within them. Also found in these forests are shrubs, epiphytes, herbaceae and plentiful climbers. These forests are further classified into the typical mesophilous semi-deciduous forest and the mesophilous forest with fluctuating moisture. The typical mesophilous semi-deciduous forest contains trees with leaves that are 13-26 cm in length. It is composed of three arboreal stories reaching 15-25 m high. The upper story contains deciduous elements and may have emergent species and palms up to 30 and 25 m high respectively. The lower story contains deciduous and schlerophyllous evergreen trees. This forest is found over brown soils in the plans of central and eastern Cuba. The abundant summer rain results in rapid growth of this forest. The mesophilous semi-deciduous forest with fluctuating moisture contains an arboreal story 8-15 m tall with undergrowth of microphyllous and thorny deciduous species. It also contains a rich herbaceous layer produced by numerous geophytes.
Mogote is another type of dry forest that is composed of complex plans with both semi-deciduous and evergreen forests. These are located in the mountains in eastern and central-eastern Cuba, and grow 5-10 m high discontinuously on karstic limestone. Mogotes are drier in the eastern zone.
Subarboreal to latifoliate bushy vegetation classic of serpentinites and transitional areas between dry forests and xeric scrublands is subdivided into wet schlerophyllous low forest (charrascal) and dry schlerophyllous low forests (caubal). The dry schlerophyllous low forests grow up to 8-10 m tall with an abundance of species containing small, hard, thorny leaves and palms.
These forests originally occupied more than 50% of Cuba, and now only cover 10%. The majority of this ecoregion has been substituted with anthropic vegetation or savannah. Most of its original vegetation has been lost, impeding the spread of these organisms. There are efforts to preserve these forests via habitat blocks and protected areas, but the majority of this ecoregion remains unprotected. The region continues to be threatened by forestry operations, charcoal production, and slash and burn agriculture.
Vegetation:
Originally, dry forests of Cuba accounted for more than half of the island’s vegetation—located in numerous regions from west to east, on plains and coastal regions, hills and mountains, from sea level to higher elevations. Dry forests exist as a result of the influence of climate and soil—they have little ability to retain water. The forests develop on soils that may be limestones or acid, poorly-drained, culminicola or sepentinites.
Many types of dry forests in Western Cuba are manifested based on three factors: water availability, soil, and altitude. Classification of these deciduous forests begins with identifying the principal tree species as either evergreen or semi-deciduous (Bisse 1988, Habitats terrestres Cuba 1997).
A main characteristic of the evergreen forest is that most of its trees do not lose their leaves (more than 70%). It is classified based on the predominating leaf length (mesophilous vs. microphyllous) in the area. The mesophilous forest is low-laying or submontane with tall arboreal stories and trees growing as high as 15-30 m with shrubs, grasses, epiphytes and lianas. The microphyllous evergreen forest is located coastal and subcostally. It is characterized by its development on limestone. It contains both evergreens and deciduous trees growing from 5-15 m high and contains throny shrubs, succulents, herbaceae, epiphytes and dry lianas.
The semi-deciduous (sub-evergreen) forests are characterized by having about half evergreen or deciduous trees within them. Also found in these forests are shrubs, epiphytes, herbaceae and plentiful climbers. These forests are further classified into the typical mesophilous semi-deciduous forest and the mesophilous forest with fluctuating moisture. The typical mesophilous semi-deciduous forest contains trees with leaves that are 13-26 cm in length. It is composed of three arboreal stories reaching 15-25 m high. The upper story contains deciduous elements and may have emergent species and palms up to 30 and 25 m high respectively. The lower story contains deciduous and schlerophyllous evergreen trees. This forest is found over brown soils in the plans of central and eastern Cuba. The abundant summer rain results in rapid growth of this forest. The mesophilous semi-deciduous forest with fluctuating moisture contains an arboreal story 8-15 m tall with undergrowth of microphyllous and thorny deciduous species. It also contains a rich herbaceous layer produced by numerous geophytes.
Mogote is another type of dry forest that is composed of complex plans with both semi-deciduous and evergreen forests. These are located in the mountains in eastern and central-eastern Cuba, and grow 5-10 m high discontinuously on karstic limestone. Mogotes are drier in the eastern zone.
Subarboreal to latifoliate bushy vegetation classic of serpentinites and transitional areas between dry forests and xeric scrublands is subdivided into wet schlerophyllous low forest (charrascal) and dry schlerophyllous low forests (caubal). The dry schlerophyllous low forests grow up to 8-10 m tall with an abundance of species containing small, hard, thorny leaves and palms.
These forests originally occupied more than 50% of Cuba, and now only cover 10%. The majority of this ecoregion has been substituted with anthropic vegetation or savannah. Most of its original vegetation has been lost, impeding the spread of these organisms. There are efforts to preserve these forests via habitat blocks and protected areas, but the majority of this ecoregion remains unprotected. The region continues to be threatened by forestry operations, charcoal production, and slash and burn agriculture.