Coastal dry tropical forests in Florida and the Caribbean in peril: A review

• Published in: Biotropica Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 185 - 197
• Main Authors: Freeman, Kaylee, Subedi, Suresh C., Ross, Michael S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Bahamas; Caribbean; Caribbean forests; coasts; Conservation; Dry forests; Endangered species; Florida; Forests; Fresh water; Freshwater; Freshwater environments; freshwater system; Habitat fragmentation; Hurricanes; hurricanes and storms; Inland water environment; Land use; land use change; Life span; Limestone; longevity; Protected areas; Puerto Rico; Rare species; risk; Risk assessment; Salinity tolerance; Salinization; Salt tolerance; salt‐water intrusion; Sea level; Sea level changes; Sea level rise; Storm surges; Storms; Substrates; threatened forests; Tropical forests; Urbanization; Wildlife conservation; Caribbean area; Puerto Rico; Caribbean; Florida; Bahamas
• ISSN: 0006-3606; 1744-7429
• DOI: 10.1111/btp.13285

Coastal dry tropical forests (CDTFs) are important yet vulnerable ecosystems. In this paper, we highlight the special conservation issues facing CDTFs by focusing on one variant of the type, those that occupy limestone substrate in the northeastern Caribbean. Our analysis draws largely from the coastal terrestrial broadleaf forests of the northern Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and southwestern Puerto Rico. Based on the surveys of storm surge recorded during major hurricanes during the last 50 years, we define CDTFs as coastal terrestrial broadleaf forests on ground surfaces elevated up to 5 m above sea level and occurring within 5 km of the coast. These forests are not only threatened by land‐use change from urbanization but also climate‐driven sea level rise (SLR) and hurricanes, which have degraded them and reduced their extent. CDTFs are distinguished from other dry tropical forests by the occasional influence of marine water incursion during periodic storms, requiring species common to these forests to have some level of salt tolerance despite experiencing well‐drained, fresh water conditions during most of their life span. With precipitation being the sole freshwater source for most CDTFs, SLR and the resulting salinization in the rooting zone subjects these forests to increasingly stressful conditions. Hence, even a modest rise in sea level can push numerous imperiled and endangered species and coastal terrestrial broadleaf communities to the edge of their tolerance, causing a decline in extent or their complete disappearance. Outside of protected areas, rapid urbanization has fragmented these forests and reduced their extent, which in turn have modified the interaction between rising seas and forest function. This work emphasizes the need for refined risk assessments to be completed and for conservation measures to be enforced so that resources can be directed appropriately to prevent further loss of CDTFs. in Spanish is available with online material. Based on surveys of storm surge recorded during major hurricanes during the last 50 years, we define coastal dry tropical forests (CDTFs) as coastal terrestrial broadleaf forests on ground surfaces elevated up to 5 m above sea level and occurring within 5 km of the coast. These forests are not only threatened by land‐use change from urbanization but also climate‐driven sea level rise (SLR) and hurricanes, which have degraded them and reduced their extent. CDTFs are distinguished from other dry tropical forests by the occasional influence of marine water incursion during periodic storms, requiring species common to these forests to have some level of salt tolerance despite experiencing well‐drained, fresh water conditions during most of their life span.