Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve, Dominican Republic Photograph by WWF/Mauri Rautkari   Caribbean: Haiti and Dominican Republic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   17,800 square miles (46,000 square kilometers) -- about the size of Maryland and Massachusetts combined Critical/Endangered

· A Unique Caribbean Isle
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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A Unique Caribbean Isle

Hispaniola -- the Caribbean island that contains Haiti and the Dominican Republic -- is home to a variety of moist forest types. The flora of Hispaniola is the second most diverse of all the Caribbean Islands, and levels of endemism are high on the island. Wildlife, including giant tree frogs and flower bats, thrives in this lush, moist forest, making this ecoregion an interesting one to visit.

Special Features

The Hispaniolan Moist Forests ecoregion is made up of a variety of habitat types, including semi-deciduous forests, broadleaved evergreen forests, cloud forests high in the mountains, and elfin woodlands at the highest elevations. The wettest areas of the ecoregion tend to be highest in biodiversity and endemic species.

	Eighty percent of Haiti is covered by mountain ranges. Millions of years ago, sea channels that passed through the present-day valleys separated mountain ranges on Hispaniola. This geographical separation resulted in each mountain range developing its own unique flora and fauna.

Wild Side

Birds, bats, and other wildlife make the Hispaniolan Moist Forests a wildlife-loverâs paradise. The solenodon÷an endemic mammal that has a long, unusual snout and resembles a large shrew÷can be found here feeding on eggs, lizards, frogs, snakes, spiders, and plants. This rare and reclusive animal is a major conservation priority in Haiti. Hutias÷large, rodent-like animals÷can also be found in most habitats in Hispaniola. Colorful birds inhabit the forests here as well. The Hispaniolan parrot is green with a white forehead and dark red belly. The La Selle thrush, also found in the mountains, has a dark head, back, and wings, offset by a red-orange belly. The Hispaniolan trogan can be recognized by its glossy green upperparts, red belly, and long blue tail. Eighteen of the 20 native mammals on Hispaniola are bats. One endangered bat, the Cuban flower bat, roosts in groups of hundreds or even thousands. They are found in caves in forest areas, where they feed on fruit, pollen, nectar, and insects.

Cause for Concern

Logging, firewood gathering, expanding agricultural areas, and livestock grazing threaten the habitats of the Hispaniolan Moist Forests. Hunting is also a threat to several species in the ecoregion.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.