Content deleted Content added
m Importing Wikidata short description: "Plants endemic to Belize" |
|||
(35 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Plants endemic to Belize}}
The '''flora of Belize''' is highly diverse by regional standards, given the country's small geographical extent. Situated on the Caribbean coast of northern [[Central America]] the flora and vegetation have been intimately intertwined with Belize's history. The nation itself grew out of British timber extraction activities from the 17th century onwards, at first for [[logwood]] (''Haematoxylum campechianum'') and later for [[mahogany]] (''[[
==Vegetation types==
The vegetation of Belize was first systematically surveyed in the 1930s.<ref>Standley, P.C. and Record, S.J. 1936. The forests and flora of British Honduras. Fieldiana, Bot. 12: 1-432</ref> Recent mapping projects have employed the following principal terrestrial and coastal categories of native vegetation:<ref>
* '''lowland broad-leaved forest'''. This is a diverse forest type in Belize, now greatly reduced in extent by clearance for agricultural land. It includes such tropical tree species as ''[[Simarouba glauca]]'', ''[[
[[Image:Acoeloraphe.JPG|thumb|right|''[[
* '''lowland savanna'''. This is an important vegetation type in northern Belize, in which scattered trees occur in "short grass" (actually mainly sedges). Savanna is maintained as open vegetation by a combination of wet-season flooding, dry-season drought and fire. Typical trees include: ''[[Acoelorraphe wrightii]]'', ''[[
* '''lowland pine forest''' or pine savanna (open forest mainly composed of [[Pinus caribaea|''Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis'']] with shrubs such as the rough-leaved "sandpaper tree" (''Curatella americana'').
[[Image:Curatella.JPG|thumb|
* '''submontane pine forest''' (with ''[[Pinus ayacahuite]]'', ''[[Pinus oocarpa]]'' and ''[[Pinus rudis]]'' together with some broadleaved species)
* '''submontane broadleaved forest'''. Characteristic vegetation of the Maya Mountain massif above 500m. Typical species include ''[[
* '''mangrove and littoral forest'''. Ecologically important vegetation type of the coastal cayes. Several species of mangrove are involved including: red mangrove (''[[Rhizophora mangle]]''),
* '''seagrass beds'''. Sandy bays often have extensive mats of [[seagrass]]. There are several different types in Belize: [[turtle grass]] (''[[Thalassia testudinum]]'' in the [[Hydrocharitaceae]]), [[manatee seagrass]] (''[[Syringodium filiforme]]'' in the [[Cymodoceaceae]]), [[duckweed seagrass]]es (''[[Halodule]]'' spp in the [[Cymodoceaceae]]).
* '''riparian shrubland'''. This is a mixed vegetation type, of shrubs and small trees with grasses and sedges, found along watercourses. Typical species include ''[[Schizolobium
==Plant conservation and forest reserves==
Although [[deforestation]] continues to be a threat to Belize's natural environment<ref name="Servir">Cherrington, E.A., Ek, E., Cho, P., Howell, B.F., Hernandez, B.E., Anderson, E.R., Flores, A.I., Garcia, B.C., Sempris, E., and D.E. Irwin. (2010)
* [[Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary]] - established in 1990 as a result of the studies of the biology of the [[jaguar]] by [[Alan Rabinowitz]]. Although initially established for jaguar conservation it is very important for plant conservation.
* [[Guanacaste National Park (Belize)|Guanacaste National park]] - approximately fifty acres of tropical forest reserve in the Cayo District of Belize. The signature tree of the reserve is the Guanacaste (''[[Enterolobium cyclocarpum]]'') of which several giant specimens may be found.
* [[Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve]] - a forest reserve of {{convert|6750|acre|km2|0}}, in the [[Maya Mountains]] with rugged ([[karst]]) relief and relatively undisturbed subtropical moist forest.
In addition to the above there are numerous other important forest reserves such as:
* Chiquibul Forest Reserve (CFR)
[[Image:Chamaedorea oblongata3.jpg|thumb|right|''[[
There are numerous conservation challenges in Belize. One is the extensive recent illegal cutting of the [[Understory|understorey]]
<!--Is the Government of Belize doing a good job with its conservation efforts? -->
==Forests and Deforestation==
A [[remote sensing]] study conducted by the
A similar study Belize had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 6.15/10, ranking it 85th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Mangroves==
While many
A recent study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) With uncertainty regarding actual rates of clearing of Belize's mangrove ecosystems, a recent study<ref>Cherrington, E.A., Hernandez, B.E., Trejos, N.A., Smith, O.A., Anderson, E.R., Flores, A.I., and B.C. Garcia. 2010. "Identification of Threatened and Resilient Mangroves in the Belize Barrier Reef System." Technical report to the World Wildlife Fund. Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) / Regional Visualization & Monitoring System (SERVIR). 28 pp. {{cite web|url=http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-07-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731035556/http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf |archive-date=2013-07-31 }}</ref> funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has clarified the situation, making use of [[Landsat]] [[satellite imagery]] to comprehensively examine Belize's mangrove cover. That study, which spanned the thirty years from 1980–2010 and was based on the earlier work of mangrove researcher Simon Zisman,<ref>Zisman, S.A. 1998. "Sustainability or Status Quo: Elite Influence and the Political Ecology of Mangrove Exploitation in Belize." Doctoral dissertation, Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh, Scotland</ref> was conducted by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) and found that in 2010, mangroves covered some 184,548 acres (74,684 hectares) or 3.4% of Belize's territory. By contrast, it is estimated that in 1980 mangrove cover stood at 188,417 acres (76,250 hectares) - also 3.4% of Belize's territory. Based on Zisman, it is also estimated that Belize's mangrove cover in 1980 represented 98.7% of the pre-colonial extent of those ecosystems. Belize's mangrove cover in 2010 was thus estimated to represent 96.7% of the pre-colonial cover. Where the 2010 update of the World Mangrove Atlas also indicated that a fifth of the world's mangrove ecosystems have been lost since 1980,<ref>The Nature Conservancy (TNC). 2010a. ""World Atlas of Mangroves" Highlights the Importance of and Threats to Mangroves: Mangroves among World's Most Valuable Ecosystems." Press release. Arlington, Virginia. http://www.nature.org/pressroom/press/press4573.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717013054/http://www.nature.org/pressroom/press/press4573.html |date=2010-07-17 }}</ref> the case of Belize's mangroves thus stands in stark contrast to the global picture.
== Trees ==
As well as logwood (''[[Haematoxylon campechianum]]'') and mahogany (''[[
==Orchids==
Belize has a rich array (some 300 species) of native orchids<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Kim |date=10 February 2012 |title=Belize Flora (and fauna) |url=https://aviatrixkim.com/2012/02/10/belize-flora-and-fauna/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925193806/https://aviatrixkim.com/2012/02/10/belize-flora-and-fauna/ |archive-date=25 September 2020 |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=The Greenery}}</ref> including [[Encyclia cochleata|''Encyclia cochleata var. cochleata'']], the so-called "black orchid".<ref>Williams, L.O. (1956). An enumeration of the Orchidaceae of Central
==Palms==
Belizean vegetation is characterized by numerous species of [[Arecaceae|palms]] including the palmettos of the savanna, [[silver palmetto]] (''[[Schippia concolor]]''), palmetto (''[[
==See also==
Line 52 ⟶ 61:
==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Hodel|first=D|year=1992|title=Chamaedorea palms|publisher=Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20130729135101/http://www.servir.net/servir_bz_forest_cover_1980-2010.pdf Forest Cover and Deforestation in Belize: 1980-2010]'' [https://web.archive.org/web/19991125164145/http://www.cathalac.org/ CATHALAC] / [http://www.nasa.gov NASA] / [https://web.archive.org/web/20130219074658/http://www.mnrei.gov.bz/ Belize Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment] / [http://www.servir.net SERVIR]. August 2010.
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20130731035556/http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf Identification of Threatened and Resilient Mangroves in the Belize Barrier Reef System]'' [http://www.cathalac.org CATHALAC] / [
==External links==
*[
*[http://biodiversity.bz/ ''Biodiversity & Environmental Resource Data System of Belize (BERDS)'']
*[http://www.nybg.org/bsci/belize/ ''Ethnobotany and floristics of Belize'']
Line 65 ⟶ 74:
{{North America in topic|Flora of}}
[[Category:Flora of Belize| ]]
[[Category:Environment of Belize]]
|