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* '''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 ''[[Podocarpus|Podocarpus guatemalensis]]'', ''[[Swietenia|Swietenia macrophylla]]'', ''[[Terminalia amazonia]]'', ''[[Virola|Virola brachycarpa]]'', and the palm ''[[Astrocaryum|Astrocaryum mexicanum]]''.
* '''mangrove and littoral forest'''. Ecologically important vegetation type of the coastal cayes. Several species of mangrove are involved including: red mangrove (''[[Rhizophora mangle]]''), black mangrove (''[[Avicennia germinans]]'') and white mangrove (''[[Laguncularia racemosa]]''). In addition the [[Conocarpus|buttonwood]] (''[[Conocarpus erectus]]'') although not a true mangrove is often associated with mangroves in littoral forest. Also see the section on [[
* '''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|Schizolobium parahybum]]'' and ''[[Ceiba pentandra]]''. Loss of this habitat was one of the particular environmental concerns of building the [[Chalillo Dam]] on the [[Macal River|Macal]] river.
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==Forests and Deforestation==
A [[remote sensing]] study conducted by the [http://www.cathalac.org Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC)] and [http://www.nasa.gov NASA], in collaboration with the Forest Department and the Land Information Centre (LIC) of the Government of Belize's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), and published in August 2010 revealed that Belize's forest cover in early 2010 was approximately 62.7%, down from 75.9% in late 1980.<ref name="Servir"/>
A similar study <ref>http://biological-diversity.info/deforestation.htm</ref> by [http://biological-diversity.info/deforestation.htm Belize Tropical Forest Studies] and Conservation International revealed similar trends in terms of Belize's forest cover. Both studies indicate that each year, 0.6% of Belize's forest cover is lost, translating to the clearing of an average of 24,835 acres (9,982 hectares) each year. The USAID-supported [http://www.servir.net SERVIR] study by CATHALAC, NASA, and the MNRE also showed that Belize's protected areas have been extremely effective in protecting the country's forests. While some 6.4% of forests inside of legally declared protected areas were cleared between 1980 and 2010, over a quarter of forests outside of protected areas had been lost between 1980 and 2010. As a country with a relatively high forest cover and a low deforestation rate, Belize has significant potential for participation in initiatives such as [[REDD]].
==Mangroves==
While many consider [[mangrove]] to be one of Belize's various [[forest]] classes, it is important to point out that in Belize, mangroves assume the form of not only [[forest]] (dominated by closed formations of mangroves of over 3m tall) but also [[scrubland|scrub]] (dominated by formations of dwarf mangroves below 3m in height), and [[savanna]] (areas with scattered mangroves).<ref>Murray, M.R., Zisman, S.A., Furley, P.A., Munro, D.M., Gibson, J., Ratter, J., Bridgewater, S., Mity, C.D., and C.J. Place. 2003. "The Mangroves of Belize: Part 1. Distribution, Composition and Classification." Forest Ecology and Management 174: 265–279</ref> Because of their importance for shoreline protection and maintenance of fisheries stocks, Belize's mangroves are legally protected under the ''[http://www.belizelaw.org/lawadmin/PDF%20files/cap213s.pdf Forests Act]'' of the ''[http://www.belizelaw.org Laws of Belize]''.<ref>Government of Belize (GOB). 2003. "Forests Act Subsidiary Laws." Chapter 213 in: Substantive Laws of Belize. Revised Edition 2003. Government Printer: Belmopan, Belize. 137 pp. http://www.belizelaw.org/lawadmin/PDF%20files/cap213s.pdf</ref>
A recent study by the [http://www.wri.org World Resources Institute (WRI)] indicates that Belize's mangrove ecosystems contribute '''US $174–249 million''' ''per year'' to the national economy.<ref>Cooper, E., Burke, L., and N. Bood. 2009. "Coastal Capital: Belize. The Contribution of Belize's Coral Reefs and Mangroves." WRI Working Paper. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC. 53 pp. http://pdf.wri.org/working_papers/coastal_capital_belize_wp.pdf</ref> The clearing of mangroves for development of coastal infrastructure has been recognized as a threat to Belize's mangroves and led to public perception that destruction of mangrove ecosystems was rampant, such as an investigative study in 2008 which indicated unauthorized clearings within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve,<ref>http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/art/Pelican_Review.pdf</ref> and which eventually led to the Belize Barrier Reef System's designation by [[UNESCO]] as an endangered [[World Heritage Site]].<ref>http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/530</ref>
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. http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf</ref> funded by the [http://www.wwf.org 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 [http://www.cathalac.org 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 [http://www.earthscan.co.uk/Products/9781844076574/tabid/34104/Default.aspx 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</ref> the case of Belize's mangroves thus stands in stark contrast to the global picture.
Belize's relative mangrove cover declined by 2% from 1980–2010, and in that period, under 4,000 acres of mangroves had been cleared, although clearing of mangroves near Belize's main coastal settlements (e.g. [[Belize City]] and San Pedro) was relatively high. The rate of loss of Belize's mangroves - at 0.07% per year between 1980 and 2010 - was much lower than Belize's overall rate of forest clearing (0.6% per year between 1980 and 2010).<ref>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. "Forest Cover and Deforestation in Belize: 1980-2010." Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean. Panama City, Panama. 42 pp. http://www.servir.net/servir_bz_forest_cover_1980-2010.pdf</ref>
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