Distribution of Central American Melastomataceae: biogeographical analysis of the Caribbean islands

Abstract

Abstract.-We have studied the geological history of Central America, particularly the Caribbean, in order to discover the impact of other areas on the islands in the Caribbean Sea. The study of the distribution of 675 Melastomataceae species led us to establish the biogeographical ranks of Subregion, Superprovince, Province and Subprovince. We also suggest a biogeographical typology for the Caribbean Islands. In order to discover the relationships between the 16 territories under study, we collected the endemic Melastomataceae taxa occurring in each of them and applied the Jaccard index. Finally, we establish the Caribbean Subregion, with the Western Antilles Superprovince, which in turn includes the Provinces of Florida and Cuba. In this latter, we define two subprovinces, Cuba and Jamaica. The Central-Eastern Antilles Superprovince includes the provinces of Eastern Antilles and Hispaniola. The research involved the implementation of a floristic and distributional study of the Melastomataceae endemic taxa of the Caribbean Islands, particularly on Hispaniola; for this latter, finally the study revealed the existence of two large areas, one siliceous and another of a carbonated character.

The habitats ofLeptochloopsis virgatain the Dominican Republic

“…With the climatological data recorded we obtained the indexes suggested by Rivas- Martínez & Loidi (1999). Our biogeographic analysis is based on the studies of Rivas- and Cano et al (2009; Fig. 1) and our floristic study of the sampled land plots follows Liogier (1996Liogier ( -2000.…”

“…In some sites, i.e. in areas with more favourable soil conditions, this forest gives way to an espartillo community dominated by Leptochloopsis virgata, which is also characterized by other species, such as Chamaesyce adenoptera, an endemic plant growing in Bahoruco and Valle del Cibao, or Melocactus pedernalensis, a local endemic species of Cabo Rojo-Pedernales (Procurrente de Barahona), which, together with other species such as Portulaca rubricaulis, Melochia tomentosa, Turnera diffusa and the endemic species Cordia salvifolia, Harrisia nashii, Ipomoea desrousseauxii, Lantana exarata, Cameraria linearifolia, etc., give a clear profile to this community peculiar to the biogeographic Bahoruco-Hottense Sector (Cano et al, 2009). On average this habitat has 8-10 endemic plants per sampling unit.…”

“…The rainfall rates in the area under study range from (Velóz & Peguero, 2002). This vegetation is characterized by a high number of endemic species peculiar to the Caribbean-Cibensean (Cano et al, 2009) biogeographic sector. The communities consist of bushes and the Leptochloopsis virgata (espartillo).…”

“…The Leptochloopsis virgata esparto patches grow in the Caribbean-Atlantic Subprovince (Cano et al, 2009), on the Quaternary marls of the Cibao valley, Azúa, Bani, Lago Enriquillo, etc., and on the serpentines of Puerto Plata. The ombrotype ranges between semiarid and subhumid, but semiarid and dry conditions tend to dominate in the areas colonized by the espartillo.…”

The flower plants introduced in the Lesser Antilles: Martinique’s example (general summary of the key data and ecosystem impacts

“…In general, this original floristic potential of the archipelago is formed by contributions from tropical America via the Greater Antilles, due to multiple vectors: wind, animals, ocean [24][25][26][27]. It is this reality which explains their great phylogenetic similarity, in particular in what concerns families and genera.…”