Forest change within and outside protected areas in the Dominican Republic, 2000-2016

Abstract

14We used Landsat-based estimates of tree cover change to document the loss and gain 15 of forest in the Dominican Republic between 2000 and 2016. Overall, 2,795 km 2 of forest were 16 lost, with forest gain occurring on only 393 km 2 , yielding a net loss of 2,402 km 2 of forest, a 17 decline of 11.1% or 0.7% per year. Deforestation occurred in all of the major forest types in the 18 country, and ranged from a 13% decline in the area of semi-moist broadleaf forest to a 5.9% 19 loss of cloud forest, mostly attributed to agriculture. Fire was a significant driver of forest loss 20 only in Hispaniolan pine (Pinus occidentalis) forests and, to a lesser extent, in adjacent cloud 21 forest. Deforestation rates were lower within protected areas, especially in dry and semi-moist 22 broadleaf forests at lower elevations. Protected areas had a smaller, and generally negligible, 23 effect on rates of forest loss in pine forest and cloud forest, largely due to the effects of several 24 large wildfires. Overall, rates of deforestation in the Dominican Republic were higher than 25 regional averages from across the Neotropics and appeared to have accelerated during the 26 later years of our study period. Stemming deforestation will likely require enforcement of 27 prohibitions on large-scale agricultural production within protected areas and development of 28 alternatives to short-cycle, shifting agriculture. 29

Assessing congruence of opportunistic records and systematic surveys for predicting Hispaniolan mammal species distributions

“…Although our SDMs indicate suitable environmental conditions are still present across large areas of the Dominican Republic, and local hunting of native mammals is thought to have ceased, solenodon and hutia populations might still be reduced or absent in areas of good‐quality habitat due to competition or predation by invasive mammals (Turvey et al, 2014). Furthermore, land cover and tree cover are included within final total survey models for both solenodons and hutias, with probability of presence increasing with tree cover, but forest loss in the Dominican Republic is estimated at >11% per year (higher than regional averages for the Neotropics) and is accelerating, even within many protected areas (Lloyd & León, 2019; Pasachnik, Carreras De León, & León, 2016; Sangermano et al, 2015), and with tourism infrastructural development impacting mangrove ecosystems required by hutias (Meyer‐Arendt, Byrd, & Hamilton, 2013). Our SDMs therefore predict the distribution of current conservation‐priority landscapes for both species, but these landscapes require further fieldwork to investigate continued presence of native mammals, especially for regions with predicted habitat suitability but lacking records (e.g., Sierra de Neiba), combined with targeted spatial management to maintain key habitat integrity into the future.…”

Cartographie et quantification de la perte du couvert forestier dans les parcs nationaux du Sud de la République d'Haïti de 1985 à 2018 : rôle des activités agricoles locales

“…La dynamique des paysages forestiers des PNN-FP2, PNN-LV et PNN-M démontrée dans cette étude est caractérisée par la déforestation, un phénomène également reconnu par plusieurs auteurs en Haïti (Brenes et al, 2017 ;MDE et al, 2017). Les taux de déforestation annuels enregistrés dans les 3 parcs nationaux (1,8% dans le PNN-FP2, 1,2% dans le PNN-LV et 1,4% dans le PNN-M) restent bien supérieurs au taux enregistré au niveau des parcs en République Dominicaine, soit moins de 0,7% (Lloyd et Léon, 2019). Des tendances de déforestation dans les zones protégées ont été également observées dans deux aires protégées, Caroni et Nariva, à Trinidad (Gibbes et al, 2009) et au Niger (Mamane et al, 2018).…”

Habitat modelling locates nesting areas of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata on Hispaniola and identifies habitat loss

“…obs.). In Hispaniola, national parks offer some level of protection but are often not entirely effective at protecting against small scale deforestation and accumulated encroachment (Sangermano et al 2015, Hedges et al 2018, Lloyd and León 2019. Although the areas currently lost to deforestation represent only a small fraction of the predicted suitable habitat for Black-capped Petrels and of the overall protected areas in Hispaniola, anthropogenic activities may create additional disturbances beyond habitat loss (e.g.…”