Cuban dry forests

Template:Short description The Cuban dry forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion that occupies on Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. The ecoregion receives of rainfall annually. Cuban dry forests can be differentiated into evergreen forests, semi-deciduous forests, mogotes, and sclerophyllous low forests.

Evergreen forests

Less than 30% of all trees lose their leaves in evergreen forests, and there are few epiphytes or lianas. It is classified according to leaf length as being either mesophyllous (leaves ) or microphyllous (leaves ). Mesophyllous forest occurs at elevations from sea level to or . The canopy reaches a height of , while certain trees such as palms emerge at . The upper layer of trees in Sierra del Rosario includes (Alchornea latifolia), (Calophyllum antillanum), (Sideroxylon foetidissimum) and (Matayba oppositifolia). Yaya (Oxandra lanceolata), Wallenia laurifolia, (Trophis racemosa) and Ficus species grow in the lower layer. Microphyllous evergreen forest establishes itself over coastal limestone. It has evergreen and deciduous trees that reach a height of or , some thorny shrubs, arborescent cacti, other succulents, epiphytes and dry lianas. Trees include júcaro espinoso (Bucida molinetii), cúrbana (Canella winterana), guayacán negro (Guaiacum sanctum), yaití (Gymnanthes lucida), cerillo (Hypelate trifoliata), soplillo (Lysiloma latisiliquum), guao de costa (Metopium toxiferum), almácigo (Bursera simaruba), caguairán amarillo (Hymenaea torrei), uvillón (Coccoloba diversifolia), and miraguanos (Coccothrinax spp.). Tuna (Opuntia stricta) is an important understory species.

Semi-deciduous forests

About half of the trees in semi-deciduous forests are evergreen, along with shrubs, epiphytes, a few herbaceous plants, and many vines. Trees in this type of forest are often mesophyllous, with leaves long. The canopy in forests with consistent moisture reaches a height of and may have emergent species up to high as well as palms. The lower arboreal story includes deciduous and sclerophyllous evergreen trees. Soils are either red rendzinas, black rendzinas, or brown soils. Trees grow rapidly due to heavy rainfall during the summer. The upper layer of trees includes (Bursera simaruba), (Cedrela odorata), (Calophyllum candidissimum), (Ceiba pentandra), (Cordia gerascanthus), (C. collococca), (Dipholis salicifolia), (Swietenia mahagoni), (Zanthoxylum martinicense), (Celtis trinervia) and (Roystonea regia). The lower layer includes (Casearia hirsuta), (Cupania americana), (Guarea trichiloides), (Oxandra lanceolata) and (Trichilia havanensis). Forests with fluctuating moisture have an canopy, an understory of microphyllous and thorny deciduous species, and a forest floor covered in herbaceous geophytes.

Mogotes

Mogotes are conical mountains composed of karstic limestone and are found in western Cuba. Forests found on mogotes are characterized by a discontinuous story of trees high, as well as palms, plentiful succulents, epiphytes, and lianas. Plant life includes (Gaussia princeps), (Thrinax morrisii), (Tabebuia calcicola), (Erythrina cubensis), Malpighia roigiana, (Microcycas calocoma), Lantana strigosa, Agave spp., and Leptocereus spp. The vegetation on rock faces is bushy and very open and includes shrubs and trees with specially adapted roots, such as the endemic (Pachira emarginata).

Sclerophyllous low forests

Sclerophyllous low forests are found growing on serpentine soils and represent the transition between the dry forests and xeric scrublands. This is subdivided into charrascales (wet sclerophyllous low forests) and cuabales (dry sclerophyllous low forests). Cuabales can reach heights of , and palms and species with small, hard and very thorny leaves are abundant. Emergent trees can be found. Plant life includes l (Leucocroton flavicans), (Annona bullata), (Bucida molinetii), (Coccoloba praecox), (Pseudocarpidium wrightii), (Copernicia spp.), (Coccothrinax spp.), Buxus spp. Bourreria spp., (Tabebuia spp.), Guettarda spp., Rhodogeron coronopifolius and agave cajalbanensis.

Fauna

Birds of the dry forests include the West Indian woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris), Fernandina's flicker (Colaptes fernandinae), Cuban green woodpecker (Xiphidiopicus percussus), and blue-headed quail-dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala). Reptiles include anoles, geckos, and the Cuban boa (Epicrates angulifer). Desmarest's hutia (Capromys pilorides) is a common species of mammal.