The Dominican Republic : a country between rain forest and desert : contributions to the ecology of a Caribbean island

Abstract

[Este recurso no está disponible en formato electrónico para consulta en línea o descarga]. An introduction to the ecology of the Dominican Republic is presented and many specific environmental problems are discussed in detail. The country encompasses a wide range of ecosystems and landscapes from deserts to rain forests. The following subjects are dealt with: (1) geography; (2) protected areas; (3) the people; (4) the history of the flora; (5) phytogeography; (6) mammals, including the Solenodon paradoxus; (7) amphibians; (8) reptiles; (9) birds; (10) butterflies; (11) agriculture and the Green Revolution; (12) deforestation; (13) afforestation; (14) dry forest management; (15) forest fires and forest ecology; (16) the Dominican environmental movement; (17) a short history of the exploitation of Dominican natural resources; (18) the conservation of biological diversity; (19) rural development and the preservation of natural resources; (20) the sugar industry; (21) speleology and karst phenomena; (22) bauxite exploration; (23) Dominican fisheries; (24) aquaculture; (25) whales; (26) marine turtles; and (27) contamination of Dominican seas. Seventeen selected areas are described and plant and animal lists of these areas are provided.