Vegetation Classification for the Cayman Islands

Classification System
Prior to this study all published research on the Cayman Islands flora has used the Beard vegetation classification
system (Beard 1944, 1949, 1955), as originally laid out for the Cayman Islands by M.A. Brunt (1984).
In more recent years there has been growing regional acceptance of the International Vegetation Classification
(IVC) system (Grossman et al. 1988), formerly the International Classification of Ecological Communities
(ICEC). This standard is being applied throughout the Caribbean and Latin America by the US Nature
Conservancy and is being increasingly adopted by other agencies in the region.
The key difference between the IVC and Beard systems is an emphasis on tree canopy closure rather than
vegetation stature. The Beard system distinguishes forest from woodland based on canopy height and
stratification, while the IVC system defines them on the degree to which the tree canopy is closed.
In the interests of international standardization, this new classification for the Cayman Islands is based on the
IVC system. The IVC categories corresponding to the prior Beard classifications for the Cayman Islands are
listed in Appendix A.
The primary reference for this classification standard is Areces-Mallea et al. (1999), which substantially extends
the IVC system to the Caribbean. To the extent possible the Cayman Islands classification has been harmonized
with Areces-Mallea et al.’s approach, with additional Caribbean Alliances since documented by NatureServe
(2003).
The IVC system is an hierarchical classification, with seven levels: only the sixth and seventh divisions include
floristic information.
Class Subclass Group Subgroup Formation Alliance Association
Vegetation Classification for the Cayman Islands