GEO Haiti 2010

GEO HAITI • 2010
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Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), the
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), the Snowy
Egret (Egretta thula), Royal Tern (Sterna maxima),
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia), the Palmchat (Dulus
dominicus).
These systems are however being increasingly
degraded by the agricultural activities carried out
upstream, leading to their eutrophication and
gradual sedimentation caused by erosion and
dumping of solid and liquid waste into the water.
The mangroves, mentioned in previous chapters,
have not been spared either.
4.1.5 Marine Eco-regions
Marine ecosystems include the coasts, the
continental shelf (coral reefs, which are home
to many species of fish and crustaceans),
beaches, mangroves and sea cliffs. There is little
information available on marine ecosystems. We
can nevertheless say that these ecosystems are
facing high levels of exploitation, either through
overfishing of marine species (including sea
turtles and manatees) or by the destruction of
the mangrove forests which constitute the many
species’s nurseries.
In regard to urban areas, the state of these
environments is of great concern because they
constitute a kind of receptacle for the disposal
of all kinds of solid and liquid waste. Studies
conducted by LAQUE and other tests carried
out on the quality of water in the bay of Port-au-
Prince, have revealed the presence of phosphate
and nitrogen compounds as well as heavy metals
resulting from direct wastewater disposal into the
marine environment. Their presence represents a
real threat to marine ecosystems and are the result
of industrial and other activities (LAQUE, 2006). On
the other hand, the presence of abnormally high
concentrations of pathogenic micro-organisms,
directly responsible for infectious diseases such as
fecal coliform contamination, has been reported
(LAQUE, 2006).
Increasingly, anarchic construction patterns
have led to non-compliance with most basic
urbanization regulations and are, among others,
one of the causes of this terrible phenomenon.
4.2 Very High Levels of
Specific Diversity
In terms of global biodiversity, the Caribbean
region is recognized as being richly endowed. This
also applies to Haiti, a country with a large number
of diverse endemic species of flora and fauna.
4.2.1 Flora
Scientific research has shown that the Haitian flora
is very rich and unique. After Cuba, Haiti and the
Dominican Republic are home to the most diverse
flora in the Caribbean. Haiti owes this uniqueness
to a series of natural events, among which are the
constant sea-level variations and specific geomorphological
features such as the succession of
mountains, plains and highlands. These natural
and physical characteristics have led to specific
environmental factors that can change abruptly,
even over short distances. These physical features
are, therefore, the cause of an endemic flora
diversity. According to the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 1998), Haiti boasts
5,242 species of vascular plants, of which 37% are
endemic to the country. It possesses nearly 330
species from the Asteraceae family, 300 species of
the Rubiacee family, 300 species of orchids, 330
species of grass, and 3 species of conifers (see table
below). According to Hilaire (2000), in addition to
these plant families, others are particularly rich in
endemic species such as the Melastomataceae,
Flacourtiaceae, Poaceae and Urticaceae, to name a
few.