GEO Haiti 2010

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GEO HAITI • 2010 108 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.
State of the Environment Report 2010 Table 25: Comparative table of the number of plant species endemic to Haiti and the number of plant species recorded in the world 109 Family of Flora Number of species of Number of species of flora flora endemic to Haiti inventoried across the world Orchids 300 25,000 Asteraceae 330 13,000 Rubiacee 300 10,000 Grass 300 Conifers 3 Source: www.cbd.int & www.botany.org 4.2.2 Fauna Haiti’s diverse fauna contains more than 2,000 species, three quarters of which are endemic to the country 43 . In 1999, a scientific mission from the Center for Marine Conservation (now the Ocean Conservancy), carried out an inventory on the natural resources of the offshore satellite island La Navase (7 km 2 ). There, more than 800 species were found, including many endemic to the island, with some 250 previously unknown. Of the 90 species of spiders present on the island, 25 of these were unknown to the scientific world. Of the 227 species of fish, scientists found 5 unknown until then. Figure 56: South-Western Coast of La Navase Island Source: Hilaire 2008 (Plagiodontia aedium) and the giant shrew “Long Nose” (paradoxus Solenodon). La Tortue Island is home to a rodent species of the genus Isolobodon and an insectivore of the genus Nesophantes (REPUBLIC OF HAITI, 2004). In addition, in Haiti, there are 17 species of bats including seven taxa, with species and subspecies, which are endemic to the island. Other aquatic mammals to be found in Haiti include the Caribbean Manatee (Trichecus manatus), the Great Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus and P. catodon), and the two species of Tropical Whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus and G. melas) (Mignucci-Giannoni, UNEP, 2001). Are also found various species of dolphins including the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) and pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata). Until recently, existing data supported the presence in Haiti of the Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), but after several years of research, the National Marine Fisheries Service of the United States, on June 6, 2008, officially declared this species to be extinct, due largely to hunting. Figure 57: The Caribbean Manatee Source: www.usgs.gov • Mammals The two best-known mammals in Haiti are undoubtedly the Haitian hutia or Zagouti 43 www.cdb.int
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GEO Haiti 2010

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