ABSTRACT
Jamaica takes its name from the word Xaymaca, land of wood and water, representing the island’s forests and climate. The island’s forests are a rich incubator of biodiversity (Myers et al., 2000), although deforestation in the period after colonization has led to significant loss of forest cover. Currently 31 per cent of the island is covered by forest (of which 8 per cent is closed forest and 23 per cent is classed as ‘other’); 30 per cent comprises a mixture of forest and cultivation, while the remaining 39 per cent has no forest. The principal forest types are lower montane mist forests, montane mist forest, dry limestone forest, wet limestone forest, mangrove woodland, herbaceous swamp and marsh forest (Myers et al., 2000). Jamaica is classified as having a tropical marine climate, which stems from Jamaica’s location in the Caribbean Sea, where the passage of the north-east trade winds leads to high rainfall over most of the island. The northern areas are wetter, with an annual average that varies between 3,000 mm and 1,500 mm. The average temperature is about 30°C.
