Caribbean Coastal Plant Communities

These are terrestrial ecosytems bordering or near the sea.

We are going to be looking at:

• Beach and dune communities
• Rock pavement vegetation
• Coastal Scrub
• Littoral forest/woodland

Sand dune and beach vegetation

The vegetation on windward beaches typically constitutes a sere where the vegetation changes along an environmental gradient. Nearest the sea, in a pioneer zone, plants like the succulents seaside samphire (Sesuvium portulacastrum) and Blutaparon vermiculare,  as well as the two crab grasses, Sporobolus virginicus and Paspalum distichum, survive in sparse patches. Further inland, the fleshy vine, Goat’s foot Ipomoea ( Ipomoea pes-caprae ) dominates, trapping sand to form small dunes. This merges with a shrubby zone where soil has a higher organic content and where seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) and fat pork (Chrysobalanus icaco) typically dominate. This is the zone of  the high dunes and in their shelter scrub and scattered trees such as manchineel are found.

Leeward beaches tend to be narrower and lack the dunes which may be present on windward coasts. On leeward beaches, pioneer plants are less common and strand (above high tide mark) vegetation of Goat’s-foot Ipomoea often abruptly gives rise to scrub and littoral woodland (if this has not been cleared for beach-front properties!).

In northern Lesser Antillean islands additional plants are found in the beach succession. Gull feed (Scaevola plumieri) is a native, strand shrub, not to be confused with the introduced Scaevola taccada which can be distinguished by its white fruit. Cough bush (Ernodea littoralis) of the coffee family (Rubiaceae) is another northern beach plant found further back amid sea grape.

Environmental features

High salinity, high irradiation, lack of water, (wind)

Animal members

Ghost crabs, birds

Caribbean Vegetation Mapping Project Equivalent

VII.C.2.N.b. Intermittently flooded sand beaches and shores (STRAND VEGETATION)
VII.C.1.N.a. Dunes with sparse herbaceous vegetation (DUNES WITH SPARSE VEGETATION)

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Rock pavement/ sea cliff

Often sheer cliffs emerge from the sea with little or no beach below.  Within reach of sea spray the succulents seaside samphire (Sesuvium portulacastrum) and Blutaparon vermiculare are found rooted in pockets of soil in the bare rock in the platforms of uplifted coral reefs.

Sometimes severely dwarfed trees (whitewood, manchineel) and shrubs survive, rooted in fissures in the rock. Further back, low-lying succulent herbs carpet soil-filled depressions in the rock pavement to form a mat-like vegetation. Such associations give way further inland to coastal scrub and littoral forest.

Major environmental features

High salinity, high irradiation, lack of water, lack of soil, (wind)

Animal Members

Birds, lizards, to name a few.

Caribbean Vegetation Mapping Project Equivalent

VII.A.1.N.a. Cliffs with sparse vascular vegetation (CLIFF VEGETATION)
VII.A.2.N.a. Pavement with sparse vascular vegetation (PAVEMENT VEGETATION)

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Littoral or coastal forest

This is a dry, mainly evergreen forest with trees like sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), whitewood (Tabebuia heterophylla & T. pallida ), manchineel (Hippomane mancinella), birch gum (Bursera simaruba) and bearded fig (Ficus citrifolia) dominating. In its most wind-swept form it resembles the hedge and coastal scrub that develops behind sand dunes. It may include clumps of pipe organ cactus (Pilosocereus curtisii).

Click here to see the fate of the coastal forest in the Caribbean

Site cleared of coastal forest on Grand Cayman, save a few “desirable” palm trees!

Caribbean Vegetation Mapping Project Equivalent

II.A.1.N.a. Tropical or subtropical broad-leaved evergreen woodland Hippomane mancinella – Coccoloba uvifera Woodland Alliance; Coccothrinax barbadensis Woodland Alliance
I.C.1.N.a. Lowland tropical or subtropical semi-deciduous forest
Tabebuia pallida – Coccoloba swartzii – Bursera simaruba Forest Alliance

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Click here to see what can happen to this plant community

Sand mining in Barbados in what was once a thorn scrub community

Major environmental features

Low rainfall, shallow soil, salt spray and wind.

Animal members

Birds, lizards, bats and a wide range of invertebrates.
Read about the survival of the Antiguan Racer snake on an off-shore island.

Caribbean Vegetation Mapping Project Equivalent

III.A.1.N.a. Tropical or subtropical broad-leaved evergreen shrubland Pithecellobium unguis-cati Shrubland Alliance
III.A.1.N.b. Hemisclerophyllous tropical or subtropical broad-leaved evergreen shrubland Coccoloba uvifera Shrubland Alliance