Abstract
Although there are numerous studies on the floristic composition of the Andean and Caribbean grasslands, there are limited information from a phytosociological point of view. This work therefore aims to highlight the differences in this important vegetation type in these two biodiversity hotspots to gain a better understanding of their floristic and vegetational richness. The floristic composition of Andean grasslands (Ecuador) and the island of Hispaniola is also studied. The reason for this comparative analysis of Andean and Caribbean territories is their tropical character and their bioclimatic similarities. The comparative analysis of Peruvian Andean and Colombian grasslands is based on floristic knowledge from the literature, our inventories on the island of Hispaniola, and the works of Peguero. We applied the phytosociological methodology of Braun-Blanquet and the code of phytosociological nomenclature. We performed a statistical analysis to verify the differences between both community types using the statistical packages PAST© and CAP3. The comparative analysis of Andean and Caribbean grasslands shows a clear floristic and biogeographical differentiation and reveals that the only ecological character they share is their high-mountain attribute. In the Caribbean these communities are found only on the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic) in the Central biogeographic sector, Central subprovince, Hispaniola province. These grasslands are exclusive to Hispaniola and have a high rate of endemics. We propose the following new syntaxa: the association Hyperico constanzae-Danthonietum domingensis, the alliance Hieracio domingensis-Deschampsion domingensis, the order Danthonietalia domingensis, and the class Deschampsio-Danthonietea domingensis. We found high biodiversity values for Andean and Caribbean areas. This is due to the intense anthropic activity on the island of Hispaniola, which has led to a high percentage of naturalized plants.
Highlights
In this work we studied the flora and vegetation of the high mountains of the Caribbean, and compare them with similar Andean plant communities to highlight the differences between these two important biodiversity hotspots in order to gain a better understanding of their floristic richness
A comparative analysis is made between the Peruvian Andean and Colombian grasslands based on the floristic presence studies of Izco et al [20], our own relevés collected on the island of Hispaniola, and other works of Peguero [13] in Valle Nuevo (Dominican Republic)
This study reveals the existence of an endemic grassland community that is widespread throughout the supratropical thermotype in the central biogeographic sector, Central subprovince, Hispaniola province
Summary
According to some authors [11], throughout the geological eras the current islands have been shaped by three tectonic movements in the form of uplifts, subsidence and separation along faults, all of which are due to interactions between the Caribbean and the surrounding plates: Cocos, Nazca, North America and South America. The subduction of the Caribbean tectonic plate, which configured the mountains of Central America, began 25 million years ago in the Miocene era. The definitive separation of the Antilles from Central America occurred in the Pliocene era, leading to the establishment of essentially two migratory routes: North American route through FloridaCuba, and the route of the Lesser Antilles from Venezuela; a third route from the Yucatán peninsula through the Caiman Islands was less important due to the distance from Central America to the Antillean arc [11]
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