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The Cuban moist forests is a
tropical moist broadleaf forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discon ...
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
that occupies on
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
and
Isla de la Juventud Isla de la Juventud (; en, Isle of Youth) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Isl ...
. The ecoregion receives more than of rainfall annually, and does not have a dry season.
Soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
s are usually derived from
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical f ...
,
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...
, or
serpentinite Serpentinite is a rock composed predominantly of one or more serpentine group minerals, the name originating from the similarity of the texture of the rock to that of the skin of a snake. Serpentinite has been called ''serpentine'' or ''s ...
s. Cuban moist forests can be differentiated into lowland forests (sea level to ), sub-montane forests (), and montane forests ().


Lowland forests

Lowland forests are found at elevations from sea level to and reach heights of . They consist of three tree stories. The upper story includes achiotillo (''
Alchornea latifolia ''Alchornea latifolia'' is a species of tree in the family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the ...
''), najesí ('' Carapa guianensis'') and acana ('' Manilkara valenzuelana''); the middle story has tagua-tagua (''
Diospyros ''Diospyros'' is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark tim ...
caribaea''), ''
Ocotea ''Ocotea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. Many are evergreen trees with lauroid leaves. There are over 520 species currently accepted within the genus, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas of ...
floribunda'', ''
Oxandra ''Oxandra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the soursop family, Annonaceae. Selected species * ''Oxandra lanceolata'' (Sw.) Baill. * ''Oxandra laurifolia'' (Sw.) A.Rich. * ''Oxandra leucodermis'' (Spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus '' ...
laurifolia'', ''
Talauma minor ''Magnolia minor'' is a species of plant in the family Magnoliaceae. It is endemic to Cuba. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat bec ...
'', '' Terminalia'' spp. and ''
Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
'' spp.; and the lower story has a number of species of tree ferns,
Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All sp ...
and
Melastomataceae Melastomataceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two-thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, s ...
.
Epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
s are abundant and varied, including the endemic '' Hymenodium crinitum'', ''
Oleandra Oleandra is a genus of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only genus in the family Oleandraceae, which is placed in suborder Polypodiineae, order Polypodiales. Alternatively, the family may be ...
articulata'', '' Columnea tincta'', and '' Psychotria pendula''. Typical palms are ''
Calyptronoma plumeriana ''Calyptronoma plumeriana'' is a pinnately compound leaved palm species which is native to Cuba and Hispaniola (both Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Description ''C. plumeriana'' stems grow singly and reach heights of 4–10 m, with stems 1 ...
'', ''
Prestoea acuminata ''Prestoea acuminata'' is a species of palm tree native to Central America, the West Indies and South America. It was formerly widely harvested in Ecuador for palmito. However, the palm is now uncommon due to overharvesting and is no longer co ...
'' var. ''montana'' and '' Bactris cubensis''. ''
Heliconia ''Heliconia'', derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word (), is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the ca 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to c ...
'' species,
moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...
es, and
liverworts The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of ...
are also important plants.


Sub-montane forests

Sub-montane forests occur elevations of . Typical sub-montane forests consist of two tree stories and an
understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...
; they reach a height of up to in height. Achiotillo (''
Alchornea latifolia ''Alchornea latifolia'' is a species of tree in the family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the ...
''), júcare amarillo (''
Buchenavia ''Buchenavia'' is a genus of plant in family Combretaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): * ''Buchenavia grandis'', Ducke * ''Buchenavia hoehneana'', N. Mattos * ''Buchenavia iguaratensis'', N. Mattos * ''Buc ...
capitata''), purío prieto (''
Guatteria ''Guatteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. It is the largest genus in the family in South America, and the dominant genus in mature forest. The fruits are berries, borne in clusters on short stalks. Species include:
blainii''), ''
Licaria ''Licaria'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Lauraceae, native to Central America and South America. It is a Neotropical genus with around 80 species. Overview ''Licaria'' is a Neotropical genus consisting of about 80 species distributed ...
jamaicensis'', roble macho (''
Tabebuia hypoleuca ''Tabebuia hypoleuca'' is a species of plant in the family Bignoniaceae. It is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; o ...
'') and ''
Zanthoxylum ''Zanthoxylum'' is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs and climbers in the family Rutaceae that are native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. It is the type genus of the tribe Zanthoxyleae in ...
elephantiasis'' grow in the upper story. Cuaba de la maestra ('' Amyris lineata''), cuajaní ('' Prunus myrtifolia''), '' Ditta myricoides'', '' Laplacea'' spp., ''
Oxandra ''Oxandra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the soursop family, Annonaceae. Selected species * ''Oxandra lanceolata'' (Sw.) Baill. * ''Oxandra laurifolia'' (Sw.) A.Rich. * ''Oxandra leucodermis'' (Spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus '' ...
laurifolia'', ''
Ocotea ''Ocotea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. Many are evergreen trees with lauroid leaves. There are over 520 species currently accepted within the genus, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas of ...
'' spp., ''
Rapanea ''Rapanea'' is a genus of plant in family Primulaceae. It has often been placed in synonymy with '' Myrsine'', and many species have been moved to ''Myrsine''. , Plants of the World Online does not accept the genus, regarding it as a synonym of ' ...
ferruginea'' and ''
Podocarpus ''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...
'' species can be found in the lower story. Tree ferns,
Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All sp ...
and
Melastomataceae Melastomataceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two-thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, s ...
and
Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules a ...
flourish in the understory. Sub-montane forests growing in
ultisol Ultisols, commonly known as red clay soils, are one of twelve soil orders in the United States Department of Agriculture soil taxonomy. The word "Ultisol" is derived from "ultimate", because Ultisols were seen as the ultimate product of continu ...
s reach a height of and have two stories with trees such as ''
Calophyllum ''Calophyllum'' is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Calophyllaceae. They are mainly distributed in Asia, with some species in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands. History Members of the genus ''Calophyllu ...
utile'', ''
Guatteria ''Guatteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. It is the largest genus in the family in South America, and the dominant genus in mature forest. The fruits are berries, borne in clusters on short stalks. Species include:
cubensis'', '' Magnolia cristalensis'', roble de hoja ancha (''
Tabebuia dubia ''Tabebuia dubia'' is a species of plant in the family Bignoniaceae. It is endemic to Cuba. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat be ...
''), ''
Zanthoxylum ''Zanthoxylum'' is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs and climbers in the family Rutaceae that are native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. It is the type genus of the tribe Zanthoxyleae in ...
cubense'' and '' Bactris cubensis''.


Montane forests

Montane forests are found at elevations of . These forests consist of two arboreal stories and reach a height of . The upper story is dominated by barril ('' Cyrilla racemiflora''), marañon de la Maestra ('' Magnolia cubensis''), ''
Persea ''Persea'' is a genus of about 150 species of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The best-known member of the genus is the avocado, ''P. americana'', widely cultivated in subtropical regions for its large, edible fruit. ...
anomala'' and '' Laplacea angustifolia''. The lower story consists of ''
Cleyera ''Cleyera'' is a plant genus consisting of 21 speciesThe Plant List (2013). ''Cleyera''. Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ Accessed 24 August 2020/ref> of tender, evergreen shrubs to small trees, mostly native t ...
nimanimae'', '' Freziera grisebachii'', '' Haenianthus salicifolius'', '' Lyonia'' species, ''
Torralbasia ''Torralbasia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Celastraceae. It only contains the one known species, Torralbasia cuneifolia (C.Wright ex A.Gray) Krug & Urb. It is native to the Caribbean and is found in the coun ...
cuneata'' and enebro (''
Juniperus saxicola ''Juniperus saxicola'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is found only in Cuba. This is one of about 40 species in ''Juniperus'' section ''Sabina'', and one of four closely related species of Caribbean junipers (the others a ...
'').
Epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
s,
moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...
es,
fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
s, terrestrial
orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of floweri ...
s, and
clubmosses Lycopodiopsida is a class of vascular plants known as lycopods, lycophytes or other terms including the component lyco-. Members of the class are also called clubmosses, firmosses, spikemosses and quillworts. They have dichotomously branching ...
are abundant.


Fauna

Bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s of Cuba's moist forests include the Cuban tody (''Todus multicolor''),
bee hummingbird The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird (''Mellisuga helenae'') is a species of hummingbird, native to the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. It is the world's smallest bird. Description The bee hummingbird is the smallest living ...
(''Mellisuga helenae''),
Cuban trogon The Cuban trogon or tocororo (''Priotelus temnurus'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is endemic to Cuba, where it is also the national bird. Taxonomy and systematics The Cuban trogon shares its genus with the Hispaniolan ...
(''Priotelus temnurus''),
Cuban solitaire The Cuban solitaire (''Myadestes elisabeth''), also known as the Cuban nightingale, is a species of bird in the family Turdidae The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much la ...
(''Myadestes elisabeth''),
Cuban kite The Cuban kite (''Chondrohierax wilsonii'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. It is endemic to Cuba. This species is classified as critically enda ...
(''Chondrohierax wilsonii''),
red-legged honeycreeper The red-legged honeycreeper (''Cyanerpes cyaneus'') is a small songbird species in the tanager family (Thraupidae). It is found in the tropical New World from southern Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and central Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and on ...
(''Cyanerpes cyaneus''), Cuban parakeet (''Aratinga euops''), stygian owl (''Asio stygius'') and Gundlach's hawk (''Accipiter gundlachi''). The rare Cuban solenodon (''Solenodon cubanus''), a small
mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur ...
, is endemic to eastern montane forests. Other notable mammals include the hutias, 4-5 species of small to medium-sized, climbing
rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
s related to the
Guinea Pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ...
.


See also

*
Cuban dry forests The Cuban dry forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion that occupies on Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. The ecoregion receives of rainfall annually. Cuban dry forests can be differentiated into evergreen forests, semi-deciduous forests, mogo ...
*
Cuban pine forests The Cuban pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion on the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. They cover an area of , occurring in separate sections in eastern Cuba and western Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. Descrip ...
* List of ecoregions in Cuba


References

{{- Neotropical tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Ecoregions of the Caribbean Ecoregions of Cuba * Natural history of Cuba