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The Effects of Local Geology and Microclimate on the Fire Regime and Vegetation Structure of North Andros Island, Bahamas
Eric Kjellmark*
*Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801, USA.
Caribbean Naturalist, No. 60 (2019)
Abstract
In the northern Bahamas, the most widespread vegetation type is fire-maintained pineland with an understory of tropical hardwood shrubs. The shrubs can become canopy trees, but they are kept low by frequent fires. On North Andros Island, there are mature hardwood stands embedded within pineland. Many of these stands have persisted for decades despite a high fire frequency in the surrounding pineland. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons for the long-term persistence of these embedded hardwood stands. I collected data on species diversity and tree density and size in several hardwood stands and nearby pineland vegetation, and mapped and measured geologic features. The results suggest that fire breaks in the form of karst solution holes and rock ridges may protect hardwood stands from fire.
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