Cuban Land Use and Conservation, from Rainforests to Coral Reefs
FastTrack➲ publication Bull Mar Sci. 94(2):000–000. 2018 perspective https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2017.1026 Cuban land use and conservation, from rainforests to coral reefs 1 Gund Institute for Gillian L Galford 1, 2 * Environment, University of 1, 3 Vermont, Burlington, Vermont Margarita Fernandez 1, 2 05405. Joe Roman 4, 5 2 Rubenstein School of Irene Monasterolo Environment and Natural Sonya Ahamed 1, 2 Resources, University of 6 Vermont, Burlington, Vermont Greg Fiske 1, 7 05405. Patricia González 4, 8 3 Vermont Caribbean Institute, Les Kaufman Burlington, Vermont 05402. 4 The Fredrick S. Pardee Center, Boston University, Boston, ABSTRACT.—Cuba is an ecological rarity in Latin Massachusetts 02215. America and the Caribbean region. Its complex political and 5 Vienna University of Economics economic history shows limited disturbances, extinctions, and Business, Vienna, Austria. pollution, and resource depletion by legal or de facto 6 The Woods Hole Research measures. Vast mangroves, wetlands, and forests play key Center, Falmouth, roles in protecting biodiversity and reducing risks of hazards Massachusetts 02540. caused or aggravated by climate change. Cuba boasts coral 7 Centro de Investigaciones reefs with some of the region’s greatest fish biomass and coral Marinas, Universidad de La cover. Although it has set aside major protected areas that Habana, Havana, Cuba. safeguard a host of endemic species, Cuba’s environment 8 Boston University Marine is by no means pristine. Through much of its early history, Program and Program on deforestation and intensive agricultural production under Couple Human Natural Systems, colonial then neocolonial powers was the norm. Using Boston University, Boston, remote sensing, we find Cuba’s land today is 45% devoted Massachusetts 02215.
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