The vegetation of the Netherlands Antilles BY A.L. Stoffers PUBLISHED 8 OCTOBER 1956 1956 BOTANISCH MUSEUM EN HERBARIUM UTRECHT Contents Page List of 6 maps List of figures 6 List of photographs 7 Introduction 9 LEEWARD GROUP I. Environmental factors Geographical position 15 Climate 15 Temperature — humidity — wind — rainfall Geology 18 Physiography 19 Aruba — Bonaire — Curasao Economic development 20 II. The Flora Botanical collections 23 Analysis of the Flora 23 Plant geography 26 Ecological specialization 28 III. Description of the regions investigated Aruba 31 coast The north coast between Matavidiri and Fontein — the north east of Fontein — Boca Grandi — the south-western coast — — Palm Beach — Pova Beach — Hadikoerari salinas between Palm Beach and Malmok — the north-western part — the dunes — — — Matavidiri near Hudishibana the quartz-diorite region north of Sta. Lucia — Hooiberg — the limestone region along the south-western coast — Palu Marca — the limestone plateau south of Fontein — the Jamanota-Arikok region. Bonaire 38 The southern part — the lowest limestone plateau north of Punt Vierkant — the region between Lima Plantation and the airfield — the region near Pos Calbas — Lima Plantation — the lagoon of 1 FAGE — — middle — — Lac Sabana. The region Seroe Grand! Montagne — and Seroe Largoe the limestone plateau of Bolivia Plantation — the district of Boven Bolivia — the lower limestone plateau of Bolivia. — The northern part — Columbia Plantation — the region between Rincon and Karpata — along the coast from Jan Doran to Goto — Labra — Slagbaai Plantation — the hill of Brandaris — the vicinity of Put Bronswinkel — near Shishiribana — Washington Plantation. — Vegetation behind dikes and around “tankies”. Curasao 48 St. Joris Baai — Spaanse Water — Rif — Bullen Baai — the western coast — — south near Willemstad Hippomane woodlands. The limestone region — the north coast — the limestone terrace east of Willemstad — Sta. Martha, east of the salt pond — the terrace near Hato — Ronde Klip — Tafelberg of Sta. Barbara. — Outside the limestone region — the hills in the eastern part — the foot of the Tafelberg of Sta. Barbara — Malpais — Wacao — Seroe Largoe near Sta. Martha — Rooi Kajoeda — west of Pos Kajoeda — Knip hills — Christoffelberg. IV. Description of Communities Introduction 57 Classification 58 Climatic climax communities 59 formations 59 Seasonal . Deciduous seasonal forest 59 60 Thorny woodland Prosopis facies Cactus-thorn scrub 61 Cactus scrub 61 . Croton-Lantana-Cordia thickets 62 Croton facies — Jatropha facies “Desert" 62 formations 62 Dry evergreen woodland 62 Dry evergreen 63 Thorny woodland Haematoxylon facies 64 Dry evergreen bushland Coccoloba diversifolia facies Croton-Lantana-Cordia thickets 64 Cordia facies — Phyllanthus facies — Antirrhoea facies Littoral woodland 65 Coccoloba uvifera type — Rhacoma crossopetalum type 2 3 66 Vegetation of the rock pavement Conocarpus community Edaphic climax communities 67 67 Mangrove woodland Herbaceous strand community 70 Sesuvium facies — Fimbristylis facies — Sporobolus facies — Ipomoea facies 71 Strand scrub community — Tournefortia facies — Suriana facies Euphorbia facies 72 Hippomane woodland 72 Vegetation of salt flats and salinas 73 Fresh and oligohalinous water communities . Correlation of the communities 73 WINDWARD GROUP V. Environmental factors Geographical position 77 Climate 77 Temperature — humidity — wind — rainfall Geology 80 St. Martin — Saba — St. Eustatius Physiography 81 St. Martin — Saba — St. Eustatius Economic development 82 VI. The Flora Botanical collections 84 Analysis of the flora 84 Plant geography 88 Ecological specialization 92 VII. Description of the regions investigated Maarten 93 St. Great Saltpond — Fort Hill — Kay Bay Hill — Cole Bay Hill — north-west of Great Saltpond — Vineyard Hill — the region between — Lands — Experiment and Guana Bay — Pointe Blanche Low woodland — strand — woodland mangrove vegetation Hippomane — — Blanche the spit of land south of Oysterpond Pointe Bay 3 PAGE Saba 101 The top of The Mountain — The Mountain above Windwardside — the region between Hellsgate and St. Cruz — the slope of The Mountain between The Level and Curve Gut — Fort Bay Gut — Spring Bay Flat — Compagnie’s Gut, Tom’s Gut and Swanna Gut — the slopes of Parish Hill and Great Hill — the region between The Bottom and Saddle — the area between Windwardside and Great Rendez Vous — the western part of the island north of The Bottom — Ladder Bay Gut — the region between Middle Island and Mary’s Point St. Eustatius 107 Concordia Bay — Venus Bay — Big Gut — Sugar Loaf — the shore south of Oranjestad — Tumble Down Dick Bay. — The northern hills — Solitude — the hill north-west of Zeelandia — Gilboa Hill — Bomba Hill — Little Mountains — Mary Glory. — — The Quill the north-western slope above Glass Bottle — the top — the crater — the slope above Bengalen — the lower between Behind the and — part Mountain Soldiers Gut the western slope — White Wall VIII. Description of Communities Introduction 119 Classification 121 Climatic climax communities 121 Optimal formation 121 Rain forest 121 rain 121 Secondary forest , Tree-fern brake 122 Miconia thickets 122 Piper dilatatum thicket 123 Pioneer forest 123 Montane formations 123 Montane thicket 123 Palm brake 124 Elfin woodland 125 Seasonal formations 127 Evergreen seasonal forest 128 Semi-evergreen seasonal forest 130 Deciduous seasonal forest 131 Thorny woodland 132 Leucaena thicket 133 Croton thickets 133 4 5 formations 134 Dry evergreen ........ 134 Dry evergreen forest 135 Dry evergreen woodland Evergreen bushland 135 136 Thorny woodland Croton thickets 136 Littoral woodland 136 of the rock 137 Vegetation pavement Vegetation of rocky slopes 137 Edaphic climax communities 138 138 Mangrove woodland Herbaceous strand community 138 Strand scrub community 138 Vegetation of salt flats 138 Hippomane woodland 138 Bibliography 139 5 LIST OF MAPS (in the back flap) Vegetation map of Aruba, scale approx. 1:51,000 of 1 Vegetation map Bonaire, scale approx. :58,000 of 1 Vegetation map C u r a 9 a o, scale approx. :109,000 of Eustatius and St. Vegetation map Saba, St. Maarten, scale 1 approx. : 36,300 LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. Sketch map of the Caribbean 12 (from Publ. Found. Sci. Research Suriname Neth. Antilles 9) 2. Sketch of with localities map Aruba, 32 3. sketch of Aruba 32 Geological map (after Publ. Found. Set. Res. Sur. Neth. Ant. 8) 4. Sketch of with 40 map Bonaire, localities 5. sketch of Bonaire 40 Geological map (after Publ. Found. Sci. Res. Sur. Neth. Ant. 8) 6. Sketch of with localities 50 map Cura9ao, 7. sketch of 51 Geological map Cura9ao (after Publ. Found. Sci. Res. Sur. Neth. Ant. 8) 8. Sketch of St. with localities 94 map Martin, 9. sketch of St. Martin 94 Geological map (after Publ. Found. Sci. Res. Sur. Neth. Ant. 8) 10. Sketch of with localities 102 map Saba, 11. Sketch of St. with localities map Eustatius, 108 12. Height class and stem diameter class of the trees in some forests of St. Eustatius 129 6 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Ia Hooiberg, Aruba. (P. Wagenaar Hummelinck, Dec. 1936) lb Aerial view of the diorite region, Aruba. (Hummelinck, March 1955) Ha Antirrhoea vegetation, Aruba. (Hummelinck, Jan. 1937) Hb Sea Grape Grove, Aruba. (Hummelinck, Jan. 1937) Ilia Dune vegetation, Aruba. (Hummelinck, Jan. 1937) IHb Rooi Bringamosa, Aruba. (Hummelinck, Jan. 1937; Studies fauna Curasao 1 ) IV Landscape, Aruba. (Hummelinck, Feb. 1937; Meded. Kon. Ver. Indisch Inst. 63) V Dry evergreen bushland, Bonaire. (Hummelinck, March 1937; Meded. Ind. Inst. 63) Vla Conocarpus community, Bonaire. (Hummelinck, March 1937) VIb Prosopis vegetation, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) Vila Cactus-thorn scrub, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) Vllb Dry evergreen woodland, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) Villa Cactus-thorn scrub, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) VIHb Cactus-thorn scrub, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) IXa Haematoxylon vegetation, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) IXb Aloe field, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) X Landscape near Fontein, Bonaire. (Hummelinck, Sept. 1948) XI Landscape near Lagoen, Bonaire. (Hummelinck, Sept. 1948) XHa Conocarpus community, Bonaire. (Hummelinck, Sept. 1948; Studies 4) XHb Tanki Calbas, Klein Bonaire. (Hummelinck, Nov. 1948; Studies 4) XHIa Scenery near Lac, Bonaire. (Hummelinck, Feb. 1949) XHIb Croton vegetation, Bonaire. (Sept. 1953) XIVa Christoffelberg, Cura9ao. (Hummelinck, Dec. 1948) XlVb Littoral vegetation, Curasao. (Hummelinck, March 1955) XVa Hippomane woodland, Curayao. (Hummelinck, Oct. 1936) XVb Cactus scrub, Curasao. (Hummelinck, March 1949) XVIa Dry evergreen woodland, Curasao. (Sept. 1953) XVIb Opuntia wilderness, Cura9ao. (Sept. 1953) XVHa Deciduous seasonal forest, Cura9ao. (Sept. 1953) XVIIb Deciduous seasonal forest, Cura9ao. (Oct. 1953) 7 XVIIIa Panorama, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, July 1955) XVIIIb Sentry Hill, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, May 1949) XlXa Panorama, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, July 1955) XlXb Cul de Sac valley, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, May 1949) XXa St. Maarten. Dry evergreen bushland, (April 1953) XXb Melocactus, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, June 1955) XXIa Great Saltpond, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, May 1949; Studies 4) XXIb Land clearing, St. Maarten. (Hummelinck, June 1949; Studies 4) XXIIa Saba, as seen from the air. (Hummelinck, June 1955) XXHb Clearance in secondary rain forest, Saba. (April 1953) XXIIIa Saba, as seen from the air. (Hummelinck, June 1955) XXHIb Vegetation of stone wall, Saba. (April 1953) XXIVa Tree-fern brake, Saba. (August 1953) XXIVb Intermixed secondary rain forest, Saba. (August 1953) XXVa Tree-fern