Evergreen Forests In Honduras

 

The most species-rich ecosystems in Honduras are its Evergreen forests, which are found at all altitudes, from lowland rainforests to high mountain cloud forests. A total of 15 of these evergreen ecosystems are found in the country, most of which are found in the wetter North.

The most extensive of these evergreen systems are the Lowland Evergreen forests of the Atlantic Coast, which include both moderately drained forests on the coastal plain and well-drained forests on the surrounding foothills. These forests are Honduras’ most species-rich ecosystems with as many as 115 species of tree being found per hectare (House 97). They are amply represented in the National Park System in the Río Plátano reserve, and to a lesser extent in the Tawahka reserve. Smaller areas are found in the other north coast reserves such as Pico Bonito, Texiguat, y Capiro y Calentura. These reserves are also particularly rich in amphibious species (26 species corresponding to 31% of the national number of species of amphibians).

Types Of Evergreen Forests:

1. The Submontane Evergreen forests are very similar to their lowland neighbours though there is a clear decrease in tree species diversity and an increase in epiphyte diversity. These forests are also restricted to the north coast, with a large area found in the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve, while additional important areas are found in Pico Bonito and Texiquat reserves. 
2. The Evergreen Swamp forest found on the north coast in all of the wetland reserves, are dynamic ecosystems, but they remain the best-conserved lowland evergreen forests along the north coast. Even though they do not have a high diversity of tree species they do support large numbers of epiphytes and a rich fauna in particular bird species.

Types Of Seasonal Evergreen Forests:

1. Seasonal Evergreen broadleaved forest are found in the East of the country in the department of Olancho, particularly in the Rio Patuca reserve. These forests are clearly seasonal in nature with over 25 % of the trees loosing their leaves for long periods of the dry season.
2. The Lowland Seasonal Evergreen Broadleaved forests on karstic soils are found in the Tawahka reserve and to a lesser extent in the Patuca. that these ecosystems  are found in the previously mentioned reserves but also in the Lake Yojoa region.
3. Seasonal Evergreen Pine forest . All of these forests have been modified by human activity, being periodically burnt and grazed.  In the Mosquitia, (Honduras and Nicaragua) were human intervention is less intensive they resemble the pine forests of the Belizean coastal plains.

the seasonal submontane pine forest,which was the dominate ecosystem throughout much of inland Honduras, unbroken areas of which today, are found only in the department of Olancho. No single viable piece of this ecosystem is found within the National Parks System.

Characteristics:

• The trees are evergreen as there is no period of drought or frost.
• The canopy tree species are mostly tall hardwoods with broad leaves that release large quantities of water through transpiration, in a cycle that is important in raising as much mineral nutrient material as possible from the soil.
• They do not shed their leaves at a time and therefore always remain green and are called evergreen forest.
• Here, the trees are 60 m in height (196 ft) and the rainfall is between 150 cm. to 300 cm.
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