Title:

Comprehensive checklist of native, endemic, and subendemic tree species in the Caribbean Island Biodiversity Hotspot

Author(s):

Bedair, Heba; Ackerman, James; Areces-Berazain, Fabiola; Vélez-Gavilán, Jeanine; de Lima, Renato; Marcano-Vega, Humfredo; Monsegur-Rivera, Omar Alexis; Sustache, José; Acevedo-Rodriguez, Pedro; Santiago-Valentín, Eugenio; Torres-Santana, Christian; Helmer, Eileen H.; Heartsill-Scalley, Tamara

Publication Year:

2026

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Bedair, Heba; Ackerman, James; Areces-Berazain, Fabiola; Vélez-Gavilán, Jeanine; de Lima, Renato; Marcano-Vega, Humfredo; Monsegur-Rivera, Omar Alexis; Sustache, José; Acevedo-Rodriguez, Pedro; Santiago-Valentín, Eugenio; Torres-Santana, Christian; Helmer, Eileen H.; Heartsill-Scalley, Tamara. 2026. Comprehensive checklist of native, endemic, and subendemic tree species in the Caribbean Island Biodiversity Hotspot [Dataset]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16414460

Abstract:

This dataset presents a curated inventory of tree species native to the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot, a region recognized for its exceptional plant diversity and endemism, including endemic and subendemic taxa. Stretching from southern Florida to northeastern Venezuela, the hotspot encompasses a wide array of island groups including the Lucayan Archipelago (The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos), the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and surrounding islands), and the Lesser Antilles (from Anguilla to Grenada). It also includes islands near the continental margins of the Caribbean Sea such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, the Venezuelan Antilles, Trinidad & Tobago, and Southwest Caribbean (the Caribbean islands of Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua and Panama).

In this dataset, the term "tree" refers to perennial woody plants that typically grow with a single trunk and branching canopy, reaching a minimum height of three meters under natural conditions. This definition includes palms, tree ferns, arborescent cacti, and species with dual growth forms that occur both as trees and shrubs. The classification of species into native, endemic, and subendemic categories is based on their known botanical distributions. Endemic species are those confined to the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot, including nearby continental islands such as Trinidad and Tobago. Subendemic species are primarily found in the Caribbean islands but also extend into adjacent continental zones, including southern Florida, coastal Venezuela and Colombia, and parts of Mesoamerica such as Belize, Guatemala, and southeastern Mexico. The dataset distinguishes between single-island endemics, multiple-island endemics, and subendemics to reflect varying degrees of geographic restriction.

Keywords:

biota; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; biodiversity; native tree species; endemic tree species; botanical distribution; Island biogeography; species classification; Lucayan Archipelago; Greater Antilles; Lesser Antilles; Carribbean islands

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