Prior to European settlement, the Caribbean was dominated by forested ecosystems. The insular Caribbean has been considered a biodiversity hotspot. Although species diversity is lower than on mainland systems, endemism is high.
Species diversity is highest and endemism is lowest in Trinidad, which has a predominantly continental flora. Endemism is highest in Cuba and Hispaniola, the largest members of the Greater Antilles.
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Robert M. Fresco, and Jack Arnold. Dr. Matt Hastings (John Agar)
“Now close the windows and hush all the fields:
If the trees must, let them silently toss....”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
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—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)