Pico Duarte - Ecology

Ecology

The area has a climate that very few would associate as typical of a Caribbean island, with cool temperatures all year round, going several degrees below freezing during winter nights.

The mountain and the surrounding landscape are covered in pino de cuaba (Pinus occidentalis) forests. The pines frequently host the epiphytes guajaca (Tillandsia spp.) and the parasitic Dendropemon pycnophyllus. Some areas, like the Valle de Lilís, are tree-less meadows of tussock-like pajones (Danthonia domingensis). The understory is composed of shrub such as Lyonia heptamera, Myrica picardae, Myrsine coriacea, Ilex tuerkheimii, Garrya fadyenii and Baccharis myrsinites. All of these species are adapted to the acidic soil of the area.

Typical fauna seen in the area includes the Hispaniolan Palm Crow (Corvus palmarum palmarum), Antillean Siskin (Carduelis dominicensis), Rufous-throated Solitaire (Myadestes genibarbis), Hispaniolan Crossbill (Loxia megaplaga) (abundance directly related to pine cone crop), and Hispaniolan Trogon (Priotelus roseigaster), while at lower elevations the Hispaniolan Amazon (Amazona ventralis), Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa) and Golden Swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea) can be seen. The presence of the Hispaniolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) and Hispaniolan Hutia (Plagiodontia aedium) in the broadleaf forests of lower elevations can be inferred but hasn't been confirmed in many years. Wild boars, descendants of animals introduced to the island during the colonial period, have been reported.

A wildfire in 2003 altered the landscape of a large section of the eastern side of the mountain. However, as of 2008, what was once a hillside of charred trees is now a magnificent new-growth forest. While thousands of charred trees are still standing, a large variety of indigenous grasses and small plants are now growing, creating an even more varied experience to this already diverse ecology.