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Environment
of Dominican Republic
Back in the good
old days, the Dominican Republic was blanketed with lush
rainforests teeming with diverse flora and fauna, including some
1500 species not found anywhere else. Today, many of the swamps
have been drained and trees cut down for charcoal, but there are
still isolated pockets of untamed nature enough to satisfy the
most adamant ecotourist.
The main challenges
facing the environment are overpopulation and poverty. It's a
familiar cycle: Forests are razed to provide firewood, building
materials and farmland; the mountainous countryside and heavy
rains conspire to send the fragile topsoil into the ocean; and the
earth is rendered all but barren. Various organizations in the DR
are working to build a sustainable relationship between the
growing population and the increasingly pressured ecosystem, but
any such changes are difficult to make.
Despite all this,
the Dominican Republic boasts some seriously beautiful
countryside, from mangrove swamps to highland cloud forests,
dozens of gorgeous blooming trees and more than 218 species of
birds. Offshore the wildlife is even more spectacular,
particularly the famous gathering of humpback whales in the Bahía
de Samaná during the breeding season. Manatees, pilot whales and
more than eight species of sea turtle call the waters surrounding
Hispaniola home. |
