Happy World Rainforest Day! We want to take today to appreciate some of the Caribbean’s beautiful tropical forests and the unique birds residing within them, as well as provide you with some tips to help conserve the world’s rainforests.
Did you know that the poop of these birds helps keeps these forests growing? Birds are some of the most important seed dispersers, especially in the Caribbean where many of the typical tropical mammals such as monkeys and peccaries are lacking. As birds fly around the forest eating many a tropical fruit, they poop out the seeds, planting many future plants. Some studies have even used birds to help reforest areas using perches and feeders to encourage extra pooping!
The biggest rainforest in the Caribbean is the El Yunque Forest in Puerto Rico. Several years ago this forest took a hard hit during Hurricane Maria. Many of the Caribbean rainforests are actually adapted to the annual hurricane season, tropical plants such as Cecropias are some of the first recolonizers. But climate change has made recent hurricanes far more destructive than many rainforests are accustomed to.
Only 25% of the rainforest remains in the Caribbean. And with continuous destruction for agriculture and growing development we might continue to lose the lush, tropical hills of the Caribbean.
Take a look at our infographic for some ideas on how you can make some of your daily habits more rainforest friendly. Feel free to download and share with others!
Don’t forget to tag @BirdsCaribbean if you share it with your social media followers.