Vegetation of Buck Island Reef National Monument an Initial Reassessment
Gibney E. 1996. Vegetation of Buck Island Reef National Monument an Initial Reassessment. 00831. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Includes comparison of past and present vegetation, re-inventory, assessment of endangered species, assessment of exotic species, assessment of restoration and examination of monitoring priorities for Buck Island Reef National Monument. Report on the vegetation of Buck Island. Updates work by Woodbury and Little in 1975. There is a section on community types: seasonal deciduous forest, thorn/cactus, thicket-scrub, beach forest and coastal thicket. Another section describes rare or endangered plants (Malpighia pallens - stinging-bush), Epidendrum bifidum (orchid), and Mammilaria nivosa (woolly nipple cactus). Another section describes three problematic exotic plants: Agave missinum (a century plant), Panicum maximum (Guinea grass), Tamarindus indicus (Indian tamarind), Leucaena leuccocephala (wild tamarind, tan-tan), Thespesia populnea (Otaheiti, seaside maho), Bromelia pinguin (Pinguin, wild pineapple), and Scaevola seriacea (Pacific scaevola, naupaka). Another section describes the damage to vegetation (fruits as well as leaves) by rats. The recommendation section suggests using Buck Island as a plant refuge for endangered plants of St. Croix and lists for recommended species. The final page is a list of 8 plants to be added to the flora of Buck Island.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Gibney, Eleanor
- Date of Issue
- 1996-05
- Units
- BUIS
- Keywords
- Black rat (Rattus rattus), Buck Island Reef National Monument, Checklist, cowhage cherry (Malpighia infestissima), Exotic Species, Plant Communities, Plant Studies, Plants, Rare Species, Restoration, St. Croix, thicket butterfly orchid (Encyclia bifida), Threatened & Endangered Species, US Virgin Islands, woolly nipple cactus (Mammillaria nivosa)