There are four officially recognized ecoregions of Hispaniola: (1) Hispaniola Pine Forest, (2) Hispaniola Moist Forest, (3) Hispaniola Dry Forest, and (4) Enriquillo Wetlands. These four regions are of high conservation concern in the Caribbean, due to their species richness, endemism, and ecological vulnerability.

(1) Hispaniola Pine Forest (Bosque de Piños de la Española): A tropical coniferous forest that covers approximately 15% of the island, this ecoregion consists primarily of the Piño Criollo pine tree (Pinus occidentalis). Much of this region has suffered deforestation for agricultural land use, with the largest remaining intact stands located in the Dominican Republic.

Pinus occidentalis (http://dendrome.ucdavis.edu)

(2) Hispaniola Moist Forest (Bosque Húmedo de la Española): Formerly representative of more than half of the island’s original vegetation, now less than 15% of this ecoregion remains. Home to many endemic and endangered species it is an area of particular conservation concern.  Much of the remaining ecoregion in the Dominican Republic is protected several national parks, but forestry and agricultural expansion remain serious threats.
(Link to Terrestrial Profiles – World Wildlife)
http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0127_full.html

(3) Hispaniola Dry Forest (Bosque Seco de la Española): Originally representing 20% of the forests of Hispaniola, it is estimated that less that 8% of the original vegetation stands remain.
(Link to Terrestrial Profiles – World Wildlife)

http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0215_full.html

(4) Enriquillo Wetlands (Humedales de la Española): Home to the largest lake in the Antilles (Lago Enriquillo), the Enriquillo wetlands can be found in the remains of an old marine channel that once divided Hispaniola. Consisting of a series of lagoons, the wetlands are home to American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), the flamenco (Phoenicopterus subar) and many other species.

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Dominican_Republic
(Refer students to the Lago Enriquillo video in the Multimedia section)

Other Ecoregions:
(Refer students to the Marine Map in the multimedia section)

(5) Greater Antilles Mangroves: The mangrove forests of the Dominican Republic are part of the Greater Antilles Mangrove ecoregion. Mangrove forests are found were river mouths intersect with tidal waters from the ocean. Approximately 325 km2 of the mangrove ecoregion is located in the Dominican Republic.
(Refer students to the Mangroves video in the Multimedia section)

Ecoregion/Biome	Dominican Republic	United States	New York
Alpine Tundra		X
Coastal Plains	X	X	X
Coral Reefs	X	X
Deserts	X	X
Lowland Forest	X	X	X
Mangroves	X	X
Mediterranean		X
Mountain Forest	X	X
Pine Forest/Taiga	X	X	X
Semi-Arid Brush	X	X
Semi-Arid Forest	X	X
Temperate Steppe		X
Wetlands		X