The Hispaniolan pine forests cover the high mountains of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, spanning both the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where they extend from the Cordillera Central into Haiti's Massif du Nord at elevations above roughly 800 meters. The forests are dominated by pino criollo (Pinus occidentalis), the island's only native pine, growing alongside other conifers such as the juniper Juniperus gracilior and Podocarpus aristulatus, with broad-leaved understory shrubs at lower elevations. The climate is comparatively cool and seasonal for the tropics, with annual rainfall generally between 1,000 and 2,000 millimeters and a distinct wet season, and temperatures in the higher reaches can fall below freezing. The ecoregion is rated Critical/Endangered: more than half of its original area has been cleared for agriculture, pasture, and plantations, with the Haitian portion far more deforested than the Dominican side. It shelters many endemic animals, including the Hispaniolan crossbill, white-winged warbler, and golden swallow. Gardeners may recognize native genera here such as Juniperus, Vaccinium, and Buddleja.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 19.0°N, 71.1°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
12a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
12a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.3°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Coniferous Forests
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
4,476 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical coniferous forests biome
Subtropical and tropical forests dominated by conifers such as pines, typically in semi-arid climates with seasonal rainfall. They often occupy higher elevations and carry fire-adapted understories.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's CHELSA-derived current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.
Climate-resilient picks · 4
These plants fit this ecoregion today AND remain in range under the mid-century SSP3-7.0 projection. Lead with these for a planting that holds up as the climate shifts.
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical coniferous forests ecoregions to explore: