Recovering Caribbean Nature

The Caribbean is a global biodiversity hotspot, half its resident bird species found nowhere else; yet a quarter are threatened with extinction. This is largely because only 1% of the landscape can be considered natural, with nearly all the land privately owned. The habitat limitations faced by the Caribbean's distinctive fauna and flora can therefore be ameliorated by planning and managing sustainable naturalistic landscapes, parks, and private gardens. This book uniquely provides a theoretical background and practical applications to modify and expand temperate-zone concepts of restoring nature to the tropical Caribbean. Packed with beautiful colour photographs, it offers unifying principles applicable across the tropics and synthesizes information on the Caribbean's environmental uniqueness and globally significant biodiversity. It also provides explicit guidance on establishing sustainable and more naturalistic landscapes, from large public lands to private yards and gardens. The book is essential reading for academics and researchers studying the Caribbean environment, resource management professionals, and scientists and educators from non-governmental organizations who provide programs and advocacy for conservation and regional sustainability. Moreover, it highlights the importance of private lands and gardens, where the greatest gains can be made, so offers a handbook for knowledgeable private landowners and their professional advisors.