Field Study 2021
Our area of study was the Scotland District, which is identified as a Key Biodiversity Area. Key Biodiversity Areas represent the most important sites for biodiversity conservation worldwide, and are identified nationally using a Global Standard from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
These areas are so important, as they are usually where one would find endemic species, meaning that particular plant or animal in question is native and restricted to a certain place. Compared to the other islands of the Caribbean with soils enriched by volcanic activity, Barbados is less plant diverse with only TWO endemic species:
Metastelma barbadense
Phyllanthus andersonii
On Day 1, when we went into Turner’s Hall Woods (a great example of how a forest was before Barbados was colonized), one of our endemic species, Phyllanthus andersonii was found. Important to note, there was only one P. andersonii plant found on this long expedition; reinforcing the importance of this field study and conservation.
The plan for this study, was to touch areas at each cardinal point to represent the biodiversity found in the Scotland District. Below one can get a glimpse of what was found at each site, by clicking the:
North Arrow - Pico Teneriffe
West Arrow - Turner’s Hall Woods
East Arrow - East Coast Road | Joe’s River
South Arrow - Bath
Click the arrows for highlights of the Field Study.