with facilities located at The Springfield Centre for Environmental Protection, Research and Education

Why the Commonwealth of Dominica?

Dominica is the third largest island in the Lesser Antilles and the largest of the Windward Islands. Dominica is 29 miles long and 16 miles wide. The island offers a spectacular variety of tropical ecosystems from volcanic craters to cloud forests. The rugged topography rises nearly 5,000 feet and includes rain forests, dry forests, cloud forests and seacoast. The central mountain range is dominated by Morne Diablotins (1447 m) in the north and Morne Trois Pitons (1387 m) in the south. The mountains create an effective orographic barrier so that tropical dry forest can be found along much of the western coast of the island. The east side supports tropical wet forest, which grades into cloud or elfin forest at higher elevations. The mountains, high rainfall, and rugged terrain have to a large extent prevented the over development and resource depletion that is characteristic of most of the other Caribbean islands. One of Dominica's greatest assets is the magnificence of its forests, which are considered to be the finest in the Eastern Caribbean. Associated with these forests is a rich array of plant and animal species.

The high rainfall (up to 300 inches/760 cm per year) supports an extensive system of rivers, streams, waterfalls, and two freshwater lakes, including a geothermal lake that is one of the largest in the world. The abundance of water has had both positive and negative effects. Hydropower is the main source of electricity, there is a rich aquatic fauna and flora, and water is exported for sale to the more arid islands. However, the heavy rainfall also causes rapid run-off with flash flooding and soil erosion. The island also has significant geothermal resources. Most striking is Boiling Lake--the second largest of its kind in the world. Other areas have hot springs and fumaroles. Most notable is the famous Valley of Desolation, which is located in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park.

Known as the "Nature Island of the Caribbean," Dominica offers a rich laboratory of biodiversity with nearly 40,000 acres protected in world heritage sites, national parks and forest reserve. More than 1,000 species of flowering plants are found on the island, including 74 identified species of orchids and 200 ferns. As many as 60 different species of trees are commonly found in a four-hectare plot of rain forest. There are more than 170 species of birds, including two species of endangered parrots, along with bats, iguanas, crabs, freshwater shrimp and boa constrictors, but no poisonous snakes. Several species of whales and dolphins are found offshore, as well as a spectacular variety of sponges, corals, soft corals and tropical fish. The proximity of the marine and undisturbed terrestrial environments places Dominica in a unique setting for research and educational activities.

The island ecosystem of Dominica offers an exceptional opportunity to study under relatively controlled conditions the entire spectrum of ecological, economic, and social factors that influence the human relationship with tropical ecosystems. Dominica is an independent nation and a member of the United Nations; yet because of its size, it presents a microcosm for the study of developing tropical nations. There is great potential for the development of a country-level program in conservation and sustainable development. The goal of the Archbold Tropical Research and Education Consortium is to develop an array of programs that utilize this resource.

The 75,000 residents of the island live mostly near the coast, and their main sources of income are agriculture and service industries. Bananas are the major crop. Tourism is limited because of the lack of amenities usually associated with other Caribbean islands such as extensive sandy beaches, casinos, and shopping opportunities but there is a great potential for nature-based tourism. Despite the lack of severe pressure from tourism, the concentration of the population near the coast does impose significant problems with regard to coastal zone management.

Virtual Tour of Dominica: See spectacular waterfalls, The Valley of Desolation and Boiling Lake!

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