Cayman Islands dry forests
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| Cayman Islands dry forests | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Ecoregion territory (in blue dashed box) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropic |
| Biome | Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Geography | |
| Area | 135 km2 (52 sq mi) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 19°20′20″N 81°12′04″W / 19.339°N 81.201°W |
The Cayman Islands dry forests ecoregion (WWF ID: NT0208) covers about half of the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The other half of the low-lying islands are mangroves. The dry forests of Grand Cayman have been heavily cleared or degraded for human development; the less populated islands have more intact wooded habitat.[1][2] [3]
The three main islands of the Caymans are Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The islands are low and flat on a limestone base. The islands, 200-300km south of Cuba, are at the western end of the Greater Antilles.[2]
Climate
The climate of the ecoregion is Tropical savanna climate - dry winter (Köppen climate classification (Aw)). This climate is characterized by relatively even temperatures throughout the year, and a pronounced dry season. The driest month has less than 60 mm of precipitation, and is drier than the average month.[4][5]