Coastal dry tropical forests in Florida and the Caribbean in peril: A review

Coastal dry tropical forests (CDTFs) are important yet vulnerable ecosystems. In this paper, we highlight the special conservation issues facing CDTFs by focusing on one variant of the type, those that occupy limestone substrate in the northeastern Caribbean. Our analysis draws largely from the coastal terrestrial broadleaf forests of the northern Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and southwestern Puerto Rico. Based on surveys of storm surges recorded during major hurricanes during the last 50 years, we define CDTFs as coastal terrestrial broadleaf forests on ground surfaces elevated up to 5 m above sea level and occurring within 5 km of the coast. These forests are not only threatened by land-use change from urbanization but also climate-driven sea level rise (SLR) and hurricanes, which have degraded them and reduced their extent. CDTFs are distinguished from other dry tropical forests by the occasional influence of marine water incursion during periodic storms, requiring species common to th..., , , # Coastal dry tropical forests in Florida and the Caribbean in peril: A review

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1rn8pk115](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1rn8pk115)

## List of hurricanes, year, and storm surge in Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, and Florida between 1970 and 2020.

Hurricanes (categories I-V) since 1970 and their respective maximum storm surge recorded at three locations in northeastern Caribbean region, Florida, Puerto Rico, and The Bahamas.

List of hurricanes, year, and storm surge in Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, and Florida between 1970 and 2020.

## Sharing/Access information

Data was derived from the following sources:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/