The first phase of the expedition involved capacity building for the Windsor Research Centre, a remote field station established to monitor and centralize research associated with the Cockpit Country.
Jamie Gordon and Lauren Raz prepare herbarium vouchers Setting a Course through Jamaica's Cockpit Country by Lauren Raz and Mike Davenport Establish a nursery at the Windsor Research Centre for propagating and conserving the threatened plants of Cockpit Country.Assess the status of the native forests of Cockpit Country and make recommendations for conserving the region's flora.Document the plant diversity of Cockpit Country by collecting herbarium specimens and locality data.Explore Cockpit Country using historical data, modern maps, and GPS technology in search of the region's lost species and species that are new to science.These are called the “lost species” of Cockpit Country, because scientists are not certain that they still exist.Īll 17 have only been found once in a single location, and some have not been seen in decades.įairchild and its partner organizations are exploring Cockpit Country to learn the fate of the region's lost species and to find ways to conserve the unique habitat. Many of the plants are threatened with extinction, but there are 17 species of particular concern. It is likely that there are many additional plant species waiting to be discovered in the vast unexplored areas.ĭevelopment and deforestation are having a major impact on the native habitats of Cockpit Country. Hiking the steep slopes and sinkholes can be treacherous.īotanists have explored just 25% of the hilltops, but their discoveries in the region have been astonishing.Īpproximately 1,600 native plant species have been found, including 106 species that exist nowhere else. It is easy to become disoriented among the peaks and valleys that all appear identical.
The unique topography of Cockpit Country, often compared to the shape an egg carton, is notoriously difficult to explore. The region is known for its rugged terrain and its diverse plant and animal life. It is a limestone plateau that has been eroded into a patchwork of conic hills and depressions. Jamaica's Cockpit Country is one of the richest and most underexplored regions of the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot.
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