By Melissa Abdo, March 10, 2009
It was a bright cloudless day that we set out to another unexplored inner region of the Cockpit Country. Scaling jagged limestone rocks and making my way over endless deep crevices, with each step my eyes fell upon a broad array of plants. Both as a scientist and conservationist, I felt extremely fortunate to behold and study numerous plant species in their native habitat - many of which are found nowhere else on earth.
Astoundingly, at least 34% of Jamaica’s flora is comprised of endemic plant taxa – plants found nowhere else on earth. Over at least 12 million years, the terrain, habitats, and biodiversity have evolved into the Jamaican landscape we see today, with its abundance of endemic species. Every day during our expedition we seek to capture detailed information on the Jamaican Cockpit Country habitats and the plant diversity they contain, with a special emphasis on collecting data on rare plants and plants endemic to Jamaica. Indeed, there are not only numerous plants endemic to the island but there are also at least 60 known species that are endemic to the Cockpit Country alone.
