Forests in the USVI provide habitat for terrestrial species, including birds, bats, frogs, lizards, snakes, and innumerable invertebrates. The diversity of plant species and complex structure of forests provide a plethora of niches for forest-dependent species to find food, seek shelter, avoid predation, and reproduce. Of the USVI SGCN, 108 rely on forest habitat including two amphibians, 41 insects, six landbirds, 48 plants, four terrestrial mammals, and seven reptiles. See table below for the list of these species.
Seven Landfire forest categories can be found in the US Virgin Islands. These include Caribbean Floodplain Forest, Caribbean Lowland Moist Serpentine Woodland, Caribbean Lowland Ruderal Rainforest, Caribbean Riparian Forest, Caribbean Ruderal Dry Forest, Caribbean Seasonal Evergreen Submontane/Lowland Forest, Caribbean Semi-deciduous Lowland Forest.
Virtually all of the primary tropical forest in the USVI was cleared for agricultural purposes, particularly the cultivation of sugarcane, by the early twentieth century (Wadsworth 1950, Little et al. 1974). Changes in global economics and the decline of the Caribbean sugar industry resulted in the abandonment of a large portion of these agricultural lands, allowing their reversion to secondary forest (Thomlinson et al. 1996, Rudel et al. 2000). These secondary forests now host a large component of tropical species introduced from throughout the world. “New forests” (a term coined in Lugo and Helmer 2004) have become established over much of these islands and are the subject of research regarding their species composition and ability to provide forest ecosystem services to island inhabitants (Brown and Lugo 1990, Chinea and Helmer 2003). New forests tend to be comprised of non-native weedy species such as tan tan (Leucaena leucocephala), that offer reduced value for habitat and ecosystem function. USVI forests also are comprised of very young trees, reflecting past and present land use and disturbances (Brandeis and Oswalt 2007).
In the last ten years, there have been many research projects conducted by organizations including the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF), the Geospatial Technology and Applications Center (GTAC), the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA), the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, the University of the Virgin Islands, the U.S. Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), and the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Territorial Parks and Protected Areas, to preserve, protect ,promote and inform the general public on the forest of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The U.S. Forest Service has conducted programs to preserve and provide community engagement for U.S. Virgin Islands Forest. They include programs for community forestry and open space, cooperative lands, forest health management, legacy and stewardship, wildfire assistance, and urban and community forestry. (State and Private Forestry Fact Sheet Virgin Islands 2023). The International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF)has conducted research projects in conjunction with other federal agencies (U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Geospatial Technology and Applications Center). For example, research on the canopy covers Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that used ArcGIS lidar data to develop canopy cover data for these regions both pre (Puerto Rico) and post (U.S Virgin Islands) the 2017 Irma and Maria hurricanes to assist with disaster recovery (Rounds et. al., 2024). Another example is the “Forest of the USVI” research, a summary of the “status of forest resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands... [and is] based on the third forest inventory.” (Vega et. al. 2017). One hundred eighteen species (live trees) were included in the dataset, including Tan tan (Leucaena leucocephala), black mampoo (Guapira fragrans) and genip (Melicoccus bijugatus) (Marcano-Vega, Humfredo; Williamson, Joe R. Forests of U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014.)
Locally, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture has also conducted research, primarily on the health of forests. A report conducted in 2018, Forest Health Conditions of St. Thomas and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, focused on determining the current health of the forests, factors that influence its current state (nuisance species, invasive species, diseases) and identifying knowledge gaps about forests in St. Croix and St Thomas in order to use that data as a baseline for future initiatives (Tristan Alan Pierre Allerton, and Skip J. Van 2018). Another study entitled, A Reforestation Profile of the U.S. Virgin Islands, was done along with the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, Geographic Consulting LLC, the Forest Stewardship and Legacy Program, and the University of the Virgin Islands. This research provided information on deforestation and reforestation efforts, past and present, in the U.S. Virgin Islands and discussed the ecology of and the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the forests. The University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station also conducted an analysis of U.S. Virgin Islands’ forests, including current and past conditions, possible threats, active problems and solutions for VIDA. (Michael Morgan, Brian Daley, Louis Hilgemann, and Thomas W. Zimmerman) Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, Geographic Consulting LLC, Forest Stewardship and Legacy Program, Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture University of the Virgin Islands Volume 60, Number 2 (Fall 2017), (Louis Hilgemann and Michael Morgan July 2021) The Island Resources Foundation has also done research for the VIDA’s Urban & Community Forestry Program. It centers around the conservation of rare and endangered species. Some stated objectives that were completed were the updating of native and introduced tree species list, identifying healthy forest areas, sharing the locations of endangered species, developing long- term sustainable conservation plans and cooperating with local and non- local experts to develop a method for determining both species and habitat health.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife has also contributed to research and local public outreach regarding our forests. We have assisted with research done by the Critical Ecology Lab involving the collection of dead leaf and soil core samples to provide data for forest tree research. We have also established a list of native and heritage plants for forest restoration. In a joint effort between DFW and other Department of Planning and Natural Resources departments (Coastal Zone Management, Division of Public Works, Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture) we have also developed tree guidance documents for public lands and landowners that is available for the public.
One of the most recent advancements towards forest preservation in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the creation of the Division of Territorial Parks and Protected Areas (TPPA). It was created in 2022 and is responsible for “of identifying, supervising, administering, managing, regulating, and controlling the use and operation of all public campgrounds, natural areas, scenic waysides, historic sites, recreational trails, monuments, marine trails, marine parks, and other classified protected sites in the territorial parks system” (Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Territorial Parks and Protected Areas, 2026 https://dpnr.vi.gov/parks/). The parks in the department’s purview include Perseverance Bay, Maroon Sanctuary Park, Mount Welcome, Lowry Hill, Hesselberg, Nancy Woodson Spire Nature Preserve, and the St. Thomas East End Reserve totalling over 3000 acres of protected forest.