Editing Haiti (section)

===Environment===
{{Main|Environment of Haiti|Deforestation in Haiti}}
[[File:Haiti deforestation.jpg|thumb|Haiti's border with the [[Dominican Republic]] in 2002, showing the extent of deforestation on the Haitian side (left)]]

The [[Erosion|soil erosion]] released from the upper [[Drainage basin|catchments]] and [[deforestation]] have caused periodic and severe flooding, as experienced, for example, on 17 September 2004. Earlier in May that year, floods had killed over 3,000 people on Haiti's southern border with the Dominican Republic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-23-haiti-deforest_x.htm|title=Deforestation Exacerbates Haiti Floods|work=USA Today|date=23 September 2004|access-date=24 July 2013|archive-date=23 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223200050/http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-23-haiti-deforest_x.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Haiti's forests covered 60% of the country as recently as 50 years ago, but that has been halved to a current estimate of 30% tree cover. This estimate poses a stark difference from the erroneous figure of 2% which has been oft-cited in discourse concerning the country's environmental condition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.envirosociety.org/2016/05/haiti-is-covered-with-trees/|title=Haiti Is Covered with Trees|website=EnviroSociety|last=Tarter|first=Andrew|date=19 May 2016|access-date=19 May 2016|archive-date=16 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116104040/http://www.envirosociety.org/2016/05/haiti-is-covered-with-trees/|url-status=live}}</ref> Haiti had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 4.01/10, ranking it 137th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G}}</ref>

Scientists at the [[The Earth Institute#Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)Earth Institute|Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network]] and the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] are working on the Haiti Regenerative Initiative, an initiative aiming to reduce poverty and natural disaster vulnerability through ecosystem restoration and sustainable resource management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://haiti.ciesin.columbia.edu/|title=Haiti GeoPortal at CIESIN|year=2012|publisher=Columbia University|location=New York|access-date=6 December 2016|archive-date=11 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911115349/http://haiti.ciesin.columbia.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Biodiversity====
{{Main|Wildlife of Haiti}}
[[File:Hispaniolan Solenodon crop.jpg|thumb|right|The endangered Hispaniolan solenodon, endemic to the island]]
Haiti is home to four ecoregions: [[Hispaniolan moist forests]], [[Hispaniolan dry forests]], [[Hispaniolan pine forests]], and [[Greater Antilles mangroves]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref>

Despite its small size, Haiti's mountainous terrain and resultant multiple climatic zones has resulted in a wide variety of plant life.<ref name="Bradt6">Clammer, Paul (2016), ''Bradt Travel Guide – Haiti'', p. 6.</ref> Notable tree species include the [[breadfruit tree]], [[mango tree]], [[acacia]], [[mahogany]], [[coconut palm]], [[royal palm]] and [[Cedrela odorata|West Indian cedar]].<ref name="Bradt6"/> The forests were formerly much more extensive, but have been subject to severe deforestation.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica - Haiti"/>

Most mammal species are not native, having been brought to the island since colonial times.<ref name="Bradt6"/> However, there are various native [[bat]] species, as well as the endemic [[Hispaniolan hutia]] and [[Hispaniolan solenodon]].<ref name="Bradt6"/> Whale and dolphin species can also be found off Haiti's coast.

There are over 260 species of birds, 31 endemic to Hispaniola.<ref name="Bradt4">Clammer, Paul (2016), ''Bradt Travel Guide – Haiti'', p. 4.</ref> Notable endemic species include the [[Hispaniolan trogon]], [[Hispaniolan parakeet]], [[grey-crowned tanager]] and the [[Hispaniolan Amazon]].<ref name="Bradt4"/> There are also several [[Raptor (bird)|raptor]]s, as well as pelicans, ibis, hummingbirds and ducks.

Reptiles are common, with species such as the [[rhinoceros iguana]], [[Chilabothrus fordii|Haitian boa]], [[American crocodile]] and [[gecko]].<ref name="Bradt5">Clammer, Paul (2016), ''Bradt Travel Guide – Haiti'', p. 5</ref>