54-538: Cockpit Country is an area in Trelawny and Saint Elizabeth , Saint James , Saint Ann , Manchester and the northern tip of Clarendon parishes, mostly within the west-central side, of Jamaica . The land is marked by lush, montane forests and steep-sided valleys and hollows , as deep as 120 metres (390 ft) in places, separated by conical hills and ridges . During the 16th and 17th centuries , maroons —the escapee former slaves (and their descendants) of
108-561: A World Heritage Site to preserve its environment. A petition for protection of the area was submitted to Prime Minister Bruce Golding in 2006. As of April 2013, public consultations have begun on the definition of the boundary proposed in a recently released study by Mitchell, Miller, Ganapathy, and Spence of the University of the West Indies (UWI). Eleutherodactylus sisyphodemus , a small, critically endangered frog species,
162-629: A large loss of Amazonian rainforest around 2050 due to drought , forest dieback and the subsequent release of more carbon dioxide. Tropical rainforests provide timber as well as animal products such as meat and hides. Rainforests also have value as tourism destinations and for the ecosystem services provided. Many foods originally came from tropical forests, and are still mostly grown on plantations in regions that were formerly primary forest. Also, plant-derived medicines are commonly used for fever, fungal infections, burns, gastrointestinal problems, pain, respiratory problems, and wound treatment. At
216-423: A more open canopy layer than other rainforests, and are found in areas of lower rainfall (630–1,100 mm (25–43 in)). They generally have two layers of trees. A tropical rainforest typically has a number of layers, each with different plants and animals adapted for life in that particular area. Examples include the emergent, canopy , understory and forest floor layers. The emergent layer contains
270-513: A small net impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, though they may have other climatic effects (on cloud formation, for example, by recycling water vapour ). No rainforest today can be considered to be undisturbed. Human-induced deforestation plays a significant role in causing rainforests to release carbon dioxide, as do other factors, whether human-induced or natural, which result in tree death, such as burning and drought. Some climate models operating with interactive vegetation predict
324-407: A small number of very large trees called emergents , which grow above the general canopy , reaching heights of 45–55 m, although on occasion a few species will grow to 70–80 m tall. They need to be able to withstand the hot temperatures and strong winds that occur above the canopy in some areas. Eagles , butterflies , bats and certain monkeys inhabit this layer. The canopy layer contains
378-828: A study by Colin Turnbull , The Forest People , in 1962. Pygmies who live in Southeast Asia are, amongst others, referred to as " Negrito ". There are many tribes in the rainforests of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Sarawak is part of Borneo, the third largest island in the world. Some of the other tribes in Sarawak are: the Kayan, Kenyah, Kejaman, Kelabit, Punan Bah, Tanjong, Sekapan, and the Lahanan. Collectively, they are referred to as Dayaks or Orangulu which means "people of
432-437: A trend towards declining populations in rainforests, for example, reptiles that feed on amphibians and reptiles. This trend requires close monitoring. The seasonality of rainforests affects the reproductive patterns of amphibians, and this in turn can directly affect the species of reptiles that feed on these groups, particularly species with specialized feeding, since these are less likely to use alternative resources. Despite
486-436: A very broad array of fauna , including mammals , reptiles , amphibians , birds and invertebrates . Mammals may include primates , felids and other families. Reptiles include snakes , turtles , chameleons and other families; while birds include such families as vangidae and Cuculidae . Dozens of families of invertebrates are found in rainforests. Fungi are also very common in rainforest areas as they can feed on
540-423: A warm and wet climate with no substantial dry season: typically found within 10 degrees north and south of the equator . Mean monthly temperatures exceed 18 °C (64 °F) during all months of the year. Average annual rainfall is no less than 168 cm (66 in) and can exceed 1,000 cm (390 in) although it typically lies between 175 cm (69 in) and 200 cm (79 in). Many of
594-460: Is a parish in the county of Cornwall in northwest Jamaica . Its capital is Falmouth . It is bordered by the parishes of Saint Ann in the east, Saint James in the west, and Saint Elizabeth and Manchester in the south. Trelawny is known for producing several Olympic sprinters. In 1770, the wealthy planters in St James and St Ann succeeded in having sections of those parishes become
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#1732769212771648-503: Is abundant. Many seedlings that will grow to the canopy level are present in the understory. Only about 5% of the sunlight shining on the rainforest canopy reaches the understory. This layer can be called a shrub layer , although the shrub layer may also be considered a separate layer. The forest floor , the bottom-most layer, receives only 2% of the sunlight. Only plants adapted to low light can grow in this region. Away from riverbanks , swamps and clearings, where dense undergrowth
702-419: Is found, the forest floor is relatively clear of vegetation because of the low sunlight penetration. It also contains decaying plant and animal matter, which disappears quickly, because the warm, humid conditions promote rapid decay. Many forms of fungi growing here help decay the animal and plant waste. More than half of the world's species of plants and animals are found in rainforests. Rainforests support
756-887: Is known only from the Cockpit Country. Cockpit Country hosts 90% of the global population of black-billed amazon , a parrot endemic to Jamaica. Cockpit Country is also home to the Jamaican swallowtail , the largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere. Cockpit Country is one of the last remaining homes for the species. The area has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of many Jamaican bird species. 18°17′43″N 77°41′43″W / 18.2952094°N 77.6953125°W / 18.2952094; -77.6953125 Trelawny Parish Trelawny ( Jamaican Patois : Trilaani or Chrilaani )
810-541: Is part of the Cockpit Country , and is uninhabitable. It is therefore a natural reserve for flora and fauna ; most of Jamaica's 27 endemic bird species can be found there, along with yellow snakes , and the giant swallowtail butterfly , the largest butterfly in the western hemisphere . Most of the parish has the typical limestone features of sinkholes , caves , and underground passages. There are about 48 caves, most with phosphate gatherings. These include
864-539: Is the birthplace of several track and field athletes: Usain Bolt , Veronica Campbell-Brown , Marvin Anderson , Ricardo Chambers , Omar Brown , Michael Frater , Lerone Clarke , Dane Hyatt , Rosemarie Whyte , Michael Greene , Inez Turner , Debbie-Ann Parris , Sanya Richards , Ben Johnson and Warren Weir . The supercentenarian Violet Brown (1900–2017), who was at a time the oldest verified living person in
918-559: The Cameroon to the Congo ( Congo Rainforest ), South America (e.g. the Amazon rainforest ), Central America (e.g. Bosawás , the southern Yucatán Peninsula - El Peten - Belize - Calakmul ), Australia , and on Pacific Islands (such as Hawaiʻi ). Tropical forests have been called the "Earth's lungs ", although it is now known that rainforests contribute little net oxygen addition to
972-710: The atmosphere through photosynthesis . Tropical forests cover a large part of the globe, but temperate rainforests only occur in a few regions around the world. Temperate rainforests are rainforests in temperate regions. They occur in North America (in the Pacific Northwest in Alaska , British Columbia , Washington , Oregon and California ), in Europe (parts of the British Isles such as
1026-400: The 20th century and the area covered by rainforests around the world is shrinking. Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to extinction (possibly more than 50,000 a year; at that rate, says E. O. Wilson of Harvard University , a quarter or more of all species on Earth could be exterminated within 50 years) due to the removal of habitat with destruction of
1080-637: The Cockpit Country. However, these runaways allied with Trelawny Town during the Second Maroon War . When the Maroons of Trelawny Town were deported in 1796, the Maroons of Accompong had difficulty policing the Cockpit Country, and several communities of runaway slaves established themselves there. After the removal of the Trelawny Maroons, the colonial militia built a barracks at their village, which they renamed Maroon Town, Jamaica . At
1134-469: The Earth, but one to two hundred feet above it, extending over thousands of square miles." A true exploration of this habitat only began in the 1980s, when scientists developed methods to reach the canopy, such as firing ropes into the trees using crossbows . Exploration of the canopy is still in its infancy, but other methods include the use of balloons and airships to float above the highest branches and
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#17327692127711188-645: The Green Bay Packers and Maurice Haughton, Atari Bigby . 18°23′N 77°38′W / 18.383°N 77.633°W / 18.383; -77.633 Rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy , moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropical rainforests or temperate rainforests , but other types have been described. Estimates vary from 40% to 75% of all biotic species being indigenous to
1242-733: The Windsor Cave and Carambi Cave (known for its beauty and phosphate deposits). There are several other caves which have Taino carvings on the walls. There are also several underground conduits , with the longest running for 24 kilometres (15 mi). The main rivers are the Martha Brae, Rio Bueno, Cane and Quashie Rivers. Trelawny's sources of employment are based on agriculture , manufacturing , and tourism . Rum and sugar are Trelawny's principal products. Other crops include bananas , yams , strawberries , vegetables , pimento , coffee , ginger , papaya and coconut . Though
1296-464: The building of cranes and walkways planted on the forest floor. The science of accessing tropical forest canopy using airships or similar aerial platforms is called dendronautics . The understory or understorey layer lies between the canopy and the forest floor. It is home to a number of birds , snakes and lizards , as well as predators such as jaguars , boa constrictors and leopards . The leaves are much larger at this level and insect life
1350-836: The coastal areas of Ireland and Scotland , southern Norway , parts of the western Balkans along the Adriatic coast, as well as in Galicia and coastal areas of the eastern Black Sea , including Georgia and coastal Turkey ), in East Asia (in southern China , Highlands of Taiwan , much of Japan and Korea , and on Sakhalin Island and the adjacent Russian Far East coast), in South America (southern Chile ) and also in Australia and New Zealand . Dry rainforests have
1404-470: The colonial militias and Accompong Town to rout them. During the Baptist War of 1831–2, more slaves ran away and found freedom in the Cockpit Country. Accompong Town is an indigenous Maroon community that still has a certain recognized autonomy under the independent Jamaican government. On the north, the main defining feature is the fault-based "Escarpment", a long ridge that extends from Flagstaff in
1458-417: The decomposing remains of plants and animals. The great diversity in rainforest species is in large part the result of diverse and numerous physical refuges , i.e. places in which plants are inaccessible to many herbivores, or in which animals can hide from predators. Having numerous refuges available also results in much higher total biomass than would otherwise be possible. Some species of fauna show
1512-668: The fishing industry is declining, Trelawny still produces a large amount of fish . There are ten beaches along the coast, with more than 30 boats each, as well as 27 fish ponds. There are 25 factories in the parish. These produce sugar , rum , and apparel, among other things. Two of the eight remaining sugar factories in Jamaica are in Trelawny —Hampden Sugar Factory, and Trelawny Sugar, formerly Long Pond Sugar Factory. Trelawny Parish has two MPs and two constituencies ; Trelawny Northern and Trelawny Southern . Trelawny Parish
1566-422: The growth of vegetation in a tropical rainforest, soil quality is often quite poor. Rapid bacterial decay prevents the accumulation of humus . The concentration of iron and aluminium oxides by the laterization process gives the oxisols a bright red colour and sometimes produces mineral deposits such as bauxite . Most trees have roots near the surface because there are insufficient nutrients below
1620-412: The hamlet of Quick Step, at the end of the road into the heart of Cockpit County. The Cockpit Country is Jamaica's largest remaining contiguous rainforest . Cockpit Country Forest Reserve was designated in 1950, and covers an area of 221.75 km. In 1979 an unpublished paper proposed preserving the area as a National Park. In 1994 the geographer Alan Eyre proposed that the Cockpit Country be designated as
1674-473: The increasing deforestation rate, especially in Indonesia, is the expansion of oil palm plantations to meet growing demand for cheap vegetable fats and biofuels . In Indonesia, palm oil is already cultivated on nine million hectares and, together with Malaysia , the island nation produces about 85 percent of the world's palm oil. Several countries, notably Brazil , have declared their deforestation
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1728-477: The interior". About half of Sarawak's 1.5 million people are Dayaks. Most Dayaks, it is believed by anthropologists, came originally from the South-East Asian mainland. Their mythologies support this. Tropical and temperate rainforests have been subjected to heavy legal and illegal logging for their valuable hardwoods and agricultural clearance ( slash-and-burn , clearcutting ) throughout
1782-514: The island of New Guinea is home to an estimated 44 uncontacted tribal groups. The tribes are in danger because of the deforestation, especially in Brazil. Central African rainforest is home of the Mbuti pygmies , one of the hunter-gatherer peoples living in equatorial rainforests characterised by their short height (below one and a half metres, or 59 inches, on average). They were the subject of
1836-558: The island's Spanish and British -operated sugarcane plantations —used this rugged terrain to their benefit, carving out an existence on their own, away from the violent slavers and colonial powers of the lowlands. In the late seventeenth century, the Cockpit Country was a place of refuge for Jamaican Maroons fleeing slavery. During the course of the First Maroon War , there were two Leeward Maroon communities - Cudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town) and Accompong Town . Cudjoe's Town
1890-446: The island. It has a population of 75,558 as of 2012. Most of the parish is flat, with wide plains such as Queen of Spain's Valley, 230 metres (750 ft) above sea level , and Windsor, 180 metres (580 ft) above sea level. Most of southern Trelawny is around 230 metres (750 ft) above sea level. The highest point in the parish is Mount Ayr which is 910 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level. The southern section of Trelawny
1944-437: The majority of the largest trees, typically 30 metres (98 ft) to 45 metres (148 ft) tall. The densest areas of biodiversity are found in the forest canopy, a more or less continuous cover of foliage formed by adjacent treetops. The canopy, by some estimates, is home to 50 percent of all plant species. Epiphytic plants attach to trunks and branches , and obtain water and minerals from rain and debris that collects on
1998-522: The most productive on the island. The largest basin is the Vale of Clarendon, 80 kilometres (50 mi) long and 32 kilometres (20 mi) wide. Queen of Spains Valley, Nassau Valley , and Cave Valley were formed by the same process. Shallow caves, known locally as cockpits, are particularly common around the hamlet of Quick Step, reaching a density of 15 per km. Noteworthy caves include Marta Tick Cave and Minocal's Glory Hole. Ecotourism has been proposed for
2052-568: The parish of Trelawny as they were too far from administrative centres. Trelawny was named after Sir William Trelawny, 6th Baronet , the then Governor of Jamaica , whose prominent family had originated at the manor of Trelawny in the parish of Pelynt in Cornwall, England. The first capital was Martha Brae, located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) inland from Rock Bay. Trelawny is best known for its sugar estates and sugar cane mills . It had more sugar estates than any other parish, so there
2106-594: The plantations. However, a second Maroon uprising in 1795 led to about 600 Maroons being exiled to Nova Scotia, Canada , and later to Sierra Leone in Africa, in 1800. In 2007, the opening ceremony for the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in Trelawny Parish. Trelawny is located at latitude 18°15'N, longitude 77°46'W. It has an area of 874 km , making it the fifth largest parish on
2160-473: The poor soil quality. First is that the soil is highly acidic. The roots of plants rely on an acidity difference between the roots and the soil in order to absorb nutrients. When the soil is acidic, there is little difference, and therefore little absorption of nutrients from the soil. Second, the type of clay particles present in tropical rainforest soil has a poor ability to trap nutrients and stop them from washing away. Even if humans artificially add nutrients to
2214-708: The rainforests. Another factor causing the loss of rainforest is expanding urban areas . Littoral rainforest growing along coastal areas of eastern Australia is now rare due to ribbon development to accommodate the demand for seachange lifestyles. Forests are being destroyed at a rapid pace. Almost 90% of West Africa 's rainforest has been destroyed. Since the arrival of humans, Madagascar has lost two thirds of its original rainforest. At present rates, tropical rainforests in Indonesia would be logged out in 10 years and Papua New Guinea in 13 to 16 years. According to Rainforest Rescue , an important reason for
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2268-420: The rainforests. There may be many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms still undiscovered in tropical rainforests. Tropical rainforests have been called the "jewels of the Earth" and the " world's largest pharmacy ", because over one quarter of natural medicines have been discovered there. Rainforests as well as endemic rainforest species are rapidly disappearing due to deforestation ,
2322-581: The resulting habitat loss and pollution of the atmosphere . Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, high humidity, the presence of moisture-dependent vegetation, a moist layer of leaf litter, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. The largest areas of rainforest are tropical or temperate rainforests, but other vegetation associations including subtropical rainforest , littoral rainforest , cloud forest , vine thicket and even dry rainforest have been described. Tropical rainforests are characterized by
2376-482: The same time, rainforests are usually not used sustainably by non-native peoples but are being exploited or removed for agricultural purposes . On January 18, 2007, FUNAI reported also that it had confirmed the presence of 67 different uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. With this addition, Brazil has now overtaken the island of New Guinea as the country having the largest number of uncontacted tribes. The province of Irian Jaya or West Papua in
2430-421: The soil, the nutrients mostly wash away and are not absorbed by the plants. Finally, these soils are poor due to the high volume of rain in tropical rainforests washes nutrients out of the soil more quickly than in other climates. A natural rainforest emits and absorbs vast quantities of carbon dioxide . On a global scale, long-term fluxes are approximately in balance, so that an undisturbed rainforest would have
2484-464: The southwest, near Quick Step, is the district known as the "Land of Look Behind." It was so named because Spanish horsemen venturing into this region of hostile escaped slaves were said to have ridden two to a mount, one rider facing to the rear to keep a precautionary watch against ambush. Where the ridges between sinkholes in the plateau area have dissolved, flat-bottomed basins or valleys have been formed that are filled with terra rosa soils, some of
2538-433: The start of the nineteenth century, Cuffee established a community of runaway slaves in the Cockpit Country, and resisted attempts by the colonial authorities and the Maroons of Accompong Town to rout them. Then, in the second and third decades of the century, another group of runaway slaves from Trelawny Parish set up a community in the Cockpit Country at Me-no-Sen-You-no-Come . They also succeeded in resisting attempts by
2592-443: The supporting plants. The fauna is similar to that found in the emergent layer but more diverse. A quarter of all insect species are believed to exist in the rainforest canopy. Scientists have long suspected the richness of the canopy as a habitat, but have only recently developed practical methods of exploring it. As long ago as 1917, naturalist William Beebe declared that "another continent of life remains to be discovered, not upon
2646-433: The surface; most of the trees' minerals come from the top layer of decomposing leaves and animals. On younger substrates, especially of volcanic origin, tropical soils may be quite fertile. If rainforest trees are cleared, rain can accumulate on the exposed soil surfaces, creating run-off, and beginning a process of soil erosion . Eventually, streams and rivers form and flooding becomes possible. There are several reasons for
2700-644: The west, through Windsor in the centre, to Campbells and the start of the Barbecue Bottom Road (B10). The Barbecue Bottom Road, which runs north–south, high along the side of a deep, fault-based valley in the east, is the only drivable route across the Cockpit Country. Walkers and riders can use two old, historical trails cross further west, the Troy Trail, and the Quick Step Trail. As of 2006 they are seldom used and difficult to find. In
2754-801: The world's tropical forests are associated with the location of the monsoon trough , also known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone . The broader category of tropical moist forests are located in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn . Tropical rainforests exist in Southeast Asia (from Myanmar (Burma) ) to the Philippines , Malaysia , Indonesia , Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka ; also in Sub-Saharan Africa from
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#17327692127712808-747: The world, was born and resided in Trelawny. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam , a Jamaican-American politician who served in the Maryland State Senate , was born in Trelawny. It is also the birthplace of 2008 USA Today High School Basketball Player of the Year Samardo Samuels , previously of the Cleveland Cavaliers . Other notable citizens include DJ Kamau Preston , dancehall artist Charly Black , basketballer Milo Channing, Rex Nettleford , University of Connecticut basketball player Kentan Facey , and star safety for
2862-469: Was located in the mountains in the southern extremities of Saint James Parish, Jamaica , close to the border of Westmoreland Parish . Accompong is situated just to the south of Cudjoe's Town, on the border between Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth Parish . When the Leeward Maroons signed a peace treaty in 1740, they assisted the colonial authorities in pursuing runaway slaves who sought refuge in
2916-459: Was need for a sea coast town to export it. Falmouth became a thriving seaport and social centre. The town had two of its own newspapers ; The Falmouth Post and The Falmouth Gazette . Trelawny was also home to the largest group of Jamaican Maroons . A 1739 treaty between the Maroons and the English gave the Maroons freedom and land , which effectively put a stop to their raids on
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