Inventario de la vegetación de la isla de Coiba, Panamá: Composición y florística

Mature and little-altered forest cover large expanses of the central and northern regions of Coiba island, Panama (7°29' N; 81°45' W). A total of 231 species of plants, 203 of which were trees and shrubs, were recorded. The families with the most species were Leguminosae, Rubiaceae, and Melastomataceae. The higher elevation forest of the island center is dominated by Calophyllum longifolium, Eschweilera pittieri, Cassipourea elliptica, and Ternstroemia tepezapote, while Calophyllum longifolium, Tetragasiris panamensis, and Carapa guianensis predominate in the surrounding, low-lying forest. Pelliciera rhizophora and Rhizophora mangle are the most common species of the mangrove forests along the southern shore of the island, and freshwater swamps are characterized by high densities of Prioria copaifera and Peltogyne purpurea. Within the variegated forest in the northern part of the island, we established two 20 x 20 m plots. Within each plot we marked and measured the diameter at breast height (dbh) of all woody plants greater than 1 cm dbh, excluding lianas. One plot yielded 29 species and 156 stems, while the other had 37 species and 158 stems. These levels of diversity are relatively low when compared to same-sized plots from comparable forest areas on mainland Panama.