The Dry Evergreen Formations of Jamaica: Part II The Raised Coral Beaches of the North Coast

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Abstract
The plant formations on elevated coral reefs under the direct influence of the sea form, in order of decreasing adversity of habitat, the series; littoral rock pavement vegetation, littoral hedge, littoral evergreen bushland or littoral palm thicket. Quantitative data on their structure and physiognomy support their inclusion in the dry evergreen formation-series of Beard''s classification, and indicate that littoral hedge should be considered as a distinctive type. The correspondence in both structure and physiognomy between littoral evergreen bushland and evergreen bushland of inland sites is particularly striking. Littoral dry evergreen formations owe their existence to a combination of edaphic and local climatic factors among which degree of exposure is of prime importance.