The Cayman Islands National Census, conducted in 1999, was a very important exercise to collect information that will help the decision-makers plan for our future. However, this census only considers part of the population of the Cayman Islands - people. In 1997 the National Trust for the Cayman Islands received funding from the United Kingdom government, through the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-UK), for a 'census' of the wild life within remaining forested areas of the Cayman Islands. This census will help decision-makers take stock and plan for the future of our natural environment.

Much of the life in Caymanian forests is unique to our islands. The Ironwood trees, Banana Orchids, Iguanas, Cayman Parrots and blue throated lizards cannot be found living wild anywhere else in the world. The WWF-UK funding provides the opportunity to look more closely in our forests and thoroughly assess the natural variety of life. This variety is called 'biodiversity' and policy makers around the world are beginning to realise its importance to agriculture, breeding and for the discovery of new drugs to treat disease. Prior to the WWF-UK funding, there was a basic lack of information of the biodiversity of our forests; the vegetation patterns of dry forest areas throughout the Cayman Islands have never been mapped. Now we are able to review what is left and set priorities for protection.

The process of mapping and fieldwork began with the purchase of satellite images of the islands. Satellites have long been in use by meteorologists to predict the weather and by the military to view countries far away. Now the technology has become a useful tool for land and coastal management. It gives a wide picture of massive areas that would be very difficult and time consuming to access. In this case, the satellites Landsat for Grand Cayman and SPOT for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were used for the survey. These satellites are particularly good for mapping and monitoring vegetation. The images were extensively analysed and preliminary vegetation maps of the islands were generated. The vegetation maps indicated distinct zones where it would seem different types of vegetation would grow. The maps enabled the field survey team (Fred Burton, National Trust Environmental Programmes Director; Kevin Eden, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park; Penny Clifford, The Trust's Herbarium Manager) to decide on survey sites that ensured they would visit each major vegetation zone. From the ground it would have been very time consuming and near impossible to identify each distinct vegetation zone.

Fieldwork began on Cayman Brac in May 1998, Little Cayman in July 1998 and Grand Cayman in March 1999. Using a Geographical Positioning System, which uses real time satellite differential correction (dGPS) the team could navigate to each site to within 3 feet of the point decided from the satellite map. At each site the team identified and measured the abundance of all the trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers and epiphytes growing there. They also recorded any animals present, and took details of the physical nature of the site including soils and rock types. This information was then transferred back to the vegetation maps, allowing detailed interpretation and fine-tuning of the satellite images.

During the survey 14 grass species, 4 herb species and 6 tree species were identified that had never before been recorded in the Cayman Islands. In East End Grand Cayman, the Small Leaf Rosemary Bush (Croton rosmarinoides) and the Crab Bush (Evolvulus squamosus) were identified, which were originally thought to live only on Little Cayman. Several years ago the silvery bromeliad (or air plant Tillandsia paucifolia) was also found in North Side, again this plant was thought to live only on Little Cayman.

The thousands of plant records and habitat types gathered during the field survey are being analysed to develop natural vegetation classification for the three islands, which will distinguish the major vegetation communities. This information has been coupled with other projects such as the Census of the breeding population of the Cayman Brac Parrot. Nesting sites were located and referenced using the dGPS. The nest locations are then related back to the vegetation map of Cayman Brac. This exercise indicated that the Cayman Brac Parrot nests in Cedar trees that are located exclusively in one distinct vegetation zone. This information provides substance for a management plan that not only protects the Cayman Brac Parrot but also their breeding habitat, which is crucial to their survival. The layering of maps, vegetation and parrot nesting sites in this way is stored together in a Geographical Information System or GIS.

The products of the analysis of fieldwork data are beginning to emerge, including a series of maps of the remaining forested areas. These will soon be available in digital form to users of the governments land information system, and printed maps will also be available to interested members of the general public.

Maps of undisturbed vegetation in the Cayman Islands, 1998. 
© Frederic J. Burton/National Trust for the Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman	Little Cayman
Cayman Brac

During the survey 14 grass species, 4 herb species and 6 tree species were identified that had never before been recorded in the Cayman Islands.

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