Tropical forests hold most of Earth’s biodiversity. Their continued loss through deforestation and agriculture is the main threat to species globally, more than disease, invasive species, and climate change. However, not all tropical forests have the same ability to sustain biodiversity. Those that have been disturbed by humans, including forests previously cleared and regrown (secondary growth), have lower levels of species richness compared with undisturbed (primary) forests. The difference is even greater considering extinctions that will later emanate from the disturbance (extinction debt). Here, we find that Haiti has less than 1% of its original primary forest and is therefore among the most deforested countries. Primary forest has declined over three decades inside national parks, and 42 of the 50 highest and largest mountains have lost all primary forest. Our surveys of vertebrate diversity (especially amphibians and reptiles) on mountaintops indicates that endemic species have been lost along with the loss of forest. At the current rate, Haiti will lose essentially all of its primary forest during the next two decades and is already undergoing a mass extinction of its biodiversity because of deforestation. These findings point to the need, in general, for better reporting of forest cover data of relevance to biodiversity, instead of “total forest” as defined by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization. Expanded detection and monitoring of primary forest globally will improve the efficiency of conservation measures, inside and outside of protected areas.

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We determined that Haiti has less than 1% of its original primary (virgin) forest and will likely lose it all in the next two decades at the current rate (1). We focused on primary forest because of its close connection with species survival (2). The letter by Wampler et al.(3) mostly discusses peripheral issues not bearing on our conclusions, such as the extent and classification of forest in Haiti that is not primary forest and perceptions by policymakers. We disagree on all points, especially their suggestion that alarming conclusions should have a positive spin.In our analysis, we mapped the entire country and did not do a "national extrapolation" as claimed, and made statistical-not subjective-extrapolations of future forest distribution. While it is possible that some of the earliest primary forest we defined is old secondary forest, this is unlikely based on its location and our use of groundbased verification. Even if true, it would mean that there is less primary forest in Haiti than we estimated, not more. Similarly, the exact percentage of Haiti covered with primary forest, before humans arrived, is not pertinent. Even using the lowest value (35%) noted by Wampler et al.(3), Haiti would still have <1% remaining and our conclusions would be unchanged.We tested several methods to derive annual composite images, including dry-season medoid, wetseason medoid, annual medoid, and annual maximum normalized difference vegetation index. Although the different compositing approaches provided slight differences in absolute values of primary forest for a given year, the trajectories of primary forest loss were nearly identical across approaches. Because the annual mediod yielded more stable images across the time series, it is unlikely that our reporting of primary forest trends based on that method is biased, as suggested by Wampler et al. (3).Wampler et al. (3) refer to our exclusion of other forest types, but these types were not relevant because the bulk of biodiversity is in the primary forest. For the same reason, their discussion of reforestation misses our point that loss of primary forest leads to extinction. Those extinct species will not reappear if denuded mountaintops are reforested. Although not mentioned by Wampler et al. (3), expansion of the last patches of primary forest through planting of native trees could slow or stop the mass extinction. Reforestation also could help prevent further extinctions of species that do not require primary forest.We do not apologize that our results on the primary forests and biodiversity of Haiti are cause for alarm. Our surveys suggest that endemic species have been lost along with primary forest and that a mass extinction of biodiversity is underway, with evidence that protected areas are not slowing the deforestation. Wampler et al.(3) argue that these conclusions, being so alarming, will have "negative policy reverberations and implications globally." We disagree and believe that sugarcoating the truth is unacceptable. It could lead to delayed mitigation effor...

A new species of Specklinia with a repent growth habit and minute purple flowers is described and illustrated. The new species is distinguished from Specklinia wrightii based on its morphological and molecular distinctness from that species. The phylogenetic placement of the new species is provided based on an nrITS tree. The species described here represents the first new orchid to be described from material originating from the Parc National Naturel Macaya in six years. New combinations are made in Acianthera for species of Kraenzlinella and Pleurothallis subgen. Antilla embedded within the genus. In particular Kraenzlinella rinkei is provided as a new synonym for Specklinia montezumae and Specklinia simpliciflora is transferred to Acianthera sect. Antilla based on morphology and geographic distribution.

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