Rosas dominicana is a large evergreen shrub that occurs in dry limestone forest in a narrow range of habitat along the northern karst of Puerto Rico. The species prefers microhabitat conditions of lower elevations and in drainage areas. It does not grow on sandy soils, possibly due to competition for light from other plants and the lack of available water.
It flowers for a short period in May and develops fruit subsequently until November. When the recovery plan for this species was written in 1994, there was limited information about its reproductive biology; therefore, it was difficult to assess population sizes.
Because of this limited data, we believe that the current population size is small and that a significant portion of the population is declining (USFWS 1994, p. 5).
Currently, this species occurs in multiple protected areas, including in the GCF and SCF, and on private lands managed for conservation. However, it is not abundant in these areas, and connectivity between populations is reduced (PRDNER 2015b, p. 1). Our proposed rule seeks to address these issues by reclassifying this species from endangered to threatened.
Among the Dominican women who contributed to the independence of La Repblica Dominicana from Spain are Rosa Duarte, who devoted her life to her brother’s cause and fought against her death sentence for treason (La Trinitaria). During this month’s Hostos panel, scholars implored students to do more research on Dominican women’s contributions toward nation-building. They also encouraged students to advocate for the recognition of their homeland’s contributions, which have been erased over time.