Hotter days, increased landslides and a surge in mosquitoes are among the implications of the battering of Jamaica’s forests by Hurricane Melissa, the Forestry Department has warned.

“Initial estimates suggest that some 51 per cent, or 272,943.89 hectares, of Jamaica’s forests have been impacted. The level of impact is still being collated,” CEO and conservator of forests at the Forestry Department, Ainsley Henry, told Observer Online.

While assessments are ongoing, Henry noted that all parishes experienced damage, with the most significant impacts reported in St Elizabeth, Trelawny, Manchester, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and sections of other areas.

According to Henry, the environmental consequences are expected to be severe, including increased landslides, erosion, mudflows, flooding, and loss of biodiversity.

“Loss of vegetative cover, and hence increased heat in some areas, are also expected,” Henry said.

Forestry Department CEO Ainsley Henry

He also noted that the destruction of forest cover will lead to reduced shade and worsen the mosquito burden.

To guide recovery efforts, the Forestry Department has launched rapid forest assessments and is ramping up production at all its nurseries to support restoration and rehabilitation.

“We have teams out conducting rapid assessments of the forests so that we can craft recovery plans based on empirical data,” he continued.

According to Henry, the Forestry Department, through negotiation with partners, has secured 1,500 breadfruit seedlings from the Trees That Feed Foundation for distribution at no cost to the hardest-hit parishes.

“We are ramping up production at all our nurseries to support the restoration and rehabilitation efforts,” Henry said.

He explained that reforestation will begin once data collection is complete, with priority given to the areas most affected.

“As you know, trees grow slowly in some instances, so recovery will depend on how badly they were damaged. For species which we expect to resprout such as Blue Mahoe, mahogany, guava, cedar, ackee, breadfruit, bougainvillea, June plum, sea grape and poui we should start seeing signs in a few weeks to six months. For those that have been toppled or killed, we expect recovery to take anywhere from three to 15 years,” he added.

Meanwhile, Henry urged the public to assist the Forestry Department by supporting wildlife protection and properly caring for damaged trees at home.

“We will be calling on the public to volunteer in many areas in the coming months, help with public education, listen to the advice provided by our wildlife experts, and rather than exploiting wildlife, seek to protect them,” Henry said. “For homeowners with damaged trees, we encourage you to prune the affected areas and remove those that cannot be saved to make space for replanting. As always, when in doubt, feel free to contact the Forestry Department for advice or assistance.”

Still, despite the devastation, Henry said all is not lost.

“Jamaica, her forests and her people are resilient,” he assured. “We will rise again, and we will be stronger. Remember, it is by working together that we will recover faster and better.”