U.S. Virgin Islands’ Forests, 2024: A Forest Inventory and Analysis Report
| Authors: | Belinda Esham, Ted Ridley |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | Resource Bulletin |
| Station: | Southern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-RB-255 |
| Source: | USDA Forest Service |
Abstract
This report summarizes the findings of data collected as part of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) using data collected during inventory years spanning 2014 to 2024. The year 2024 was the first year the All Conditions Inventory (ACI) was employed and notable differences from traditional forest land inventory are highlighted in this report. The ACI yielded more information than measuring forest land alone. It has promise in island inventories where urban trees, fruit trees, yard trees, and other land conditions not defined as forest are important. As of 2024, forest land covers 59.6 percent of the USVI and is relatively stable, as changes in forest cover have been within sampling errors since 2004 when the inventory was first implemented. The data in this report are based on 108 field plots across the USVI, mainly on St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. Dry tropical forests dominate the islands, with a lesser amount of moist forest occurring on all three islands. The majority of trees fall into the smaller diameter classes, although there is some indication that forests are growing into larger classes slowly. The effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 were apparent and that is discussed in detail in this report. Development pressure, strong storms, and nonnative species all impact the USVI’s forests and will continue to be a threat going forward. The forest inventory is an important tool to measure these effects over time.