The range rises gently from the east to a maximum height of 1140 m, but ends abruptly along a steep escarpment to the west. Unlike the sharp peaks of the Blue Mountains, the summit of the John Crow Mountains is a slightly tilted plateau, with an unusual landscape of sinkholes and outcrops. Average rainfall ranges between 1500 and 6000 mm per annum. Return to Top Vegetation Lower montane tropical forest Wet limestone forest occurs in the John Crow Mountains at altitudes of less than 800-900 m. Dominant species are Calophyllum calaba , Calyptronoma occidentalis , Drypetes alba , Heliconia caribaea and Cyathea grevilleana .
Climbers are abundant.
Gully forest occurs in gullies in the Blue Mountains. The canopy height is 12-18 m. The most significant trees are Laplacea haematoxylon , Solanum punctulatum and Turpinia occidentalis . Upper montane tropical forest Upper montane forest is the most extensive natural forest type of the Blue Mountains. Among the most abundant species are Clethra occidentalis , Podocarpus urbanii , Alchornea latifolia and Cyrilla racemiflora .