Caribbean National Forest
Encyclopedia
El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Luquillo National Forest, and the Caribbean National Forest, is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico
. It is the only tropical rain forest
in the United States
. The forest is commonly known as El Yunque, which may be attributed to either a Spanish approximation of the aboriginal Taino
word yu-ke which means "white lands", or the word anvil
, which means yunque in Spanish. The second-tallest mountain within El Yunque is also named El Yunque
. El Yunque National Rainforest is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains and it encompasses 28,000 acres (43.753 mi² or 113.32 km²) of land, making it the largest block of public land in Puerto Rico. El Toro, the highest mountain peak in the forest rises 1,065 meters (3,537 ft) above sea level. Ample rainfall (over 200 inches a year in some areas) creates a jungle-like setting - lush foliage, crags, waterfalls and rivers are a prevalent scene. The forest has a number of trails from where the jungle-like territory's flora and fauna can be appreciated.
The forest region was initially set aside in 1876 by the King Alfonso XII of Spain
, and represents one of the oldest reserves in the Western Hemisphere
. It was established as the Luquillo Forest Reserve on 17 January 1903 by the General Land Office
with 65950 acres (266.9 km²), and became a National Forest in 1906. It was renamed Caribbean National Forest on 4 June 1935. It is home to over 200 species of trees and plants, 23 of which are found nowhere else. The critically endangered Puerto Rican Amazon (Amazona vittata), with an estimated wild population of 30 individuals, occurred exclusively in this forest until 19 November 2006, when another wild population was released by the Department of Natural Resources in the municipality of Utuado's Rio Abajo State Forest.
An Executive Order signed by President George W. Bush
on 2 April 2007 changed the name of the Caribbean National Forest to El Yunque National Forest, better reflecting the cultural and historical feelings of the Puerto Rican people.
Because Puerto Rico is south of the Tropic of Cancer, it has a tropical climate. There is no distinct wet or dry season in the El Yunque; it rains year round. The temperature and length of daylight remain fairly constant throughout the year. All of these factors provide a year-round growing season.
the incoming trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean bash into the mountains, leading to an excess of rainfall registered at about 6m (240 inches) per year "About the Forest". This process is called the orographic lift
and accounts for the intense rainfall and constant cloud presence in this mountainous region. This constant cloud cover and persistent winds produced by the adiabatic process of air particles rushing up through the mountainside has affected the morphology of El Yunque
, but the most effect has been on the Bosque Enano or the Dwarf Forest
Typical yearly rainfall can be up to 6 m (240 inches) per year, which constitutes more than 380,000,000 m³ (100 billion US gallons) spread over the forest. The forest contains hundreds of species of trees, orchids, plants, and a few animals. You will hear the Coqui frogs and see large snails as they are enjoying the moisture of the forest. The rain helps to create the perfect ecosystem for the frogs and snails and some other creatures in the habitat. You will also hear many birds singing as you walk the trails.
El Yunque is composed of four different forest vegetation areas: Tabonuco Forest, Palo Colorado Forest, Sierra Palm Forest, and Dwarf Forest.
El Yunque is also renowned for its unique Taíno
petroglyph
s.
. The Dwarf Forest is characterized by the variation of vegetation that is only found in Puerto Rico
. The vegetation shows stunted growth where the bound of the trunk is widened and the number of leaves on the branches is lower than expected (Weaver 2008). Other specific factors that affect the growth of this sub-region is the high level of acidity and poor water runoff from the soil.
provides a vast array of animal and plant life that varies depending on the altitude range in the rainforest. One detail though is the great amount of competition observed in the canopy that does not allow lower level plants to develop and prosper. The characteristic of having a widened tree trunk is ideal for epiphytes that require a host to live. Therefore a substantial amount of epiphyte plants have cemented their existence in the fauna of El Yunque
, specifically in the Dwarf forest do to the moisture, precipitation and protection from the sun.
which is scientifically known as the Eleutherodactylus
is a diverse genus containing approximately 15 species in the island. Of the 15 species 13 of those have been found in the El Yunque National Rainforest. This small frog is no bigger than an American quarter and earned its name due to its call, which begins as the sun sets and ends in early dawn. This has made it an animal of great endearment to Puerto Ricans.
Although the coqui
is considered an amphibian it does possess certain differences from this group. These differences are seen mainly in its morphology, reproduction and developmental stages. In terms of morphology the coqui
does not have webbings between its toes mainly because it is a tree dweller in moist environments. Another big difference is that it does not have a definite larval stage and the eggs laid by the female are terrestrial instead of aquatic (Burrowes and Longo 2010). This means that a semi-developed coqui arises from the incubation period.
allows this little amphibian to reproduce year round intensified from the month of May to the month of September, which coincides with the rainy season in Puerto Rico
. Although this organism has been widespread throughout the island the population has been in decline. The reason for its drop in population has been a fungus that causes skin infections and was first spotted in the 1970 when conducting research (Burrowes and Longo 2010).
has essentially become the species which controls the population of herbivorous insects. It is important to understand that its main source of food are insects that essentially pray on leafy matter. With this understanding the lack of coqui
’s in the environment would lead to these insects spiraling out of control and affect the availability of nutrient for decomposition. This makes the coqui an essential component in El Yunque
’s ecosystem. For these reasons it important to conduct research on the decline of these amphibians in previous years.
population has increased since the introduction in some manner of the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
or better known as the Bd
. (Burrowes and Longo 2010). This fungus has been extremely effective against amphibians because it can cause skin infection, which is very common in amphibians. The coqui
’s found in El Yunque
have somewhat become resistant to the Bd
fungus at the expense of their size, which reduces the aptitude to survive in the wilderness (Burrowes, Longo and Rodriguez 2007). It was also seen that individuals that carry this fungus are more susceptible to frequent places were the Bd
fungus is concentrated. Although the fungus frequents humid environments higher rate of infection was seen in drier climates because coqui
’s tend to cluster in humid areas within this drier climate (Burrowes, Longo and Rodriguez 2007).
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. It is the only tropical rain forest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The forest is commonly known as El Yunque, which may be attributed to either a Spanish approximation of the aboriginal Taino
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
word yu-ke which means "white lands", or the word anvil
Anvil
An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool...
, which means yunque in Spanish. The second-tallest mountain within El Yunque is also named El Yunque
El Yunque, Puerto Rico
The mountain lies completely within the boundaries of the El Yunque National Forest, part of the U.S. Forest Service, which is the only rainforest that belongs to the U.S. Forest Service. The peak itself is one of the highest in Puerto Rico, standing at 1,080 meters above sea level...
. El Yunque National Rainforest is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains and it encompasses 28,000 acres (43.753 mi² or 113.32 km²) of land, making it the largest block of public land in Puerto Rico. El Toro, the highest mountain peak in the forest rises 1,065 meters (3,537 ft) above sea level. Ample rainfall (over 200 inches a year in some areas) creates a jungle-like setting - lush foliage, crags, waterfalls and rivers are a prevalent scene. The forest has a number of trails from where the jungle-like territory's flora and fauna can be appreciated.
History
Alfonso XII of Spain
Alfonso XII was king of Spain, reigning from 1874 to 1885, after a coup d'état restored the monarchy and ended the ephemeral First Spanish Republic.-Early life and paternity:Alfonso was the son of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and...
, and represents one of the oldest reserves in the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
. It was established as the Luquillo Forest Reserve on 17 January 1903 by the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
with 65950 acres (266.9 km²), and became a National Forest in 1906. It was renamed Caribbean National Forest on 4 June 1935. It is home to over 200 species of trees and plants, 23 of which are found nowhere else. The critically endangered Puerto Rican Amazon (Amazona vittata), with an estimated wild population of 30 individuals, occurred exclusively in this forest until 19 November 2006, when another wild population was released by the Department of Natural Resources in the municipality of Utuado's Rio Abajo State Forest.
An Executive Order signed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on 2 April 2007 changed the name of the Caribbean National Forest to El Yunque National Forest, better reflecting the cultural and historical feelings of the Puerto Rican people.
Because Puerto Rico is south of the Tropic of Cancer, it has a tropical climate. There is no distinct wet or dry season in the El Yunque; it rains year round. The temperature and length of daylight remain fairly constant throughout the year. All of these factors provide a year-round growing season.
Ecology and Conservation
Its ecosystem is specifically surveyed by the Management Team of Ecosystems, (Equipo de Manejos de Ecosistemas) which is led by Pedro Rios. Due to its location in the North Eastern part of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
the incoming trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean bash into the mountains, leading to an excess of rainfall registered at about 6m (240 inches) per year "About the Forest". This process is called the orographic lift
Orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and create clouds and, under the right conditions,...
and accounts for the intense rainfall and constant cloud presence in this mountainous region. This constant cloud cover and persistent winds produced by the adiabatic process of air particles rushing up through the mountainside has affected the morphology of El Yunque
El Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
, but the most effect has been on the Bosque Enano or the Dwarf Forest
Flora
El Yunque is composed of four different forest vegetation areas: Tabonuco Forest, Palo Colorado Forest, Sierra Palm Forest, and Dwarf Forest.
El Yunque is also renowned for its unique Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s.
Dwarf Forest
This forest is located at around 900 m and composes the smallest sub-region in El YunqueEl Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
. The Dwarf Forest is characterized by the variation of vegetation that is only found in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The vegetation shows stunted growth where the bound of the trunk is widened and the number of leaves on the branches is lower than expected (Weaver 2008). Other specific factors that affect the growth of this sub-region is the high level of acidity and poor water runoff from the soil.
Main Vegetation
Although many species have adapted to these harsh environments 5 species are frequent in the Dwarf forest: ’’Ocotea spathulata’’, ‘’Tabebuia rigida’’,’’Calyptranthes krugii’’, ’’Eugenia borinquensis’’ and the ‘’Calycogonium squamulosum’’. After the 5 species mentioned above the other type of plants that frequent the Dwarf Rainforest are the epiphytes. As mentioned before El YunqueEl Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
provides a vast array of animal and plant life that varies depending on the altitude range in the rainforest. One detail though is the great amount of competition observed in the canopy that does not allow lower level plants to develop and prosper. The characteristic of having a widened tree trunk is ideal for epiphytes that require a host to live. Therefore a substantial amount of epiphyte plants have cemented their existence in the fauna of El Yunque
El Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
, specifically in the Dwarf forest do to the moisture, precipitation and protection from the sun.
Coqui
The coquiCoquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
which is scientifically known as the Eleutherodactylus
Eleutherodactylus
Eleutherodactylus is a genus of frogs in the Leptodactylidae family. It is typically described as the largest vertebrate genus on Earth, with over 700 species...
is a diverse genus containing approximately 15 species in the island. Of the 15 species 13 of those have been found in the El Yunque National Rainforest. This small frog is no bigger than an American quarter and earned its name due to its call, which begins as the sun sets and ends in early dawn. This has made it an animal of great endearment to Puerto Ricans.
Although the coqui
Coquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
is considered an amphibian it does possess certain differences from this group. These differences are seen mainly in its morphology, reproduction and developmental stages. In terms of morphology the coqui
Coquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
does not have webbings between its toes mainly because it is a tree dweller in moist environments. Another big difference is that it does not have a definite larval stage and the eggs laid by the female are terrestrial instead of aquatic (Burrowes and Longo 2010). This means that a semi-developed coqui arises from the incubation period.
Reproduction
The climate provided by El YunqueEl Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
allows this little amphibian to reproduce year round intensified from the month of May to the month of September, which coincides with the rainy season in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Although this organism has been widespread throughout the island the population has been in decline. The reason for its drop in population has been a fungus that causes skin infections and was first spotted in the 1970 when conducting research (Burrowes and Longo 2010).
Role in the Ecosystem
The coquiCoquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
has essentially become the species which controls the population of herbivorous insects. It is important to understand that its main source of food are insects that essentially pray on leafy matter. With this understanding the lack of coqui
Coquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
’s in the environment would lead to these insects spiraling out of control and affect the availability of nutrient for decomposition. This makes the coqui an essential component in El Yunque
El Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
’s ecosystem. For these reasons it important to conduct research on the decline of these amphibians in previous years.
Population Decline
The decline of the coquiCoquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
population has increased since the introduction in some manner of the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a chytrid fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis. In the decade after it was first discovered in amphibians in 1998, the disease devastated amphibian populations around the world, in a global decline towards multiple extinctions, part of the Holocene...
or better known as the Bd
BD
BD, Bd or bd may refer to:* B. D. , a major character in the Doonesbury comic strip* Bande dessinée , a French term for comic books or graphic novels* Broder Daniel, a Swedish indie pop band...
. (Burrowes and Longo 2010). This fungus has been extremely effective against amphibians because it can cause skin infection, which is very common in amphibians. The coqui
Coquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
’s found in El Yunque
El Yunque
El Yunque may refer to:Mountains* El Yunque, Puerto Rico** El Yunque National Forest, formerly the Caribbean National Forest* El Yunque, Cuba* El Yunque, highest point on Robinson Crusoe Island, ChileOther...
have somewhat become resistant to the Bd
BD
BD, Bd or bd may refer to:* B. D. , a major character in the Doonesbury comic strip* Bande dessinée , a French term for comic books or graphic novels* Broder Daniel, a Swedish indie pop band...
fungus at the expense of their size, which reduces the aptitude to survive in the wilderness (Burrowes, Longo and Rodriguez 2007). It was also seen that individuals that carry this fungus are more susceptible to frequent places were the Bd
BD
BD, Bd or bd may refer to:* B. D. , a major character in the Doonesbury comic strip* Bande dessinée , a French term for comic books or graphic novels* Broder Daniel, a Swedish indie pop band...
fungus is concentrated. Although the fungus frequents humid environments higher rate of infection was seen in drier climates because coqui
Coquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
’s tend to cluster in humid areas within this drier climate (Burrowes, Longo and Rodriguez 2007).
El Portal Rain Forest Center
Opened in 1996, the El Portal Rain Forest Center is designed to give visitors an introduction to the rain forest. A walkway set at 60 feet above the ground allows for a view of the tops of trees, and another walkway winds along tree bases. Exhibits at the center focus on the plants and animals of the rain forest, the importance of rain forests around the world, and threats to rain forests and efforts to conserve them.Miscellaneous
El Yunque National Forest was chosen to the be a part of the America the Beautiful Quarters program.See also
-
- El Toro WildernessEl Toro WildernessEl Toro Wilderness is a National Wilderness Preservation System located partly within El Yunque National Forest on the island of Puerto Rico...
- El Yunque, Puerto RicoEl Yunque, Puerto RicoThe mountain lies completely within the boundaries of the El Yunque National Forest, part of the U.S. Forest Service, which is the only rainforest that belongs to the U.S. Forest Service. The peak itself is one of the highest in Puerto Rico, standing at 1,080 meters above sea level...
- the mountain peak - Puerto Rican moist forestsPuerto Rican moist forestsThe Puerto Rican moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the archipelago of Puerto Rico. They cover an area of .-Lowland forests:Lowland forests are found throughout the island's coastal lowlands except for the dry southwest...
- ecoregionEcoregionAn ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural... - America the Beautiful Quarters
- El Toro Wilderness
External links
-
- El Yunque National Forest – USDA Forest Service, EYNF Official Website
- El Portal Rain Forest Center
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry – USDA Forest Service, IITF Official Website
- El Yunque Photos – Photographs from El Yunque National Forest, January 2006