Rimental Forest Experiment Station
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United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Forest rimental Forest Experiment Station New Orleans, Sandra Brown, Ariel E. Lugo, Susan Silander, and Leon Liegel Louisiana : -2Ly -7; General Technical Report so-44 September, 1983 0iIgz.Y An Institute of Tropical Forestry Publication JAN4 ACKNOWLEDGMENT This manuscript was prepared in cooperation with the Terrestrial Ecol- ogy Division of the Center for Energy and Environment Research, University of Puerto Rico. Because the Luquillo Experimental Forest is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the United States Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), through its Directorate on Tropical Forests, reviewed and endorsed the manuscript as a contribution to the understanding of forest ecosystems in a tropical Biosphere Reserve. The U.S. Forest Service offers this publica- tion as a contribution to the fulfillment of the objectives of the U.S. MAB Program. CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ............................................ 1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH AREA .......... I CURRENT LAND USE ........................................ 4 Management ................................................ 4 Research ................................................... 5 Recreation ................................................. 6 PROPOSED LAND USE ....................................... 6 CLIMATE ................................................... 11 Rainfall ................................................... 11 Temperature ............................................... 12 Relative Humidity ........................................... 13 Wind Velocity and Direction .................................. 17 Solar Radiation ............................................. 18 SURFACE HYDROLOGY ..................................... 19 WATER QUALITY OF RIVERS ................................ 21 GEOLOGY .................................................. 22 SOILS ....................................................... 23 Surveys and Series Documentation ............................ 23 Physical Properties .......................................... 25 Chemical Properties ......................................... 32 Biotic Properties ............................................ 36 Root Profiles ............................................... 37 VEGETATION ............................................... 38 Floristic Studies ............................................. 39 Autecological Studies ........................................ 41 Tabonuco Forest ............................................ 42 Physiognomy ............................................ 42 Vertical Microclimatic Profiles .............................. 46 Leaf Area Index ........................................... 46 Chlorophyll a ............................................. 47 Biomass .................................................. 47 Primary Productivity and Metabolism ........................ 48 Energy Budget ............................................ 49 Evapotranspiration ........................................ 53 Tree Growth .............................................. 53 Mineral Cycling ........................................... 53 Phenology ................................................ 61 Colorado Forest ............................................. 61 Physiognomy ............................................. 61 Tree Growth ............................................. 62 Palm Forest ................................................ 64 Physiognomy ............................................. 64 Autecological Study of Sierra Palm ........................... 64 Tree Growth ................................ ..&. ......... 65 i Dwarf Forest ............................................... 65 Climate of Pica de1 Oeste ................................... 67 Physiognomy ............................................. 67 Biomass .................................................. 67 Leaf Characteristics ....................................... 70 Chlorophyll a ............................................. 70 Aerial Roots .............................................. 71 Epiphytes ................................................ 71 Primary Productivity ...................................... 75 Herbivory ................................................ 75 Transpiration ............................................. 75 Phenology ................................................ 80 Succession ............................................... 81 Long-Term Observations of Forest Dynamics .................... 84 Plantations ................................................. 89 FAUNA ..................................................... 89 Insects .................................................... 90 Amphibians ................................................ 94 Reptiles ................................................... 101 Birds ...................................................... 104 Mammals .................................................. 108 Molluscs ................................................... 108 Aquatic Fauna .............................................. 110 DISTURBANCES ............................................ 112 Irradiation Damage and Recovery .............................. 112 Herbicide and Experimental Cutting Damage and Recovery ........ 114 Hurricanes ................................................. 116 CONCLUSION ............................................... 116 Forcing Functions ........................................... 117 Response to Water ........................................... 118 Response to Hurricanes ...................................... 118 Energy Flow ................................................ 119 LITERATURE CITED . 120 Research History and Opportunities in the Luquillo Experimental Forest Sandra Brown, Ariel E. Lugo, Susan Silander, and Leon Liege1 INTRODUCTION National Forest. The Caribbean National Forest was proclaimed a forest reserve in 1903 and has been Tropical forests account for about 50% of the managed by the U.S. Forest Service since 1917. Some world’s total forest area and tropical countries have land in the present Caribbean National Forest was a total population of about one billion people. Today protected under the Spanish Crown as early as 1860. many of the tropical forests are being subjected to When Puerto Rico became part of the United States high rates of deforestation because of the increased territory in 1898, about 5,018 hectares of forest land demand for agricultural land and fuel by the increas- in the Luquillo Mountains were under the protection ing human population. Management of forest areas of the Spanish Crown. The area of the Forest has in many tropical countries is primitive. Yet, the most increased since 1930 to its present size of 11,330 ha. powerful way to curb destruction of forests is through A summary of these and other highlights of forestry the application of sound management principles. Our activity in Puerto Rico are given in table 1. ability to manage tropical forests is hampered by lack The Luquillo Experimental Forest, located in the of understanding of their structure and function. Un- Luquillo Mountains, has elevations ranging from like the situation in the temperate zone, there is about 100 m to 1,075 m above mean sea level. The little long-term ecological research tradition in the highest peak in the range is El Toro with an eleva- tropics, particularly in the New World tropics. Much tion of 1,075 m and the second highest peak is El research in the New Wor!d tropics has been short and Yunque with an elevation of 1,065 m (fig. 3). Other scattered. A notabie exception is the research history peaks with an elevation of approximately 1,000 m at the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico or more are Pica de1 Este (1,050 m), Pica de1 Oeste where scientists have been active since the end of the (1,020 m), El Cacique (1,020 m), Los Picachos (968 last century and a tradition of forestry research m), Mount Britton (937 m), and La Mina (925 m). exists. For example, a literature compilation of fores- The topography of the Mountains is extremely dis- try works in the island (Mosquera and Feheley 1983) sected with steep upper slopes. The largest propor- yielded 1,357 entries. tion of the Mountains (which include the Experi- The objective of this paper is to summarize major mental Forest) lies within the 305 to 610 m range findings of the research activity in the Luquillo Ex- (467,) with only 3% of the Mountains above 915 m perimental Forest. In the context of this review, re- (table 2). The Mountains serve as the headwaters for search opportunities in this tropical environment will six major rivers. Rio Espiritu Santo, Rio Grande de become evident. Loiza, Rio Blanco, Rio Mameyes, Rio Fajardo, and the Rio Sabana. These rivers provide water supply to over 200,000 people. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE The Luquillo Experimental Forest mainly includes RESEARCH AREA four life zones; subtropical wet forest, subtropical rain forest, lower montane wet forest, and lower mon- Puerto Rico, part of the Greater Antilles island tane rain forest (fig. 4). In addition, a small tract of chain, is located in the northeastern Caribbean (fig. land in the southwest portion is within the subtrop- 1). The Luquillo Experimental Forest is located in ical moist forest life zone. The largest proportion of the northeast corner of the island (fig. 2). This Forest, the Forest is in the lower montane wet forest life established in 1956, is congruent with the Caribbean