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Contents Editor’s Message ....................................................................................................................................................v A Message from the Director ..............................................................................................................................vi Vision and Mission ...............................................................................................................................................vii A Working Vision for Safety ................................................................................................................................vii The Institute .........................................................................................................................................................viii Institute Headquarters—Historic and Sustainable .................................................. 1 Description of the Institute’s Facilities ...............................................................................................................2 Headquarters ........................................................................................................................................................................2 Sabana Field Research Station ..............................................................................................................................................3 Support and Administration ....................................................................................... 4 Finances and Workforce ......................................................................................................................................4 Incoming Funding ..................................................................................................................................................................4 Distribution of Funds .............................................................................................................................................................4 Workforce Statistics ..............................................................................................................................................................4 Funding Partners for FY12 ...................................................................................................................................5 Cooperators Who Received Funding from the Institute ...........................................................................................................5 Cooperators Who Provided Funds to the Institute ...................................................................................................................5 Institute Social Media (Twitter) ...........................................................................................................................6 Institute Twitter Account ........................................................................................................................................................6 Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative Twitter Account ...........................................................................................6 Research and Development ....................................................................................... 7 Research FY 2012 Key Accomplishments .......................................................................................................7 Information Technology Highlights of 2012......................................................................................................7 Research Highlights of 2012 ..............................................................................................................................8 Scientist Profiles ..................................................................................................................................................10 Ecosystem Ecology ..............................................................................................................................................................10 Soil Ecology ........................................................................................................................................................................10 Social Science ....................................................................................................................................................................10 Plant Physiology ..................................................................................................................................................................10 Wildlife Ecology ...................................................................................................................................................................11 Silviculture ..........................................................................................................................................................................11 Biogeochemistry .................................................................................................................................................................11 Watersheds .........................................................................................................................................................................12 Landscape Ecology .............................................................................................................................................................12 Research Highlights By Scientist ......................................................................................................................13 I. Water, Air, And Soil ...........................................................................................................................................................13 II. Wildlife ...........................................................................................................................................................................17 III. Resource Management and Use .....................................................................................................................................20 IV. Climate Change ..............................................................................................................................................................23 V. Inventory and Monitoring .................................................................................................................................................25 Cooperative Research Agreements .................................................................................................................29 Ecological Effects of Nutrient Enrichment on a Coastal Fringe Mangrove System in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico ...........................29 Sustainable Management of Big-Leaf Mahogany in the Brazilian Amazon .............................................................................29 State and Private Forestry .........................................................................................31 The Urban and Community Forestry Program ................................................................................................32 Green Infrastructure and Our Parks ......................................................................................................................................34 Caguas Arbor Day Celebration ............................................................................................................................................34 St. Croix Historic Trees ........................................................................................................................................................35 Forest Legacy Program ......................................................................................................................................36 Virgin Islands Acquires First Forest Legacy Properties ..........................................................................................................36 The Cooperative Fire Program ..............................................................................................................................................36 Incident Qualifications System (IQS) ....................................................................................................................................37 Dry Hydrant Demonstration