El Yunque National Forest and Guanica State Forest are two important forests in Puerto Rico. El Yunque is located in the northeast region and contains 4 zones with different vegetation based on elevation. It receives over 185 inches of rain annually and is home to over 100 vertebrate species including the Puerto Rican parrot. Guanica is located in the southwest and contains the largest dry forest in the Caribbean. It receives only 25-30 inches of rain per year and has adapted flora like cacti and succulents. Both forests are internationally recognized biosphere reserves that are important for conservation and research.

1. El Yunque National Forest vs.
Guanica State Forest
Mónica C. del Moral
Jaslin Isern
Hernán Méndez
Fernando Pacheco
Danilo Pérez
Verónica Torres

2. El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque Natural Rainforest has become one
of the world‟s greatest natural wonders due to the
ecological diversity that distinguishes it. Its
captivating beauty has attracted so much attention
that it has even been considered a candidate in
becoming one of the new Seven Natural Wonders of
the World. But how did this forest become the
biological jewel it is today?

3. • From the very origins of our civilization, El Yunque has
been of major importance in different aspects.
• It is believed that the Taíno Indians would worship
Yuquiyú, the god of good, from the peaks of this singular
highland. They called this mountain Yuque, meaning sacred
or white lands, since their peaks were covered with clouds
(the Spanish later mistook the name and called it Yunque).
• Its unique beauty attracted the Spanish and in 1876 King
Alfonso XII designated 12,000 acres of the Sierra de
Luquillo as a reserve, making El Yunque one of the oldest
reserves in the Western Hemisphere.

4. • In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, the Spanish
Crown ceded Puerto Rico to the United States. Five years
later, United States‟ President, Theodore
Roosevelt, proclaimed the forest the „Luquillo Forest
Reserve‟.
• The name was once again changed under the management
of the Forest Service Division of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the „Caribbean
National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest‟.
• In 1976, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed it the first
International Biosphere Reserve in Puerto Rico, under the
program „El Hombre y la Biosfera‟.

5. Guanica State Forest
With population growth and the need for
land, forests have been threatened worldwide, many
of which have been altered by man. Fortunately
Guanica Dry Forest, classified as a xerophyte
subtropical forest, is one of the best preserved dry
forests in existence.

6. • Originally, the forest was a private property in which
farming took place.
• In 1919 it was established as the „Guánica State Forest‟.
Because of its importance, it was later designated as a
Forest Reserve in 1985.
• Due to its complexity of natural and scientific
importance, in 1981, the United Nations Organization
(UN), under the program of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) it was awarded the distinction of being the
second International Biosphere Reserve in Puerto Rico.

7. • This forest has given great importance to scientific
research, vital information to develop a management plan
aimed at forest conservation.
• Currently, Mr. Miguel Canals of the Department of Natural
and Environmental Resources (DNER), directs the forest
and has participated in many of the scientific research that
has occurred there.
• A compilation of some of the research done until 1990 was
published in the journal „Acta Scientifica‟. From 1990
onwards 119 investigations have been conducted in a
variety of fields, such as flora and
fauna, archeology, ecology, and fishery, among others.

8. El Yunque National Forest localization
•It is located in the north-east region of Puerto Rico in the Sierra
de Luquillo.
•El Yunque takes certain areas of Canóvanas, Río
Grande, Luquillo, Las Piedras, Naguabo and Fajardo.
•It is around 11,500 hectares of terrain

9. Guanica State Forest localization
• The Dry forest of Guanica is located at the south-
west of Puerto Rico.
•It is in the Coast of Gúanica.
•It is approximately 11,000 cords of terrain
including 8 nautical miles.

10. Climate
El Yunque
• It is very moist all year
• A lot of breeze
• The temperature is 77.9 F in the
low regions of the forest; in the
high regions of the forest it may
decrease up to 65 F.
Dry forest of Guánica
• Very dry
• Hardly any precipitation
• Temperature reaches the 75 F
during the rainy months(August-
November) and 95 F during the
dry months(December-April)

11. Precipitation
El Yunque
• Annually there are 1,625 rainfalls
• Average of rain is 97 inches in the
low regions and in the high
regions is 185 inches
• Months of mayor rain: September
and October
• Minor rain: February and March
Dry Forest of Guánica
• Does not rain often
• The average amount of rain per
year 25-30 inches
• A lot of evaporation
• It has a lot of marine influences :
humidity and salinity

12. Soil
El Yunque
• Extensive
• Moist yet useless
• Low in nutrients
• Not fertile
• It is elevated terrain
• Not very deep
Dry Forest of Guánica
• Limiting
• Dry and useless
• Low accumulation of organic
components
• Not fertile
• It is mostly plane terrain
• It is mostly rocks and stones

13. Rivers(water)
El Yunque
• Has 8 mayor rivers: Espiritu
Santo, Mameyes, Sabana, Pitanay
a, Fajardo, Santiago, Río Blanco
and Río Grande de Loíza
And many innumerable ravines and
streams
Dry Forest of Guánica
• Lack of permanent rivers

14. Flora of El Yunque National Forest
• 240 native species
• 26 endemic species
• 47 exotic species
• 50 native orchids
• 150 Ferns

15. El Yunque is divided in four zones
• Tabonuco Forest
• Palo Colorado Forest
• Palma Sierra Forest
• Enano Forest or Cloud Forest

16. 1) Tabonuco Forest
• Elevation 600m
• Acres covered (13,335)
• Tall Trees that have few branches in its lower
regions
• Dominant Species: Tabonuco Tree(Dacryodes
excelsa)

17. Other species
• Arboreal Ferns(Cyathea arborea)
• The Guaraguao tree(Guarea guidona)
• Laurel Sabio (Magnolia splendens)
• Ausubo(Manilkara bidentata)
• Yagrumo Hembra(Cecropia peltata)

20. 2) Palo Colorado Forest
• 600m-900m Elevation
• Acre Extension(8,490)
• Trees with hollow trunks and Superficial roots
• Dominant species: Palo Colorado(Cyrilla
racemiflora)

21. Other Species
• Caimillito(Micropholis garcinifolia)
• Caimillito Verde(Micropholis garciniaefolia)
• Yagrumo (Cecropia peltata)
• Azafran(Hedyosmum arborencens)

23. 3) Palma Sierra Forest
• Elevation 600m
• Acre Extension (5,088)
• Palms have stabilizer root systems
• Dominant species: Palma Sierra(Prestoea montana)

25. 4) Enano Forest
(Cloud Forest)• Elevation 1000m
• Acre extension (933)
• Low elevation trees no more than 12 feet tall.
• Dominant species:
• Nemoca(Ocotea spathulata)
• Roble Sierra(Tabebuia rigida)
• Camasey Negro(Calycogonium
squamulosum)
• Guayabota(Eugenia borinquensis)

27. Other species
• Moss
• Bromelias
• Orchids

29. Flora of Guanica State forest
• Extreme living conditions
• Variety of species:
▫ 550- 85 families
▫ 180 trees- 19 are endemic
▫ 45 endangered from extinction

30. Flora of Guanica State forest
1. Characteristics
▫ Many plants reproduce asexually
▫ Distribution: clumped, uniform and random
▫ Small leaves
▫ Deciduous plant
▫ Succulents
▫ Photosynthetic stems

31. Flora of Guanica State forest
1. Characteristics
▫ Vestigial flower petals and leaves
▫ Many thorns, spines and prickles
▫ Semelparity and iteroparity
▫ CAM photosynthesis
▫ Many shrubs
▫ Most trees(maximum height)- 5 meters

32. 1) Deciduous Forest
a) Bucida b) Bursera

33. 2) Evergreen Forest
Guayacán
Centenario

34. 3) Succulents
a)Melocactus

35. b) Agave

36. 4) Thorny-shrub Forest
Acacia

37. 5) Salts Marshes
Batis-Sesuvium
6)Fringing Mangroves
Button Mangrove

38. 7) Hedge and thicket
a) Opuntia cacti b) African savanah grass

39. 8) Sandy beaches
a) Uva playera b) Australian pine

40. Fauna of El Yunque National Forest
• In the forest inhabits over 100 species of vertebrates.
• Mammals are represented by 11 species of bats.
• The general fauna of the forest consists mainly of
birds and lizards.
• Amphibians are represented by 12 species of
“Coqui”. Two of them in danger of extinction.
• Birds are approximately 66 species.

41. 1) Mammals
• Brown Flower Bat (Erophylla
sezekoni bombifrons)
• Antillean Ghost Faced Bat
(Mormoops blainvillei)

42. 2) Reptiles
• Lagarto verde (Anolis cuvieri)
• Lagartijo comun (Anolis
cristatellus)
• Boa de Puerto Rico (Epicrates
inornatus)

43. 3) Amphibians
• 12 species of the genus
Eleutherodactylus. 2 of them I
endangered species.
• Coqui Eneida (E. eneidae)
• Coqui palmeado (E. karlschmidti)

44. 4) Birds
• Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona
vittata)
• Puerto Rican Tody “San Pedrito”
(Todus mexicanus)
• Stripe-Headed Tanager “Reinita
Mora” (Spindalis portoricensis)
• Bananaquit “Reinita” (Coereba
flaveola)

45. Fauna of the Guanica State Forest

46. Herpetofauna• < Ameiva
. wetmorei
21 species of reptiles.
8 are endemic.
v Anolis poncensis

47. Ornithology
• Mariquita or
. Yellow-shouldered
. Blackbird
Guabairo o
Caprimulgus

48. Ornithology
• There are a series of endemic birds, which can be found
in the Dry Forest which include:
• Carpintero (Melarerpes portorricensis).
• Pájaro bobo mayor (Saurothera vieillotil).
• Zumbadorcito (Chlorostilbon margaeus).
• San Pedrito (Todus mexicanus).
• Comeñame (Loxigilla portorricensis).
• Bien-te-veo (Vireo latimeri).
• Juí (Myiarchus stolidus ant illarum).
• Mariquita (Agelaius xanthomus).
• Guabairo (Caparimulgus vociferus noctitherus).

49. Entomology
• The variety of insects includes
beetles, grasshoppers, and a series of endemic
termites and ants.
Camponotus taino Solenopsis torrei

50. Marine Fauna
• The forest also posses an aquatic area with
preliminary lists claiming a diversity of over 1,000
species. These include crustaceans, aquatic
mammals, fish, sponges and many more.

51. Human disturbances

52. WELCOME TO
EL YUNQUE!
AND THE
GUANICA
DRY FOREST!

53. Award: Best
Infrastructure
• Runner Up:

54. Awards: Best
Newcomer
Runner-up

55. Award: Best
Newcomer

56. Award: Most
Popular
Runner-Ups:

57. Experiences and opinions

58. Bibliography
• http://www.drna.gobierno.pr/biblioteca/publicaciones/hojas-de-nuestro-
ambiente/Yunque.pdf
• http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5338936.pdf
• http://rainforests.pwnet.org/spanish_version/pages/caribbean_NF.htm
• http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=cyra_012_avp.tif
• http://ponce.inter.edu/acad/cursos/ciencia/pages/guanica.htm
http://www.drna.gobierno.pr/biblioteca/publicaciones/hojas-de-nuestro-
ambiente/34-Guanica.pdf
http://robertospuertorico.com/the-guanica-dry-forest-reserve/
• http://elyunque.com/
• Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales de Puerto Rico.
(2008, November). DRNA. Retrieved july 6, 2013, from drna.gobierno.pr:
http://www.drna.gobierno.pr/biblioteca/publicaciones/hojas-de-nuestro-
ambiente/34-Guanica.pdf
• Ramirez, D. J. (n.d.). Bosque Seco de Guanica. Retrieved july 6, 2013, from
ponce.inter.edu: http://ponce.inter.edu/acad/cursos/ciencia/pages/guanica.htm

59. Thank you