Puerto Rico has incredible biodiversity despite its small size, as reflected in El Bosque Seco de Guánica and El Bosque Nacional del Caribe, el Yunque forests. Though only 200km apart, the distinct ecosystems of the dry forest and pluvial forest give visitors a sense of traveling between countries. Both forests impress with their diverse flora and fauna that have uniquely adapted to survive in their environments, making them ideal places to study evolution, natural selection, and adaptability. The author was inspired to love and appreciate Puerto Rico more after visiting these two gifts of nature and desires to study them further, as one can only love what is known.

1. Delaine M. Zayas-Bazán Burgos
Biology Laboratory
Professor E. Llera Santos
Puerto Rico is a privileged island for having the most beautiful scenery in the
world. Even though it is a very small island, it has an incredible biodiversity. This
biodiversity is reflected in El Bosque Seco de Guánica and in El Bosque Nacional del
Caribe, el Yunque. Both forests are very distinct and they are separated from each
other by only 200 kilometers of distance. This distance can be easily traveled in about
three hours. Even when they are relatively close to each other, going from one to the
other gives the visitor the strange feeling of having changed of country in order to see
such distinct ecosystems.
Both forests are extremely impressive. The avian diversity in the Dry Forest, the
amount of flora that lives and survives in it despite the extreme temperatures that can
be reached, is amazing. The pluvial forest shows the same phenomenon. Organisms
have adapted to live extraordinarily in any of these ecosystems, showing great
advances in their adaptation process. This adaptation similitude makes both forests
great environments for the study of evolution, natural selection and adaptability.
Unfortunately Puerto Ricans do not share the same opinion of these two gifts
from nature. The two forests, as well as many other wonderful places of this magnificent
land, are lush, interesting and intriguing. Both provoked in me a desire to love my
country more and appreciate it more. They also caused an immense desire to study
them thoroughly, because one can only love what is known. It was a pleasure to have

2. the opportunity travel and have more than one dedicated professional to join us and
instruct us on the way.