Puerto Rico - United States
Vegetation Structure, Species Diversity, and Ecosystem Processes as Measures of Restoration SuccessBackgroundThis article provides an example of how to evaluate forest restoration using integrative methods, including measures of vegetation structure, species diversity, and ecosystem processes. Specifically discussed are four measures of vegetation structure, four measures of species diversity, and six measures of ecosystem processes. Available with subscription or purchase |
Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto RicoBackgroundTree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation species affect soil fauna populations, which may in turn affect the biogeochemistry of the plantation system. Open access copy available |
Effects of forest clearing and succession on the carbon and nitrogen content of soils in Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsBackgroundConversion of tropical forest lands to agriculture or pasture affects soil organic matter, moisture, and nutrients. This study examines the effects on soil carbon, nitrogen, and moisture at depths up to 100 cm of conversion from forest to agriculture and pasture. Available with subscription or purchase |
The Role of Nurse Trees in Mitigating Fire Effects on Tropical Dry Forest Restoration: A Case StudyBackgroundThe authors of this study initially studied differential growth rates in a reforestation project of native tree species with nurse trees(Leucaena leucocephala) and without nurse trees when the area had two fire events. However, authors took advantage of the unplanned experiment to study the effects of fire in reforestation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Evaluación comparativa de dos mitigaciones realizadas en la ciénaga Las Cucharillas, Puerto Rico (Wetland mitigation in Puerto Rico)Open access copy available |
Bioecologia de Arboles Nativos y Exoticos de Puerto Rico and Las Indias Occidentales (Silvics of Native and Exotic Trees of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands)EspañolSobreEsta base de datos fue publicada en Junio del 2000 por el USDA y el US Forest Service como recurso para la identificación y propagación de árboles nativos y exóticos de Puerto Rico y el Caribe. Open access copy available |
The Apparent Paradox of Reestablishing Species Richness on Degraded Lands with Tree MonoculturesbackgroundThis article discusses the use of tropical tree plantations as an approach to rehabilitation of degraded landscapes. For extremely degraded sites, the use of plantations may provide the proper shade, microclimate and protection for other species to colonize the understory. Research on the use of plantations in restoration is discussed, with examples primarily from Puerto Rico. Open access copy available |
Forest Regeneration in a Chronosequence of Tropical Abandoned Pastures: Implications for Restoration EcologyBackgroundDuring the mid‐1900s, most of the island of Puerto Rico was deforested, but a shift in the economy from agriculture to small industry beginning in the 1950s resulted in the abandonment of agricultural lands and recovery of secondary forest. This research examines the natural regeneration patterns on these abandoned agricultural lands in four different regions of Puerto Rico. Available with subscription or purchase |
Carbon Sequestration and Plant Community Dynamics Following Reforestation of Tropical PastureBackgroundConversion of abandoned cattle pasture to secondary forest in the tropics is a potential means to increase carbon sequestration as well as to enhance local biodiversity. This study uses data from a long-term tropical reforestation project – Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico – to estimate rates of above- and belowground carbon sequestration. Open access copy available |
Influence of Overstory Composition on Understory Colonization by Native Species in Plantations on a Degraded Tropical SitebackgroundThis study evaluates forest understory regeneration in a 4.5 year-old plantation in Puerto Rico. The plantations, established in 1989, were planted on abandoned pasture in mixtures or monocultures of three exotic species: Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus robusta, and Leucaena leucocephala. Available with subscription or purchase |
