Puerto Rican moist forests

Coordinates: 18°12′N 66°30′W / 18.2°N 66.5°W

El Yunque National Forest

The Puerto Rican moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Puerto Rico. They cover an area of 7,544 km² (2,913 sq mi).^[1]

Lowland forests

Lowland forests are found throughout the island's coastal lowlands except for the dry southwest. Characteristic tree species include Hymenaea courbaril, Palma de Coroso (Acrocomia media), Nectandra coriacea, and Zanthoxylum martinicense. Trees reach a height of 24 m (79 ft) in the northern portions, but are shorter elsewhere. Several species are adapted to dry periods by being deciduous or semi-deciduous.^[1]

Montane forests

Montane forests cover the Sierra de Luquillo and the higher peaks of the Cordillera Central. Trees at middle elevations reach a height of 34 m (112 ft) and a diameter of 2.5 m (8.2 ft). Common trees of the Sierra de Luquillo include Cyathea arborea, Prestoea acuminata, Cecropia peltata, and Ocotea species. Weinmannia pinnata, Brunellia comocladiifolia, and Podocarpus coriaceus are found in the cloud forests of the highest peaks.^[1]

Fauna

Puerto Rican moist forests are home to a variety of endemic animal species such as the critically endangered Puerto Rican amazon (Amazona vittata) and coquís (Eleutherodactylus spp.). Limestone forests are rich in land snail diversity, with many species restricted to small areas.^[2]

See also

• El Yunque National Forest
• Neotropic ecozone
• Puerto Rican dry forests
• List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)

References

1. Olson, D. (1999). Taylor H. Ricketts, ed. Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-1-55963-722-0.
2. World Wildlife Fund (2001). "Puerto Rican moist forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-11-17.

External links

• "Puerto Rican moist forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.