The Guánica State Forest ( Spanish : Bosque Estatal de Guánica ), popularly known as the Guánica Dry Forest (Spanish: Bosque seco de Guánica ) is a subtropical dry forest located in southwest Puerto Rico . The area was designated as a forest reserve in 1919 and a United Nations Biosphere Reserve in 1981. It is considered the best preserved subtropical dry forest and the best example of dry forest in the Caribbean .
20-486: With approximately 10,000 acres, it is the largest of the 20 state forests of Puerto Rico , and it extends over 5 municipalities: Guánica , Guayanilla , Peñuelas , Ponce , and Yauco (although the forest units located in the municipalities of Peñuelas and Ponce only consist of keys and small islands). The dry forest area of southwestern Puerto Rico protected under the jurisdiction of the Guánica Dry Forest
40-507: Is a rare species of tree in the family Icacinaceae known by the common name pincho palo de rosa . It is native to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola . When it was listed as an endangered species under the United States' Endangered Species Act in 1990 there were only nine individuals remaining on Puerto Rico. This evergreen grows up to 4 to 5 meters tall and has thick, leathery oval leaves. The flowers have not been described in
60-551: Is also popular in the coral reefs and in the beaches. There are 12 hiking trails with varying difficulties open to visitors and the reserve is also popular for birdwatching . List of state forests in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico state forests ( Spanish : Bosques estatales de Puerto Rico ), sometimes referred to as Puerto Rico Commonwealth forests in English, are protected forest reserves managed by
80-451: Is low; between 30 and 50 tree species are found per hectare. More than 700 plant species, of which 48 are endangered and 16 are endemic to the forest, occur within the forest. Some of the endangered plant species in the forest include the sebucan cactus ( Leptocereus quadricostatus ), the palo de rosa ( Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon ), the violeta tree ( Polygala cowellii ), and the critically endangered bariaco ( Trichilia triacantha ). One of
100-714: Is the case of La Parguera Natural Reserve within Boquerón State Forest , for example. There are currently 20 units in the Puerto Rico state forest system. The first protected forests in Puerto Rico were designated not for their ecological value but for their industrial timber utility in the form of Spanish Crown Lands under the Inspección de Montes , the equivalent of the Spanish Colonial Forest service. El Yunque , for example,
120-584: The Cordillera Central ( Guilarte and Toro Negro ). In addition to their natural resources these areas were also managed as tourist attractions, something that is evident in the territory-wide construction projects of visitor infrastructure by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s Roosevelt presidency. Many of these structures and buildings today possess historical and architectural value, and some are listed in
140-709: The National Register of Historic Places as New Deal Era Constructions in the Forest Reserves of Puerto Rico (1933-1942). A notable example of these is the Santa Ana Observation Tower , popularly called La Torre de Piedra . It was during this time that the ownership of the western portions of the Caribbean National Forest passed to the territorial government, creating Toro Negro in 1934 and Guilarte, which
160-472: The Southern karst region of Puerto Rico. The soils in the state forest include limestone, fine and soft lime soil which include areas of sand and clay where deciduous plants grow, and sand and clay soils where evergreen plants thrive. The Guánica State Forest is of great natural complexity and scientific importance as it serves as a critical habitat to numerous species of animals and plants that are unique to
180-594: The government of Puerto Rico , particularly by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources . In addition to their function as protected forest reserves, many of the forests are analogous to state parks in other states and territories of the United States, as they also function as management units that cater to recreational, educational and cultural activities. Additionally, state forests in Puerto Rico can contain units with additional protection designations within their boundaries, as
200-591: The Puerto Rican crested toad, other protected animal species in the forest include the Puerto Rican vireo ( Vireo latimeri ), the Puerto Rican nightjar ( Antrostomus noctitherus ), the red land crab ( Gecarcinus ruricola ), and the Mona basket shrimp ( Typhlatya monae ). The dry forest is also one of the few habitats where the Cook's pallid anole ( Anolis cooki ) can be found. The coral reefs and maritime areas of
220-551: The coasts of Puerto Rico for their ecological value between 1918 and 1919: Aguirre , Boquerón , Ceiba , and Guánica . The latter had its boundaries extended in order to protect a large tract of dry forest , a type of ecosystem that used to be common in the Caribbean but had now almost completely disappeared. These became the first state or territorial-level protected forests in the island and, in December 1919, ownership of
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#1732765857223240-677: The federally protected forest tract in the westernmost portion of the Cordillera Central passed to the territorial government, making the Maricao Forest the first woodland to receive this designation. By 1935 all the newly protected woodlands of Puerto Rico under were consolidated as part of the Caribbean National Forest , which was then divided into the areas of the Sierra de Luquillo ( El Yunque ) and
260-580: The forest reserve are also home to numerous coral, animal and plant species, such as the West Indian manatee which feeds on seaweeds, found in underwater prairies in the reserve. The vegetation in the forest is divided into three main groups: upland deciduous forest (which occupies 23.5 square kilometres or 9.1 square miles), semi- evergreen forest (7.2 square kilometres or 2.8 square miles), and scrub forest (5.8 square kilometres or 2.2 square miles). Similar to other insular dry forests species diversity
280-482: The most famous plant inhabitants of the forest is an old-growth guaiacwood tree or guayacán ( Guaiacum officinale ) often called the Guayacán Centenario ("the centenary guaiacwood") which could be as old as 1,000 years-old. The dry forest is open to visitors and some of its beaches are popular with tourists and locals alike. Fishing and biking are allowed in special designated areas, while scuba diving
300-670: The natural conditions created by the karstic geology of the forest, and current efforts by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) include breeding programs and projects to release individuals of this species in similar ecosystems in Coamo and in the Northern karst of Puerto Rico. Approximately half of Puerto Rico's birds and nine of sixteen the endemic bird species occur in the Guánica State Forest. In addition to
320-412: The nature reserve. Located in the dry orographic rain shadow of the Cordillera Central , Puerto Rico's driest area, temperatures in the forest are, on average, around 80 °F (27 °C) in shaded areas and 100 °F (38 °C) in exposed areas. The average temperature is 25.3 °C (77.5 °F) and the average annual rainfall is 791 millimetres (31.1 in). The dry forest is located on
340-440: The region. Its ecosystems include sandy beaches, rocky shores, mangrove forests, seagrass prairies, coral reefs, limestone caverns, saltwater lagoons, salt flats and different types of dry forests (both deciduous and evergreen). The last remaining natural population of Puerto Rican crested toads ( Peltophryne lemur ) can be found in the intermittent freshwater pools which are created by seasonal rains. This species proliferates in
360-661: Was first established in 1919 as a forest reserve. The United Nations recognized the ecological value of the forest in 1981 when it was designated a Biosphere Reserve , the second in Puerto Rico after El Yunque National Forest (then called the Caribbean National Forest). The forest was given further protections as a nature reserve on October 16, 1985, by the Puerto Rico Planning Board (Spanish: Junta De Planificación ), and all provisions from Law No. 133 from 1975 were subsequently applied to
380-756: Was separated from the latter, in 1935. In the following decades, previously designated natural reserves such as Carite , Guajataca and Rio Abajo were given the additional designation of state forest. Several of the forest, such as Bosque del Pueblo , San Patricio and Monte Choca , have gained their protected designation thanks to the actions of grassroots movements and local community actions. The following are Puerto Rico state forests. (G, H, K, O, P, R, S, W) Key: B = Boating C = Camping F = Fishing G = Photography H = Hiking K = Kayaking O = Nature Observation P = Picnicking R = Scientific Research S = Swimming W = Bird Watching Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon
400-602: Was the first forested area to receive this designation in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War in 1898 and, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside these former timberlands to proclaim the Luquillo Forest Reserve, the first ecologically protected area in the island. Meanwhile, on the state level, colonial governor Arthur Yager set aside mangrove forests along
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