Search

After hurricane disturbances in tropical forests, the size structure and species composition are affected by immediate mortality, and subsequent recruitment and individual growth. Often, immediate post-disturbance stand-level data are presented but understanding of the components that affect changes in growth and longer-term responses to forest structure and composition are lacking. To answer questions about how mortality, recruitment, and growth change among successional Plant Functional Types (PFT) through time after a hurricane disturbance, we use long-term census data (1989–2014) collected in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. We developed an algorithm to fill missing diameter data from the long-term data set that was collected three months after Hurricane Hugo; and subsequently at five-year intervals. Both the immediate hurricane-induced mortality and subsequent mortality were lower in stems with larger diameters, but varied among successional PFTs Early, Mid, Late, and Palm. Tree growth rates were observed to decrease with time since the hurricane disturbance. Five years after the hurricane, mortality was minimal but then increased gradually with time. In contrast, recruitment was highest five years after the hurricane and then decreased with time. The palm Prestoea montana became the most abundant species in the forest after the hurricane, as it had the lowest immediate hurricane-induced and subsequent mortality, and the highest recruitment. Twenty-five years after the hurricane, the palm and the Late PFT dominate the forest after shifting species composition from pre-hurricane conditions.

Streams and rivers of the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, have been the subject of extensive watershed and aquatic research since the 1980s. This research includes understanding stream export of nutrients and coarse particulate organic matter, physicochemical constituents, aquatic fauna populations and community structure. However, many of the streams and watersheds studied do not appear in standard scale maps. We document recent collaborative and multi-institutional work to improve hydrological network information and identify knowledge gaps. The methods used to delimit and densify stream networks include establishment and incorporation of an updated new vertical datum for Puerto Rico, LIDAR derived elevation, and a combination of visual-manual and automated digitalization processes. The outcomes of this collaborative effort have resulted in improved watershed delineation, densification of hydrologic networks to reflect the scale of on-going studies, and the identification of constraining factors such as unmapped roadways, culverts, and other features of the built environment that interrupt water flow and alter runoff pathways. This work contributes to enhanced knowledge for watershed management, including attributes of riparian areas, effects of road and channel intersections and ridge to reef initiatives with broad application to other watersheds.

Hurricanes shape ecosystems. A broad range of forested ecosystems is particularly affected by hurricanes, thus creating the need for studies addressing the effects of these disturbances. There is a long history of hurricane and forest research on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. In this study, we present results from a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles regarding ecological research conducted in Puerto Rico on the topic of hurricanes and forests published from 1900 through 2017. We present a summary of cyclonic activity on the island during the study period and the results from the systematic literature review within this cyclonic context. We discuss findings in terms of aspects of forests studied, geographical distribution of study areas, and time scales at which research was conducted. These findings allow us to determine what was studied about hurricanes and forests, identify gaps in the information, and suggest possible areas of research and production of new knowledge that recent and future storms can bring. We conclude with recommendations identifying research needs and propose additional approaches to complement existing information. Our goal is to generate future knowledge from hurricane and forest research with the broadest applications possible.