Treesearch

Summary Actual evapotranspiration (aET) and related processes in tropical forests can explain 70% of the lateral global energy transport through latent heat, and therefore are very important in the redistribution of water on the Earth’s surface [Mauser, M., Scha¨dlich, S., 1998. Modelling the spatial distribution of evapotranspiration on different scales using remote sensing data. J. Hydrol. 212–213, 250–267]. Unfortunately, there are few spatial studies of these processes in tropical forests. This research integrates one Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) image and three Moderate Resolution...

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the nutrients that most commonly limit tree growth. Interactions between fertilization and soil type are well known, and in soils with moderate or low N availability, N-fertilization is frequently recommended to improve tree nutrition. The aim of this paper was to analyze how different doses of P and N applied in three different types of soils affect dry mass and nutrient accumulation and partitioning in Eucalyptus grandis young plants, and if fertilization with P may increase N uptake. Fertilization was applied as 1, 2 and 4 g of urea (46% of N) or 6,...

The ability to resist hurricane damage is a property of both individuals and communities, and can have strong effects on the structure and function of many tropical forests. We examined the relative importance of tree size, species, biogeographic origin, local topography, and damage from previous storms in long-term permanent plots in a rehabilitated subtropical moist forest in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Georges in order to better predict patterns of resistance. Severe damage included uprooted trees, snapped stems, or crowns with greater than 50 percent branch loss. Hurricane induced...

Five permanent plots were established along an elevational gradient in the San Patricio urban forest. At the time of the study (August, 2004) we found 29 forest species in a 0.19 ha area. Of these, seven were introduced and dominated the mogote valley where there had previously been a military base. The slopes and top of the mogote were dominated by native species, particularly Coccoloba diversifolia. Regeneration included foreign and native species that dominated the valley and the high areas of the mogote, respectively. The structure of the five stands was similar to tree densities...

We studied an urban forest established in 1988 by residents of the El Paraíso urbanization. In 2007 the forest had 37 forest species (9 native and 28 introduced) with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 4 cm in a 1.0785 ha area. The most common species was the hybrid mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla x mahagony) with an Importance Value of 24.3 percent. The forest had two species endemic to Puerto Rico (maga or Thespesia grandiflora and the royal palm or Roystonea borinquena) as well as native primary forest species such as bulletwood or ausubo (Manilkara bidentata) and lignum vitae or...

From 1995 to 2003 we measured growth in basal area and height of all trees with a diameter at breast heigh (1.3m) of ≥ 2 and < 4cm (understory trees) and ≥ 4cm (canopy trees) in a secondary forest located in Utuado’s coffee zone. The forest is in the subtropical wet life zone transitioning to humid in the Jácana sector of Caguana Ward. During September 21-22, 1998, hurricane Georges passed through the stand with maximum sustained winds of 184 km/h and gusts of 240 km/h. Growth rates were analyzed during three stages: before the hurricane, immediately after the hurricane, and four years...

From 1995 to 2003 we studied species composition and structure in a secondary subtropical wet forest in Utuado Puerto Rico. During September 21-22, 1998, hurricane Georges passed through the stand with maximum sustained winds of 184 km/h and gusts of 240 km/h. Species richness increased after the hurricane. While native species Miconia prasina reduced its Importance Value, the naturalized species Eugenia jambos (synonymous with Syzygium jambos) increased in Importance Value because of the hurricane. Effects to the forest structure brought about by the hurricane were more noticeable in the...

We studied changes that occurred between 1997 and 2005 on a secondary wet subtropical urban forest in the University of Puerto Rico’s Botanical Garden (Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio). Hurricane Georges passed south of the forest on November 21, 1998 with 127 km/h winds. The study consisted of identifying species in 40 plots of 254 m2 each, measuring the diameter at breast height (dbh) and height of the trees and estimating the structural indexes (basal area and tree density, species Importance Value [IV], growth and death rates of trees, and recruitment to the > 4cm dbh class). The...