Baño de Oro
Location
County: Fajordo
Forest: El Yunque (formerly Carribean)
District: El Yunque
Ecological and Physical Description
Baño de Oro Natural Area was made part of the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) Biosphere Reserve in 1976. It is situated at elevations between 245 and 1,025 meters in the wettest part of Puerto Rico, encompasses four major forest types. Soils range from deep alluviums in the narrow valleys to shallow, rocky ridges. Two life zones, four major forest types, and the rare Pterocarpus swamp are found within the area or bordering it. Numerous tree species, epiphytes, ferns, liverworts, and mosses characterize the vegetation. The four forest types are lower montane rain forest, montane rain forest, palm brake, and dwarf forest. Locally, these forests are known as tabonuco, colorado, palm, and dwarf forests, respectively, and host 225 species of native trees in 144 genera and 59 plant families.
Tropical marine climate in the northeast trade wind and hurricane belt. Much of the rainfall is orographic, caused by the ascent of moisture laden trade winds over mountain barriers. Rainfall fluctuates considerably from year to year; mean annual rainfall varies between 92-157 inches (2,350-4,000 mm). Rainfall varies during the year with Feb, March, and April drier than other months and the wettest months being May, October and November. Mean annual relative humidity is >98% at summit locations. Flooding is most likely to occur between May and November, the time of maximum rainfall expectancy.
Pico del Oeste and six other Luquillo Experimental Forest climatic stations located a short distance from Baño de Oro.
Baño de Oro is underlain by a complexly faulted and folded terrain composed chiefly of Cetaceous volcanic rocks, subordinate Cretaceous and /or Tertiary intrusive bodies, and minor lower Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The underlying rocks are largely tuff, volcanic breccia, and tuffaceous sandstone and siltstone, chiefly marine. Lava probably constitutes more than 15% of the 10,000 m or deeper section and is chiefly concentrated in the lower part and locally in the middle part. Limestone occurs sporadically in the upper part of the section.
Major soil orders identified are Ultisols, occupying ~1/3 of the area, and Inceptisols, occupying the remaining areas. Generally Ultisols are confined to the largest river valleys below 600 m in elevation and Inceptisols occupy the main ridges and adjacent terrain down to 300 m in elevation. SCS (now NRCS) classified entire area as the Los Guineos–Guayabota rock land association, characterized by shallow to deep, well–drained to poorly drained, strongly sloping to very steep soils on volcanic uplands in tropical rain forests. Refer to Weaver, GTR SO–111, September 1994.
Two major rivers, the Rio Mameyes and the Rio Fajardo, have their headwaters in the Baño de Oro (figs. 2 and 4). The Rio Mameyes, made up of three tributaries with a combined river length of about 12 km, flows north draining two–thirds of the Baño de Oro. The Rio Fajardo, with one tributary, has a combined river length of 7 km. It flows north and then east, draining the remainder of the Baño de Oro. The combination of heavy rainfalls and steep slopes sometimes concentrates runoff into flows that exceed stream channels for short periods. Flooding is most likely to be associated with major rain-producing events such as tropical storms, cold fronts, or hurricanes. Flooding in the upper headwaters of the Rio Mameyes and Rio Fajardo, however, is localized and of short duration because of the steep topography.
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugenia eggersii | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
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| Laplaceaportoricensis | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
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| Marliera sintensii | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
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| Ternstroemia luquillensis | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
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| Xylosma schwaneckeanum | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
Common Animal Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazona vittata | Puerto Rican parrot | At Risk Species | ✔ | On the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Puerto Rico. |
| Falco peregrinus tundrius | Arctic peregrine falcon | At Risk Species | ✔ | On the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Puerto Rico. |
| Epicrates inornatus | Puerto Rican boa constrictor | At Risk Species | ✔ | On the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Puerto Rico. |
| Accipiter striatus vendor | Sharp-skinned hawk | At Risk Species | ✔ | Listed by the Commonwealth Department of Natural Resources as threatened or endangered. |
| Ekutherodactylus eneidae | At Risk Species | ✔ | Listed by the Commonwealth Department of Natural Resources as threatened or endangered. |
|
| E. karlschmidti | At Risk Species | ✔ | Listed by the Commonwealth Department of Natural Resources as threatened or endangered. |
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| Buteo platypterus brunnescens | Broad-winged hawk | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
| Denclroica angelae | Elfin woods warbler | At Risk Species | ✔ | Classified as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. |
Publications
- Peter Weaver. 1994. Baño de Oro Natural Area, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico
- Peter Weaver. 1997. Magnolia splendens Urban laurel sabino. Magnoliaceae, Magnolia family .
- Peter Weaver. 2011. El Toro Wilderness, Luqillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico