Research History and Opportunities in the Luquillo Experimental Forest

Abstract

Tropical forests account for about 50% of the world's total forest area and tropical countries have a total population of about one billion people. Today many of the tropical forests are being subjected to high rates of deforestation because of the increased demand for agricultural land and fuel by the increasing human population. Management of forest areas in many tropical countries is primitive. Yet, the most powerful way to curb destruction of forests is through the application of sound management principles. Our ability to manage tropical forests is hampered by lack of understanding of their structure and function. Unlike the situation in the temperate zone, there is little long-term ecological research tradition in the tropics, particularly in the New World tropics. Much research in the New World tropics has been short and scattered. A notabie exception is the research history at the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico where scientists have been active since the end of the last century and a tradition of forestry research exists. For example, a literature compilation of forestry works in the island (Mosquera and Feheley 1983) yielded 1,357 entries. The objective of this paper is to summarize major findings of the research activity in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. In the context of this review, research opportunities in this tropical environment will become evident.

Citation

Brown, Sandra; Lugo, Ariel E.; Silander, Susan; Liegel, Leon. 1983. Research History and Opportunities in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-44. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 132 p.