Tropical Forest Microclimatic Changes: Hurricane, Drought, and 15–20 Year Climate Trend Effects on Elevational Gradient Temperature and Moisture

Abstract

The effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria and a severe drought on the temperature, precipitation,and soil moisture (under canopy and in the open) were calculated at 22 sites from 0–1045m in northeastern Puerto Rico from 2001–2021, against the background short-term trend. Medianand minimum air temperatures increased uniformly across the elevational gradient, 1.6 times as fastin the air under the canopy (+0.08 °C/yr) and 2.2 times as fast in the soil under the canopy (+0.11°C/yr) as for air temperature in the open. There were no substantial moisture trends (average decrease<0.01 mm/yr). The peak effect of the hurricanes on under-canopy air temperature was thesame as under-canopy soil temperature at 1000 m (+3, 0.7, 0.4 °C for maximum, median, minimum)but air maximum and minimum temperature peak effects were twice as high at 0 m (and soil temperaturesstayed constant). Soil temperature hurricane recovery took longer at higher elevations.The peak effect of the hurricanes and the drought on the soil moisture was the same (but in oppositedirections, ±0%), except for the wettest months where drought peak effect was larger and increasingwith elevation. Differing patterns with elevation indicate different ecosystem stresses.

Citation

Van Beusekom, Ashley E.; González, Grizelle; Rivera, María M. 2023. Tropical Forest Microclimatic Changes: Hurricane, Drought, and 15–20 Year Climate Trend Effects on Elevational Gradient Temperature and Moisture. Forests. 14(2): 325-. https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020325.