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Species Composition and Differences in Diversity Among the Pterocarpus officinalis Forested Wetlands of Puerto Rico
Rusty A. Feagin1,*, Frances Toledo-Rodríguez2, Ricardo J. Colón-Rivera1, Fred Smeins1, and Roel Lopez3
1Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845 , USA. 2S Fish and Wildlife Service, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, MA 01950, USA. 3Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. *Corresponding author.
Caribbean Naturalist, No. 4 (2013)
Abstract
Pterocarpus officinalis (Dragonsblood Tree, known as Palo de Pollo in Puerto Rico)-dominated forests are a rare ecosystem, found only in fifteen locations in Puerto Rico, most of which are adjacent to the coast and are at risk from sea level rise, nutrient pollution, upstream hydrological modifications, and deforestation. Prior to this study, there was little information on the diversity of organisms inhabiting these forests. The central objectives of our study were to examine the diversity and species composition of three Pterocarpus forests in Puerto Rico located in Humacao, Patillas, and Dorado; compare and contrast diversity among the three forests; and identify possible differences caused by human influences or natural factors. Visual surveys, vegetation plots, pitfall traps, insect traps and nets, and audio recordings were carried out to collect records of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, mollusks), plants, and fungi. The Dorado Pterocarpus forest is only 2.4 ha in extent, but is the richest and most diverse; Humacao, the largest tract sampled at 150 ha (63% of the total Pterocarpus coverage in Puerto Rico), is the least rich and diverse. The most obvious factor influencing richness and diversity among the forests is the adjacent land cover and history of the sites. Saltwater intrusion (Humacao), freshwater inflow from watersheds (Humacao, Dorado), and emerging spring water sources (Patillas) may also be factors that alter richness and diversity. Our results will be useful to those planning the appropriate management of this ecosystem in the context of ongoing sea-level rise, climate change, nutrient pollution, upstream hydrological modifications, and deforestation.
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