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Caribbean National Forest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Caribbean National Forest | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area) | |
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| Location: | Puerto Rico, USA |
| Nearest city: | Rio Grande |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 28,000 acres (113 km²) |
| Established: | 1903 |
| Total Visitation: | 600,000 (in 2005) |
| Governing body: | U.S. Forest Service |
The Caribbean National Forest or El Yunque, is located on the island of Puerto Rico. It is commonly known as only El Yunque (named after the Taíno Indian spirit Yuquiyú, and meaning "Forest of Clouds") which is the main mountain peak in the forest. It is the only tropical forest in the United States National Forest System.
The forest is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains in Puerto Rico, and encompasses over 28,000 acres (113 km²) of land, making it the largest block of public land on the island of Puerto Rico. The highest portion of the forest rises 1,078 metres (3,537 ft) above sea level.
The forest covers lands of the municipalities of Canóvanas, Las Piedras, Luquillo, Fajardo, Ceiba, Naguabo, and Rio Grande.
The forest region was set aside in 1876 by the King Alfonso XII of Spain, and represents one of the oldest reserves in the Western Hemisphere. It is home to over 240 species of trees and plants, 23 of which are found nowhere else. The critically endangered Puerto Rican Parrot, with an estimated wild population of 44 individuals, occurs exclusively in this forest.
Typical yearly rainfall can be up to 240 inches (6 m) per year which constitutes more than 100 billion US gallons (380,000,000 m³) of rainwater fall on the forest per year.
El Yunque is composed of four different forest ecosystems: Tabonuco Forest, Palo Colorado Forest, Palma Sierra Forest, and Dwarf Forest.
El Yunque is also renowned for its unique petroglyphs of historical forest tribes.
- Caribbean National Forest – USDA Forest Service, Official Website