Report of guanica and yunque

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

Rise Program

Dr. Edwin Vazquez

Report on El Yunque National Rainforest and The Guánica Dry Forest

Group #2

BIOL 3009

Session 1300

July 10, 2011

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Index

Introduction 3

Discussion of adaptations of flora

- El Yunque National Rainforest 4-5

- Guánica Dry Forest 6-7

Methodology

- El Yunque National Rainforest 8

- Guánica Dry Forest 8-9

Results

- Individual results for El Yunque National

Rainforest

- Individual results for Guánica Dry Forest

- Grouped results for Guánica Dry Forest

Results analysis (graphics)

- Individual graphics for El Yunque National

Rainforest

- Individual results for Guánica Dry Forest

- Grouped results for Guánica Dry Forest

Conclusion

Discussion

Credits

Appendix

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Introduction

Living in an island relatively small can have a different perspective about what are

distances. In Puerto Rico running from side to side, for example from Fajardo to Mayaguez,

can last about 4 hours driving a car. It might be raining in the north while in the south might

be warm. Because of this we have evidence that a small region can have a diversity of

ecosystems. To learn more about our natural resources, we entered two Puerto Rican

ecosystems that differ from many essential features: El Yunque National Rainforest and

Guanica Dry Forest. While visiting those places, several tests were made. In the Tropical

Rainforest, the soil was the matter studied, while in the dry forest Floral ecosystem. This

report discusses diferences between the adaptations of the plants in each bioma, exposes all

the data taken, and also offers several graphics.

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Discussion: Adaptations of flora in El Yunque National Rainforest

Since El Yunque is a tropical forest, there are many environmental factors that affect

the growth and development of flora in this area, such as the climate, the temperature, the

minerals in the soil, the fauna, the distribution of water, between others. Because of the

effect of these factors, plants have made several noticeable adaptations to survive in this

ecosystem.

Ever since we got on our first stop in El Yunque, we were able to see some of those

adaptations. One of them was the symbiotic relationship of the Cadam’s tree roots with the

fungal microorganism Myccorrhiza so that they would both help each other to survive by

interchanging food and protection by the means of resistance to toxicity. Other adaptations

were the Caoba’s tree resistance to mite, the ability of Yagrumo’s stem to float and

proliferate, the Bamboo’s ability to dominate a specific area by modifying the soil, capturing

all the sunlight and, therefore, keeping other plants species from growing beneath them. We

also saw an interesting adaptation of bromeliad, which was a type of epiphyte, and which

had a dimorphism adaptation, meaning that it had 2 ways of growing in the same tree

according to the stage of growth on which it was. These 2 ways of growth were the

phototropic growth, which is in direction to sunlight, and the geotropic growth, which is in

direction to the soil. We were also able to see the special adjustment of the big trees’ roots to

the unstable and rocky-bottomed soil of the forest by growing perpendicular to the soil. Also

on the big trees, we could see that their leaves were adapted to the weather by being big and

wide, a trait that allows them to eliminate excess water and to capture more sunlight for

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photosynthesis. In terms of the Sierra Palms, they have a special stabilizing root system

which allows them to live in unstable and saturated soils. We were also able to observe one

of the most amazing adaptations of plants in the forest: the adventitious roots, which are

roots that do not form in the radical of the embryo, but on any other part of the plant, mostly

in the stems. This allows the plant to climb or to extend on the soil’s surface, reproducing

more easily and reaching for sunlight to complete photosynthesis.

In conclusion, the flora of El Yunque has evolved very specifically to reach the survival

requirements of this ecosystem.

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Discussion: Adaptations of flora in Guánica Dry Forest

The extreme conditions in Guánica Dry Forest limit greatly the growth of flora in this

ecosystem. The scarceness of water, the high salt concentration, the action of strong winds,

the recurrent fires, and the presence of so few nutrients in the soil are some of the factors

that restrict the normal development of plants in this area and that promote the improvement

of adaptations in the plants.

Since the beginning of our tour in the dry forest, we started observing that the plants of

the area were very different from those of El Yunque or even from Cayey, so we inferred that

they had special adaptations to survive in this extreme weather. One of the first plants that

we found was the mangrove, which leaves were very little, as most of the other tree’s leaves

in the dry forest. This adaptation allows them to retain water by avoiding transpiration. The

mangrove also has a special adaptation to secrete the salt of his inside by means of his

leaves, as if it sweated, and therefore, this allows it to maintain a balance on salt

concentration and to not dehydrate. The most evident adapted plants of this area are the

succulents and cactus which make a water and nutrient reserve inside their leaves, their

thorns and their stems. This helps them to survive the drought times and to preserve their

energy sources safely. Due to the dryness, the salt concentration and the high temperature

of the area, another obvious adaptation arises on the height of most of the trees, which keep

a short to medium height in order to preserve their nutrients and energy.

In conclusion, all of these vegetation species vary in their adaptations, but they all use

them to survive in the hostile conditions of this extraordinaire environment.

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In this journey Yunque wanted to accomplish many things but the most

comprehensive besides going to take soil samples, pH, humidity, altitude, and etc. Was to

reach the top of this.

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Methodology

I. Methodology for Soil analysis of El Yunque National Rainforest :

1. Go to El Yunque National Rainforest .

2. Make eight stops and take the coordinates and altitude with the help of a GPS.

3. In those stops messure the:

a. Soil’s humedity

b. Soil’s pH

c. Temperature

d. Wind’s velocity

4. A sample of soil can be taken in each stop so then the presence of fages could be

analyzed. In the test tube write details like humidity, pH, temperature, and wind’s

velocity

II. Methodology for Guánica Dry Forest:

A. Line Transect Method:

1. Lay a measure tape along the ground in a straight line between two poles as a

guide to a sampling method used to measure the distribution of organisms (from 0

to 50 meters).

2. Record the organisms that are actually touching the line.

B. Belt transect:

1. Using a quadrant, measure the percents of abiotic and biotic factors inside the box.

2. Other group will examine the effect of salt spray on the plant community

progressing from the coast line to the forested areas

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3. Also will determine the distribution and frequency of a specific plant ( Agave).

4. They will locate a population of their plants and then measure the distribution of

their plant in the area.

5. Later, will describe the dispersion pattern for their species.

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Results

I. Results of El Yunque National Rainforest

A. Individual results of El Yunque National Rainforest

Altitude Coordinates Temperature pH Wind’s velocity Humidity

49p N 18ᵒ 21.987' W 056ᵒ 46.223' 95.1ᵒ F 6 Min 80p/m

Max 346p/m

4

706p N 18ᵒ 18.1989' W 065ᵒ 47.394' 94.1ᵒF 4 Min 0p/m

Max 15p/m

2

165p N 18ᵒ 21.985' W 065ᵒ 46.225' 84.6ᵒ F 4 Min 0 p/m

Max 15p/m

4.5

1,630p N 18ᵒ 18.749' W 0.65ᵒ 42.219' 89.1ᵒ F 4 Min 0p/m

Max 202p/m

6

2,181p N 18ᵒ 186' W 065ᵒ 46.227' 80.9ᵒF 4.9 Min 0 p/m

Max 133p/m

5

2,405p N 18ᵒ 18.218' W 065ᵒ 47.361' 80.6ᵒF 4.9 Min 0 p/m Max

7p/m

3

2,571p N 18ᵒ 18.328' W 065ᵒ 42.356' 77.6ᵒF 4.2 Min 0p/m

Max 244p/m

4.5

2,878p N 18ᵒ 18.257' W 065ᵒ 47.539' 76.0ᵒF 5 Min 0p/m

Max 53p/m

2

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II. Results of Guánica Dry Forest

A. Individual results

Individual results of Guánica Dry Forest of Line transect

Meters Object found in specific centimeter

Limestone Bushes Grass

1m 10.20 10.20 -

5m - 0- 100 -

10m - 20.10 -

15m - 0-100 -

20m - 20.10 -

25m 25.1 25.106 -

30m 40.10 - -

35m 35.02 35.201 -

40m 40.02 - 20.10

45m 10.70 - 70.10

50m 10.80 - 50.110

Individual results of Guánica Dry Forest of Belt transect

Meters Objects in quadrant (percent)

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Limestone Bushes Grass

1m 0% 100% (White Mangrove) 0%

5m 99% 1% 0%

10m 0% 100% 0%

15m 0% 100% 0%

20m 40% 60% 0%

25m 0% 100% 0%

30m 0% 100% 0%

35m 75% 20% 5%

40m 35% 65% 0%

45m 40% 60% 0%

50m 80% 20% 0%

B. Results of other groups Guánica Dry Forest

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Results of Line transect of Group #3

Meter Percent Objects

1m - -

5m - -

10m83%

17%

grass

plant

15m67%

33%

grass

cotton

20m

57%

13%

7%

3%

grass

rock

plant( orange)

seashell

25m 100% grass

30m92%

8%

grass

rock

35m

15%

68%

17%

Rock

burnt grass

plant (red)

40m

63%

28%

9%

dry

grass

plant rock(white)

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45m

40%

12%

24%

24%

grass

seashells

soil(red)

rock

50m

40%

27%

14%

7%

12%

grass

plant

dead vegetation

ants

seashells

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Results of Belt Transect of Group 3

Meter Percent and object

5m98% grey dirt (quicksand)

2% spider

10m50% rock

50% quicksand

15m

5% cotton

75% rock

19% plants (small)

1% sea shell

20m

80% black rock

3% sea shell

17% plant(orange)

25m 100% grass

30m85% grass

15% rock

35m

50% grass

50% rock

40m

95% rock

5% ants

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45m

75% grass

5% ants

20% red soil

50m

97% rock

3% leaf

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Results of Belt transect of “Group 1”

Meter Percent Objects

1m - -

5m a) 100% a) Lime stone

10ma) 80%

b) 20%

a)Button Mangrove

b)Lime stone

15ma) 30%

b) 70%

a)Acacia

b)lime stone

20m a)100% a)Grass

25ma) 85%

b)15%

a)Grass

b) Lime stone

30m a) 100% a)Grass

35ma) 40%

b)60%

a)Grass

b)Lime stone

40ma)90%

b)10%

a)Lime Stone

b) Grass

45m

a)10%

b) 5%

c) 75%

a)Cactus

b) Grass

c) Lime stone

50ma)20%

b)80%

a)Lime Stone

b) grass

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Analysis of Melocactus poblation in Guanica Dry Forest

Melocactus Mother Plant #1

Mother Plant Alive Dead Seedlings

1m 0 1 1

2m 0 0 0

3m 1 0 1

4m 8 2 10

5m 3 1 4

6m 3 0 3

7m 0 1 1

8m 0 0 0

9m 0 0 0

10m 0 0 0


Mother Plant Alive Dead Seedlings

1m 2 0 2

2m 8 4 12

3m 10 3 13

4m 1 8 9

5m 12 4 16

6m 13 3 16

7m 7 1 8

8m 7 3 10

9m 2 1 3

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10m 3 2 5


3 Mother Plant Alive Dead Seedlings

1m 0 2 2

2m 4 0 4

3m 5 0 5

4m 4 1 5

5m 2 3 5

6m 2 1 3

7m 1 0 1

8m 1 2 3

9m 2 3 5

10m 7 0 7

Total seedlings 108 46 154

Analysis of the results

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I. Graphics for El Yunque National Rainforest

A. Graphics for individual results

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Altitude in El Yunque National Rainforest

Humedity in El Yunque National Rainforest

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Wind velocity in El Yunque National

Rainforest

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pH of El Yunque National Rainforest’s

soil

Temperature of the soil at El Yunque National

Rainforest in Farenheit(F°)

B. Graphics for other groups data

Group 1 Group 2 Group 375

75.5

76

76.5

77

77.5

78

Comparison between the groups average temper-ature data recolected in El Yunque Rainforest

Temperature2

Data per group

Tem

pera

ture

(ᵒF)

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Average from the groupal data of pH in El Yunque Rain forest soil

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Average from the group data of humidity in El

Yunque Rain forest soil

II. Graphicsfor Guánica Dry Forest

A. Graphics for individual results

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0 10 20 30 40 50 600

20

40

60

80

100

120

Graphic of Continuous Sampling Line Transect Method in Bosque Seco of

Guánica, Puerto Rico in July 27, 2011

Lime stoneBushesGrass

Estimated location (m)

Spec

ific

loca

tion

(cm

)

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500

20

40

60

80

100

120

Graphic of Abiotic and Biotic Compo-nents in Bosque Seco of Guánica, Puerto

Rico using Belt Transect Method mes-sured by Quadrants on July 27, 1011

SoilVegetationLime stone

Location (m)

Abu

ndan

ce (%

)

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B. Graphics for other groups data

C. Graphics for the Melocactus Analysis

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5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Graphic of the data from Line transect of “Group 1” at Guánica Dry Forest

Lime stoneVegetationGrassCactus

Meters (m)

Perc

ent (

%)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500%

20%40%60%80%

100%120%

Graphic from the data of the Line transect of “Guánica G3” at Guánica

Dry Forest

grasscottonrockplantseashelldead vegetationanimalgray dirtMeters (m)

Perc

ent (

%)

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Comparative Graphic of data from all groups of

Belt transect from Guánica Dry Forest

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Graphic for Melocactus #1 data analysis by Group #4

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Conclusion

The National Pluvial Forest named El Yunque receives about 3,400mm of water per

year. This is because of his 3,500 feet of elevation. It was noted that the temperature was

low compared to Guanica. In addition, we noticed the humidity just when we entered to the

rainforest. The differences between the adaptations of plants were evident: in one there were

leafier with bigger leaves, while in the other there were smaller leaves and lower. Although

the ground wasn’t studied in the dry forest, the slots of the ground confirmed that El

Yunque’s ground was more humid than the Guanica’s one. While looking at the results, the

difference seemed, but it is not so far from each other. Because soil samples were taken

from both ecosystems and could not be analyzed for looking phage, it remains unfinished. It

is sure that here we may notice another difference.

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Discussion

Our trip to El Yunque was a meaningful experienced to our lives. Just the fact that we

walked so much to go to the top of the mountain and once we arrived the view in the rock on

the top of the mountain was something outstanding. Mostly what we did was to take samples

of soil to later see if we could find and see if we can find some kind of new bacteria or virus.

We learned new techniques on how to take the ph of the soil where we extracted the soil and

the humidity, the wind in that area and many other things. Our objective was to experiment

the feeling of going to a tropical forest and taking samples of soil and other tests. We also

saw how within that forest are many animals and the majority of them are endangered

species. Some images to the trip can be seen in Figure 1 in the Appendix.

In our trip to Bosque Seco in Guánica was an outstanding experience. First of all we

learned a lot about that forest peculiar things. When we were there our main focus was on

two plants the mellow cactus and Agave. The cactus reproduces sexually and the Agave

reproduces asexually. One of the many interesting fact learned in this trip was how the trees

adapt to the forest by dropping their leaves, this process is called disguise. In this trip we did

to different experiments. One was quadrant lines that was to measure from the beach up to

fifty meters into the forest and see what was in the surroundings and the quadrant to more

specific in the way be made a possible percentage of how much rocks and vegetation was

there. This experiment increased our knowledge and was a wonderful and great experience.

One irony that we all saw was when we went to El Yunque, it did not rain but when we

went to Bosque Seco in Guánica it rain a lot, it was horrible. We found it weird knowing that

El Yunque is a tropical forest and it rains almost every day, but in Guánica is a hot forest

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where the cactus lives and hardly doesn’t rain. Now we know that these things happen.

These two fieldtrips were amazing and unforgettable; acknowledging that all these things that

we did and learned will be useful and constructive for a near future. Also the techniques

learned will be very helpful for future studies. The beauty of our island and the wonders are

unexplainable and it’s so miserable how people are damaging it and destroying our nature.

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Appendix

Figure 1 Pictures taken by Group 2 at El Yunque National Rainforest in June 20, 2011

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El Yunque National Rainforest

Credits

Work Done by

1. Title Page Nicholson Silva

2. Introduction Grethel Montañez

3. Discussion of adaptations of Flora

in El Yunque National Rainforest

and Guanica Dry Forest

Angélica González

4. Methodology of Soil Analysis in El

Yunque National Rainforest

Adrián Rojas

5. Methodology of Line Transect and

Belt transect in Guánica Dry

Forest

Luis Alvelo

6. Recopilation of data tables Celizbets Colón

7. Individual Graphics of El Yunque

National Rainforest

Gustavo Pérez

8. Individual Graphics of Guánica Dry

Forest

Celizbets Colón

9. Groupal Grahics of Guánica Dry

Forest

Gustavo Pérez and Celizbets Colón

10.Conclusion Grethel Montañez and Angélica González

11.Discussion Eduardo Rivera

12.Collage Nicholson Silva

13.Edition Celizbets Colón

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Report of guanica and yunque

Technology

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