El Yunque National Forest - wikipedia El Yunque National Forest El Yunque National Forest IUCN category VI ( protected area with sustainable use of natural resources ) Location Puerto Rico Nearest city Río Grande Coordinates 18 ° 19 ′ N 65 ° 47 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 18.317 ° N 65.783 ° W ﻿ / 18.317 ; - 65.783 Coordinates : 18 ° 19 ′ N 65 ° 47 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 18.317 ° N 65.783 ° W ﻿ / 18.317 ; - 65.783 Area 28,434 acres ( 115.07 km ) Established January 17, 1903 Visitors 600,000 ( in 2005 ) Governing body U.S. Forest Service www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/ El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest, is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System. This forest is commonly known as El Yunque, which may be attributed to either a Spanish approximation of the aboriginal Taíno word yu - ke which means `` white lands '', or the word `` anvil, '' which is yunque in Spanish. The second - tallest mountain within El Yunque is also named El Yunque. El Yunque National Rainforest is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains, encompassing 28,000 acres ( 43.753 mi or 113.32 km ) of land, making it the largest block of public land in Puerto Rico. The highest mountain peak in the forest rises 3,494 feet ( 1,065 m ) above sea level. Ample rainfall ( over 20 a year in some areas ) creates a jungle - like setting -- lush foliage, crags, waterfalls, and rivers are a prevalent sight. The forest has a number of trails from which the jungle - like territory 's flora and fauna can be appreciated. El Yunque is also renowned for its unique Taíno petroglyphs. El Yunque National Rainforest is currently closed until further notice due to Hurricane Maria. Contents 1 History 2 Climate 3 Ecology and conservation 4 Flora 4.1 Dwarf forest 5 Fauna 5.1 Coqui 5.2 Puerto Rican amazon 6 El Portal Rain Forest Center 7 Miscellaneous 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links History El Yunque National Forest map The forest region was initially set aside in 1876 by King Alfonso XII of Spain and represents one of the oldest reserves in the Western Hemisphere. It was established as the Luquillo Forest Reserve on 17 January 1903 by the General Land Office with 65,950 acres ( 266.9 km ), and became a National Forest in 1906. It was renamed Caribbean National Forest on 4 June 1935. It is home to over 200 species of trees and plants, 23 of which are found nowhere else. The critically endangered Puerto Rican amazon ( Amazona vittata ), with an estimated wild population of 30 individuals, occurred exclusively in this forest until 19 November 2006, when another wild population was released by the Department of Natural Resources in the municipality of Utuado 's Río Abajo State Forest. An executive order signed by President George W. Bush on 2 April 2007 changed the name of the Caribbean National Forest to El Yunque National Forest, better reflecting the cultural and historical feelings of the Puerto Rican people. Climate Because Puerto Rico is south of the Tropic of Cancer, it has a tropical climate. There is no distinct wet or dry season in El Yunque ; it rains year round. The temperature and length of daylight remain fairly constant throughout the year. The average temperature year - round is 80 degrees Fahrenheit ( high ) and 70 degrees Fahrenheit ( low ). All of these factors provide a year - round growing season. Skyline of the El Yunque National Rainforest from a trail. Ecology and conservation Coca Falls Its ecosystem is specifically surveyed by the Management Team of Ecosystems ( Equipo de Manejos de Ecosistemas ), which is led by Pedro Rios. Due to its location in the northeastern part of Puerto Rico, the incoming trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean bash into the mountains, leading to an excess of rainfall registered at about 240 inches ( 6.1 m ) per year. This process is called orographic lift and accounts for the intense rainfall and constant cloud presence in this mountainous region. This constant cloud cover and persistent winds produced by the adiabatic process of air particles rushing up through the mountainside has affected the morphology of El Yunque, but the most effect has been on the bosque enano or dwarf forest. Flora El Yunque is composed of four different forest vegetation areas : Tabonuco Forest, Palo Colorado Forest, Sierra Palm Forest, and Dwarf Forest. The following image shows the green wilderness of El Yunque from one of its peaks ; Pico El Yunque. View towards Pico Los Picachos from the top of Pico El Yunque. The visibility for local conditions was exceptional for that day. Dwarf Forest The Dwarf forest ecosystem is located at around 3,000 feet ( 910 m ) and composes the smallest sub-region in El Yunque. The forest is characterized by the variation of vegetation that is only found in Puerto Rico. The vegetation shows stunted growth in which the diameter of the trunk is widened and the number of leaves on the branches is lower than expected. Other specific factors that affect the growth of this sub-region are the high level of acidity and poor water runoff from the soil. Although many species have adapted to these harsh environments, five species are frequent in the dwarf forest : Ocotea spathulata, Tabebuia rigida, Calyptranthes krugii, Eugenia borinquensis and Calycogonium squamulosum. The other abundant type of plants in the dwarf forest are epiphytes. El Yunque supports a vast array of animal and plant life that varies depending on the altitude range in the rainforest. The great amount of competition in the canopy does not allow lower level plants to develop and prosper. The characteristic of having a widened tree trunk is ideal for epiphytes that require a host to live. Therefore, a substantial amount of epiphytic plants have cemented their existence in the flora of El Yunque, specifically in the dwarf forest due to the moisture, precipitation and protection from the sun. Fauna Coquí A coquí Main article : Coquí Approximately 16 species of common coqui, members of the diverse neotropical frog genus Eleutherodactylus, are known in Puerto Rico. Of these 16, 13 have been found in El Yunque National Forest. This small frog earned its Puerto Rican common name due to the call of the most common coquí species in Puerto Rico, Eleutherodactylus coqui, which begins as the sun sets and ends in early dawn. This has made it an animal of great endearment to Puerto Ricans. Although the coquí is an amphibian, it possesses some features that are unusual in frogs. These differences are seen mainly in its morphology, reproduction, and developmental stages. In terms of morphology, the coquí does not have webbing between its toes because it is a tree dweller in moist environments. Another significant difference is that it does not have a definite larval stage and the eggs laid by the female are terrestrial instead of aquatic. This means that a miniature frog - let, rather than a tadpole, arises from the incubation period. Puerto Rican amazon The Puerto Rican parrot is a little parrot that measures 28 -- 30 cm ( 11.0 -- 11.8 in ), the bird is a predominantly green parrot with a red forehead and white rings around the eyes. The species is the only remaining native parrot in Puerto Rico. The total estimated population was 58 -- 80 individuals in the wild and over 300 individuals in captivity. El Portal rain Forest Center Opened in 1996, the El Portal Rain Forest Center is designed to give visitors an introduction or beautiful beginning of what the rain forest looks like. A walkway set at 60 feet ( 18 m ) above the ground allows for a view of the tops of trees, and another walkway winds along tree bases. Exhibits at the center focus on the plants and animals of the rain forest, the importance of rain forests around the world, and threats to rain forests and efforts to conserve them. Miscellaneous Yokahu Tower There is a common misconception that El Yunque National Forest is the only rainforest in the United States National Forest System ( NFS ). However, this is not the case. There are other rainforests in the National Forest System, including those in Alaska ( Example : Tongass National Forest ) and the Pacific Northwest ( Example : Mount Hood Wilderness ) as stated in the US Forest Service website. As El Yunque 's own official website states, El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the System, but it is not the only rainforest. There are two observation towers including Yokahu Tower and Mount Britton Tower. El Yunque National Forest was chosen to be Puerto Rico 's entry in the America the Beautiful Quarters program. Its only National Park Service site, San Juan National Historic Site had already been featured on the District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters in 2009. In 2002, the U.S. Congress designated areas bounded by the Río Mameyes, Río de la Mina, and Río Icacos in the Caribbean National Forest as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. See also Puerto Rico portal El Toro Wilderness El Yunque, Puerto Rico - the mountain peak Puerto Rican moist forests - ecoregion America the Beautiful Quarters Notes Jump up ^ See, for example, Puerto Rico - Nature and Scientific Wonders. Smithsonian Institution. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2013 ; Frommer 's Puerto Rico. Frommer 's Introduction to El Yunque. Retrieved 15 August 2013 ; Puerto Rico Chapter Marks Milestones, Looks Ahead. Sierra Club. Retrieved 15 August 2013 ; Hiking in Puerto Rico. Matthew Gilbertson and Amanda Morris. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2013. References Jump up ^ `` Land Areas of the National Forest System '' ( PDF ). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Puerto Rico ''. Fly Eat Travel Blog. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 27. Jump up ^ `` History & Culture ''. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Executive Order 7059 - A of June 4, 1935 Changing the Name of the Luquillo National Forest ''. Jump up ^ This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Agriculture document `` El Yunque National Forest ''. Retrieved on November 28, 2015. Jump up ^ `` El Yunque National Forest - Home ''. www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ Davis, Richard C. ( 2009 - 09 - 29 ). `` National Forests of the United States '' ( PDF ). The Forest History Society. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2013 - 02 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Executive Order : Renaming a National Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ''. Business Wire. 2007 - 04 - 02. Retrieved 2008 - 12 - 04. ^ Jump up to : `` About the Forest ''. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 11. ^ Jump up to : Weaver, Peter L. ( 2008 ). `` Dwarf Forest Recovery After Disturbance in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico ''. Caribbean Journal of Science. 44 ( 2 ) : 150 -- 163. Jump up ^ Mohlenbrock, Robert H. ( October 1991 ). `` Epiphytes of El Yunque, Puerto Rico ''. Natural History : 76. ^ Jump up to : Burrowes, Patricia A. ; Ana V. Longo ( June 2010 ). `` Persistence with Chytridiomycosis Does Not Assure Survival of Direct - developing Frogs ''. EcoHealth : 185 -- 195. Jump up ^ `` Explore El Portal Tropical Forest Center in El Yunque Forest ''. PuertoRico.com. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 01. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Retrieved 15 August 2013. Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Retrieved 15 August 2013. Jump up ^ Caribbean National Forest Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 2002. H.R. 3954. One Hundred Seventh ( 107th ) Congress of the United States of America. SECOND SESSION ( 2nd Session ). ( PUBLIC LAW 107 -- 365. DEC. 19, 2002. 116 STAT. 3027 ) 23 January 2002. Retrieved 13 August 2013. Further reading Manuel, Víctor ( 2010 ). El Yunque ( in Spanish ) ( First ed. ). Impressive Publications. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9825402 - 6 - 8. Manuel, Víctor ( 2011 ). El Yunque ( Second ed. ). Impressive Publications. ISBN 0 - 9825402 - 6 - 4. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to El Yunque National Forest. El Yunque National Forest El Portal Rain Forest Center Protected areas of Puerto Rico Federal Bahía de Jobos Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Cabo Rojo Culebra Desecheo Laguna Cartagena Vieques San Juan National Historic Site El Yunque National Forest Commonwealth State Forests Aguirre Boquerón Cambalache Carite Ceiba Cerrillos Guajataca Guánica Guilarte Los Tres Picachos Maricao Monte Choca Piñones Pueblo Río Abajo San Patricio Susúa Toro Negro Nuevo Milenio Vega Nature Reserves Berbería Caja de Muertos Caño Tiburones Humacao Humedal Punta Viento Mona Island Morrillito Northeast Ecological Corridor Punta Cucharas LCCN : sh95009859 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=El_Yunque_National_Forest&oldid=824961354 '' Categories : IUCN Category VI Biosphere reserves of the United States Ecoregions of the Caribbean Ecoregions of the United States Museums in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico National Forests of Puerto Rico Natural history museums in Puerto Rico Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of the United States Protected areas of Puerto Rico Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles incorporating text from public domain works of the United States Government All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2016 Articles with permanently dead external links Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2013 Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016 CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Deutsch Español Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Polski Tiếng Việt Winaray 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 February 2018, at 17 : 12. 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Question: where is the rainforest located in puerto rico
Answer: slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains