Guánica State Forest


The Guánica State Forest is a subtropical dry forest located in southwest Puerto Rico. The area was designated as a forest reserve in 1919 and a United Nations Biosphere Reserve in 1981. It is considered the best preserved, subtropical forest and the best example of dry forest in the Caribbean.

Geography

Located in the dry orographic rain shadow of the Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico's driest area, temperatures in the forest are, on average, around in shaded areas and in exposed areas. The average temperature is and the average annual rainfall is.

Flora and fauna

Approximately half of Puerto Rico's birds and nine of sixteen the endemic bird species occur in the Guánica State Forest.
The vegetation in the forest is divided into three main groups: upland deciduous forest, semi-evergreen forest, and scrub forest. Similar to other insular dry forests species diversity is low; between 30 and 50 tree species are found per hectare. More than 700 plant species, of which 48 are endangered and 16 are endemic to the forest, occur within the forest.

Gallery