El Yunque National Forest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids El Yunque National Forest |
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El Yunque from the east
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| Location | Puerto Rico |
| Nearest city | Río Grande |
| Area | 28,434 acres (115.07 km2) |
| Established | January 17, 1903 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/ |
El Yunque National Forest (which means Bosque Nacional El Yunque in Spanish) is a special forest in northeastern Puerto Rico. It used to be called the Caribbean National Forest. This amazing place is the only tropical rainforest in the entire United States National Forest System.
People often call this forest simply El Yunque. This name might come from an old Taíno word, yu-ke, meaning "white lands." Or, it could be from the Spanish word "anvil," which is yunque. The second-tallest mountain in the forest is also named El Yunque.
El Yunque National Rainforest sits on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains. It covers about 28,000 acres, which is a huge area! This makes it the biggest piece of public land in Puerto Rico.
The highest mountain peak in the forest is about 3,494 feet (1,065 meters) above sea level. It rains a lot here, sometimes over 20 feet a year in some spots! This creates a true jungle feel with lots of green plants, rocky cliffs, beautiful waterfalls, and flowing rivers. The forest has many trails where you can explore and see the amazing plants and animals. El Yunque is also famous for its unique Taíno petroglyphs, which are ancient rock carvings. The native people believed El Yunque was the home of their main god, Yúcahu. It was like their version of Mount Olympus!
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History of El Yunque
This forest area was first protected way back in 1876 by King Alfonso XII of Spain. This makes it one of the oldest protected places in the Western Hemisphere. It officially became the Luquillo Forest Reserve on January 17, 1903. Back then, it was about 65,950 acres (267 square kilometers). In 1906, it became a National Forest.
Later, on June 4, 1935, its name changed to Caribbean National Forest. This forest is home to over 200 types of trees and plants. Twenty-three of these are found nowhere else in the world! The Puerto Rican amazon parrot, which is a critically endangered bird, used to live only here. Now, there are a few more in another forest in Puerto Rico.
On April 2, 2007, President George W. Bush signed an order to change the forest's name again. It became El Yunque National Forest. This new name better reflected the culture and history important to the people of Puerto Rico.
Climate in the Rainforest
Puerto Rico is located south of the Tropic of Cancer. This means it has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical rainforest climate. There isn't a clear wet or dry season in El Yunque; it simply rains all year long!
The temperature and the amount of daylight stay pretty much the same throughout the year. In the summer, the average temperature is around 80°F (26°C) high and 68°F (20°C) low. In the winter, it's about 72°F (22°C) high and 58°F (15°C) low. Sometimes, on clear winter nights, temperatures can drop below 50°F (10°C), but it never freezes. All these conditions allow plants to grow all year round.
Ecology and Conservation
Experts from the Management Team of Ecosystems study the forest's environment. El Yunque is in the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. Because of this, winds from the Atlantic Ocean hit the mountains. This causes a lot of rain, sometimes up to 240 inches (6 meters) per year! This process is called orographic lift. It explains why there's so much rain and constant clouds in this mountainous area.
The constant cloud cover and strong winds affect how El Yunque looks. They especially impact the bosque enano, also known as the dwarf forest.
Flora: Plants of El Yunque
El Yunque has four main types of forest areas based on their plants:
- Tabonuco Forest
- Palo Colorado Forest
- Sierra Palm Forest
- Dwarf Forest
Dwarf Forest Plants
The Dwarf forest is found at about 3,000 feet (914 meters) high. It's the smallest part of El Yunque. The plants here look different because they are unique to Puerto Rico. Their growth is "stunted," meaning they don't grow as tall as usual. Their tree trunks are wider, and they have fewer leaves. This is because the soil is very acidic and doesn't drain water well.
Even with these tough conditions, some plants thrive here. Five common tree species in the dwarf forest are Ocotea spathulata, Tabebuia rigida, Calyptranthes krugii, Eugenia borinquensis, and Calycogonium squamulosum.
Another common type of plant in the dwarf forest is epiphytes. These are plants that grow on other plants, like trees, for support. El Yunque has many different animals and plants, and they change depending on how high up you are in the rainforest. The wide tree trunks in the dwarf forest are perfect for epiphytes. They get lots of moisture, rain, and protection from the sun, which helps them grow well.
Fauna: Animals of El Yunque
Coquí Frogs: Life Cycle and Sounds
Puerto Rico is home to about 16 types of small frogs called coquí. Thirteen of these have been found in El Yunque National Forest. This tiny frog got its name from the sound it makes. The most common coquí species, Eleutherodactylus coqui, sings "co-qui!" from sunset until early morning. This special sound makes them very loved by the people of Puerto Rico.
Even though the coquí is an amphibian, it has some unique features. For example, it doesn't have webbed toes because it lives in trees in wet places. Another big difference is that it doesn't have a tadpole stage. The female frog lays her eggs on land, not in water. Instead of tadpoles, tiny frog-lets hatch directly from the eggs!
Puerto Rican Amazon Parrot
The Puerto Rican parrot is a small, beautiful bird, about 11 to 12 inches (28–30 cm) long. It is mostly green with a bright red forehead and white rings around its eyes. This parrot is the only native parrot left in Puerto Rico. There are only about 58–80 of these birds living in the wild. However, there are over 300 more living in special care.
Arthropods and Climate Change
Arthropods are creatures like insects and spiders. A study from 2018 looked at arthropods in the Luquillo rainforest. It found that the number of arthropods had dropped a lot over 30 years. This also led to fewer lizards, frogs, and birds, which eat arthropods. Scientists believe that rising temperatures are causing this problem. Over the past 30 years, the forest's temperature has gone up by 2.0°C (3.6°F). This warming is hurting the forest's food web.
El Portal Rainforest Center
The El Portal Rainforest Center opened in 1996. It was designed to give visitors a great introduction to the rainforest. It helps people understand what the forest is like before they explore it.
This center was built to be a model for ecotourism and education. Its goal is to teach people about the Caribbean National Forest. It also helps protect the unique tropical forest and its environment.
There's a walkway 60 feet (18 meters) above the ground where you can see the tops of the trees. Another walkway winds along the bases of the trees. Inside, the center has exhibits about the plants and animals of the rainforest. It also teaches about why rainforests around the world are important. You can learn about the dangers they face and what people are doing to save them.
The center has 9,000 square feet of exhibits, a theater, classrooms, and offices. To protect the natural area, the buildings and parking lots were built in existing open spaces. This helped save the trees.
The Portal has survived several big hurricanes, like Hurricane Georges. However, on September 21, 2017, Hurricane Maria caused major damage to the center. Renovations have been ongoing since 2020 to fix it up.
More Fun Facts About El Yunque
El Yunque National Forest is often called the only rainforest in the United States National Forest Service. But it's actually the only tropical rainforest! There are other rainforests in the U.S., like in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, but those are temperate rainforests.
You can find two observation towers in the forest: Yokahu Tower and Mount Britton Tower. From these towers, you can get amazing views of the forest.
El Yunque National Forest was chosen to represent Puerto Rico in the America the Beautiful Quarters program. This means it appeared on a special quarter coin!
In 2002, the U.S. Congress named parts of the Río Mameyes, Río de la Mina, and Río Icacos as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This helps protect these beautiful rivers.
Images for kids
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The three-pointed zemi is often said to represent Yokahu
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Puerto Rican parrots at the aviary in El Yunque
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A map of hiking trails and landmarks along PR-191 in El Yunque National Forest
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See also
In Spanish: Bosque nacional El Yunque para niños
