Nuevo Milenio State Forest

Nuevo Milenio State Forest
Spanish: *Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio*
Nuevo Milenio State Forest; Spanish: Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio
	Entrance sign to the urban forest.
Geography
Location	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Elevation	427 feet (130 m)
Area	400 cuerdas (390 acres)
Administration
Governing body	Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) and the Municipality of San Juan
Website	www.drna.pr.gov
Ecology
Ecosystem(s)	Second-growth Subtropical Moist Zone forest
WWF Classification	Puerto Rican moist forests

Last updated September 28, 2023

Nuevo Milenio State Forest (Spanish: Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio or Bosque Urbano del Nuevo Milenio) is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The forest is located east of the University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden in the Sabana Llana Sur district of San Juan,^[1] making it one of the two state forests located within the capital's municipal boundaries (the other being San Patricio State Forest).^[2]

History

The area where the forest now stands had originally been deforested and was the site of several quarries. The forest reserve was first proclaimed in 1998 with the intention of preserving one of the last green areas in San Juan as a secondary forest. The city is very densely populated and has lost most of its forests due to urban sprawl. This was done thanks to the effort of local residents, academics and environmentalists. In 2003 the forest was added to the San Juan Ecological Corridor management zone, also managed by the municipality of San Juan which designates the area as ecologically important as it forms part of the hydrological basin of the estuary of San Juan Bay.^[2] Between the years 1998 and 2005 the forest was used for research purposes for studying the impact of Hurricane Georges in the destruction and regrowth of the forest.^[3]

Ecology

Flora

The forest is very characteristic of the secondary forest ecosystem found throughout Puerto Rico. Some native tree species found in the forest are the yarumo ( Cecropia schreberiana ), the West Indian locust tree ( Hymenaea courbaril ), the Puerto Rican royal palm tree ( Roystonea borinquena ), and the pink trumpet tree ( Tabebuia heterophylla ) or Puerto Rican oak as it is colloquially known. Common introduced trees found in the forest are the flea tree ( Albizia lebbeck ), the karoi tree ( Albizia procera ) and the Malay pterocarpus ( Pterocarpus indicus ).^[2]

Fauna

The forest is home to native species such as the zenaida dove (Zenaida aurita), the scaly-naped pigeon ( Patagioenas squamosa ), the gray kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis), the northern mockingbird ( Mimus polyglottos ), bananaquits ( Coereba flaveola ), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Puerto Rican mango ( Anthracothorax aurulentus ); endemic species such as the Puerto Rican woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis), the Puerto Rican spindalis (Spindalis portoricensis), the Puerto Rican tanager (Nesospingus speculiferus) and the green mango hummingbird (Anthracothorax viridis); and migratory species such as the black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia), the Caribbean martin (Progne dominicensis) and the black-whiskered vireo (Vireo altiloquues). The forest is also home to several reptile and amphibian species such as the Puerto Rican crested anole ( Anolis cristatellus ) and the common coqui ( Leptodactylus albilabris ).

Recreation

Although being located next to the San Juan Botanical Garden, the urban forest is not usually open to visitors and those interested in visiting it should contact the forest offices to arrange a visit (787-772-2009). The forest offers great opportunities for birdwatching and nature photography for those who do visit.^[2]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carite State Forest</span> Forest in southeastern Puerto Rico

Carite State Forest is a state forest and nature reserve located in the Sierra de Cayey mountain range in southeastern Puerto Rico. The forest extends over approximately 2,600 hectares and is located in the municipalities of Caguas, Cayey, Guayama, Patillas and San Lorenzo. The forest is located along the Ruta Panorámica, which offers access to the forest.

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Los Tres Picachos State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The forest is located in the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central, along the Los Tres Picachos mountain ridge, one of the island's highest mountains, named after the distinctive three peaks of the highest mountain in the forest. The state forest is located in the municipalities of Jayuya and Ciales.

Guajataca State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The Guajataca Forest is located in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, along the Northern Karst zone in the municipality of Isabela and municipality of Quebradillas, and is near Camuy and San Sebastián. The forest is renowned for its ecological diversity, the mogotes and karstic formations, and its numerous caves and canyons. It also has the largest trail system of any Puerto Rican state forest.

Susúa State Forest is one of the 20 forest units that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. This forest is located in the southeastern foothills of the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central, in the municipalities of Sabana Grande and Yauco. Most of the forest, particularly the lower parts, are of secondary growth as the land had originally been deforested and used for cattle grazing, timber production and agriculture. The forest is an important habitat for the endangered Puerto Rican nightjar.

Vega State Forest is a state forest of Puerto Rico located in the municipalities of Vega Alta and Vega Baja. The subtropical moist forest is located in the northern coast of Puerto Rico in the middle of the karst zone known as the Carso Norteño, and it contains features typical of such geography such as sinkholes, caves and mogotes. It was designated a nature reserve in 1952 and it is fully protected by the Puerto Rico Forest laws of 1975. The forest has a total area of 1,150 acres divided into six forest units throughout the municipalities of Vega Alta and Vega Baja.

References

↑ "Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio". Discover Puerto Rico. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
1 2 3 4 Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales. "Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio" (PDF). drna.pr.gov.
↑ Lugo, A. E.; Nunci, E. Román; Quinones, M.; Vega, H. Marcano; Vicéns, I. (2005). "El bosque estatal del nuevo milenio antes y después del huracán Georges". Acta Científica. 19 (1–3): 83–105.

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[1] "Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio". Discover Puerto Rico. Retrieved 2021-10-10.

[:0-2] 1 2 3 4 Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales. "Bosque Estatal del Nuevo Milenio" (PDF). drna.pr.gov.

[3] Lugo, A. E.; Nunci, E. Román; Quinones, M.; Vega, H. Marcano; Vicéns, I. (2005). "El bosque estatal del nuevo milenio antes y después del huracán Georges". Acta Científica. 19 (1–3): 83–105.

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