Sierra de Luquillo

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Sierra de Luquillo
Clearer view of Yunque's top from the Yokahu Tower.jpg
El Yunque
Highest point
Peak El Toro
Elevation 3,526 ft (1,075 m)
Coordinates 18°16′20″N65°49′45″W / 18.27222°N 65.82917°W / 18.27222; -65.82917
Geography
Sierra de Luquillo
Location Puerto Rico
Range coordinates 18°18′3″N65°47′36″W / 18.30083°N 65.79333°W / 18.30083; -65.79333
Parent range Cordillera Central

The Sierra de Luquillo (English: "Luquillo Mountains") is a steep-sided, high-precipitation, and deeply-forested subrange of the Cordillera Central mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. Separated from the southeastern Sierra de Cayey subrange by the Caguas Valley, it is concentrated from west to east in the municipalities of Rio Grande, Luquillo, and Naguabo in the northeastern region of the island. The summit of the mountain range is El Toro at 3,526 ft. (1,075 m), and its most recognizable peak is El Yunque at 3,461 ft. (1,054 m). [1] As the location of El Yunque National Forest, the Sierra de Luquillo is a popular destination among domestic and foreign tourists.

Contents

Topographical map of Puerto Rico with the Sierra de Luquillo in the northeast Topography of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by USDA.jpg
Topographical map of Puerto Rico with the Sierra de Luquillo in the northeast

Along with the eponymous main subrange of Cordillera Central and the Sierra de Cayey, the Luquillo mountain range is one of three subranges of the Cordillera Central. However, although a subrange of the Cordillera Central, the Sierra de Luquillo is occasionally considered to be different from the rest of the central mountain range, as it is separated from it by the Caguas Valley and the Rio Grande de Loíza basin.

Geography

The mountains of the Sierra de Luquillo were formed by tectonic activity some 37 to 28 million years ago, the island being on the junction between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. [2] The main rock types are pyroclastic rocks, quartzdiorite and contact metamorphic hornfels, with some outcrops of alluvium, basalt and mafic rocks. Nine rivers have their sources in the mountains, flowing downward through steep, rocky and boulder-strewed channels before reach the coastal plains. [3] Easterly winds off the Atlantic Ocean rise and cool as they pass over the mountains, and the ensuing heavy precipitation brings an annual rainfall of 5,000 mm (200 in) on the ridge. The lower slopes are less wet, but the summits are immersed in clouds most of the year. [4]

The Sierra de Luquillo consists of a series of summits linked by a horseshoe-shaped ridge. Running from west to east, some of the peaks include El Toro, El Cacique and El Yunque, joined by a ridge known as Cuchilla el Duque to Pico del Oeste and Pico del Este. [5]

Mountains

The highest summits of the Sierra de Luquillo are the following: [6]

  1. El Toro - 3,526 ft. (1,075 m)
  2. El Yunque - 3,461 ft. (1,054 m)
  3. Pico del Este - 3,408 ft. (1,038 m)
  4. Pico del Oeste - 3,339 ft. (1,017 m)
  5. El Cacique - 3,326 ft. (1,013 m)
  6. Roca El Yunque - 3,270 ft. (996 m)
  7. Los Picachos - 3,041 ft. (926 m)
  8. Mount Britton - 3,011 ft. (917 m)
  9. Cerro La Mina - 2,919 ft. (889 m)

Flora and fauna

El Yunque from Torre Britton El Yunque from Torre Britton, in Puerto Rico.jpg
El Yunque from Torre Britton

The mountains are covered with rainforest, much of it in the El Yunque National Forest. About 240 species of native tree have been recorded in the forest, 88 species being considered rare and about 25 species being found nowhere else in the world. There are about 150 species of fern, and on the trees grow many epiphytes, including about 50 species of orchid. [7] Common trees of the Sierra de Luquillo include Cyathea arborea , Prestoea montana , Cecropia peltata , and Ocotea species while Weinmannia pinnata , Brunellia comocladifolia , and Podocarpus coriaceus are found in the cloud forests of the highest peaks. [8] These dwarf forests occur above the cumulus cloud bases and contain low, dense, species-poor vegetation cover known as elfin or pigmy forest. [9] A research study found that between 1936 and 1988, there were 46 landslides associated with heavy rain in the upper regions of the mountains, and these created gaps that allowed the seeds of pioneering tree species to germinate and ferns such as Dicranopteris pectitnata to proliferate. [10] The forest recovers more quickly after a natural disaster, such as a tropical cyclone, than it does after human activities such as logging, charcoal burning, coffee production or agriculture. [2]

Some 127 species of terrestrial vertebrate have been recorded in the forest, [7] including some rarities and some species endemic to Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican amazon is critically endangered with fewer than 100 left in the wild. The Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk and Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk are both very rare. Many birds visit the island during their annual migrations. The Puerto Rican boa inhabits the lower slopes of the mountains, about 14 species of lizard are found in the forest and 13 species of small tree frogs known as coquí live in the canopy and are endemic to the island. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Puerto Rico</span>

Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an archipelagic island U.S. territory comprised of the eponymous main island of Puerto Rico and 142 smaller islands and cays, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos, located between the Greater and Lesser Antilles in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The main island of Puerto Rico is 113 km east of Hispaniola, 60 km west of the Saint Thomas, 705 km north of Venezuela, and 120 km south of the Puerto Rico Trench, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. Measuring 178 km long and 65 km wide with a land area of 8,868 sq km, it is the 4th largest island in the Caribbean, 81st largest island in the world, and 174th largest country or dependency. With a population of 3.2 million as of 2023, Puerto Rico is the 4th largest Caribbean archipelago and island and 136th largest country or dependency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Yunque (Puerto Rico)</span> Mountain in Puerto Rico

El Yunque or El Yunque Peak is a mountain located fully within the boundaries of the El Yunque National Forest, part of the U.S. Forest Service, which is the only tropical rainforest under the U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction. It is located in the municipality of Río Grande.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Yunque National Forest</span> Rainforest near Río Grande, Puerto Rico

El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest, is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. While there are both temperate and tropical rainforests in other states and territories, it is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System and the United States Forest Service. El Yunque National Forest is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains, encompassing more than 28,000 acres of land, making it the largest block of public land in Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerro Las Tetas</span> Mountain in Puerto Rico

Cerro Las Tetas, nicknamed Las Tetas de Cayey but officially Las Piedras del Collado, are two mountain peaks located in the municipality of Salinas, Puerto Rico, north of the city of Salinas proper. Since September 1, 2000, the peaks have become part of the Las Piedras del Collado Nature Reserve and are protected by law. Their height is 2,762 feet (842 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordillera Central (Puerto Rico)</span> Main mountain range in Puerto Rico

The Cordillera Central is the only mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico, consisting of three subranges: the western-central Cordillera Central, the southeastern Sierra de Cayey, and the northeastern Sierra de Luquillo. Bordered by the Northern Karst Belt to the northwest and costal plains to the north and south, the numerous ridges and foothills of the three subranges combined extend throughout the island. Concentrated in the western to central region of the island, the eponymous main subrange of Cordillera Central originates in the municipality of Mayagüez and merges with the Sierra de Cayey subrange on the town boundary between the municipalities of Barranquitas and Aibonito. At 1,338 meters on the town line between Ponce and Jayuya, Cerro de Punta is the summit of the Cordillera Central and the highest point in Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elfin woods warbler</span> Small bird of the New World warbler family endemic to Puerto Rico

The elfin woods warbler is a species of bird endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is local and uncommon. Discovered in 1968 and described in 1972, it is the most recently described New World warbler.

<i>Eleutherodactylus portoricensis</i> Species of amphibian

Eleutherodactylus portoricensis is a frog native to Puerto Rico that belongs to the family Eleutherodactylidae. Its vernacular English names are forest coquí,upland coquí, mountain coquí, and Puerto Rican robber frog. The species’ range spans the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico and the Cordillera Central, which forms the highland “backbone” of Puerto Rico and includes an eastern extension beginning at the city of Cayey. However, the species is likely extirpated from the western Cordillera Central.

<i>Styrax portoricensis</i> Species of plant

Styrax portoricensis, locally known as palo de jazmin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Styracaceae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is one of the rarest endemic trees of Puerto Rico and is known to occur only in the northeastern Luquillo Mountains and the north-central Cayey Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Toro Wilderness</span> National Wilderness Preservation System in Puerto Rico

El Toro Wilderness is a 10,254-acre (41.5 km2) federally designated National Wilderness Preservation System unit located within El Yunque National Forest on the Sierra de Luquillo in eastern Puerto Rico. El Toro, named after the highest peak in the forest at 3,524 feet (1,074 m), is the only tropical wilderness in the United States National Forest System. It was created in 2005 by the Caribbean National Forest Act of 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican moist forests</span> Ecoregion in Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rican moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Puerto Rico. They cover an area of 7,544 km2 (2,913 sq mi).

<i>Prestoea acuminata <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> montana</i> Species of palm

Prestoea acuminata var. montana is a perennial palm in the family Arecaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk</span> Subspecies of bird

The Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk is an endangered subspecies of the broad-winged hawk. It is a small hawk that occurs in Puerto Rico, inhabiting the Toro Negro State Forest. It is restricted to the montane forests of the Cordillera Central, Sierra de Cayey, and Sierra de Luquillo. It was federally listed as endangered on September 9, 1994. This species occurs in elfin woodland, sierra palm, caimitillo-granadillo, and tabonuco forest types of the Río Abajo Commonwealth Forest, Carite Commonwealth Forest, and El Yunque National Forest as well as within hardwood plantations, shade coffee plantations, and mature secondary forests. In 1994, the Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk population was estimated at 125 individuals islandwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luquillo Experimental Forest</span> Protected area of tropical rainforest in northeastern Puerto Rico

The Luquillo Experimental Forest is a protected area of tropical rainforest in northeastern Puerto Rico. The experimental forest is located in the Sierra de Luquillo some 50 km (30 mi) east of San Juan, the capital of the island. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is used for research into silviculture, forest regeneration, and other purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pico del Este (Sierra de Luquillo)</span> Mountain peak in Puerto Rico

Pico del Este is a mountain peak in the southern portion of the Sierra de Luquillo, located on the boundary between the municipalities of Ceiba and Naguabo in eastern Puerto Rico. A radar complex built by the US Navy can be found in the summit of the mountain. Known as the Old Navy Radar, these facilities remain decommissioned and abandoned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Toro (Sierra de Luquillo)</span> Mountain in Puerto Rico

El Toro is 3,526 feet high and is the highest peak in the Sierra de Luquillo mountains in eastern Puerto Rico.

<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.

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

Guilarte State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forests system in Puerto Rico. The forest is located in the eastern half of the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central. The main geographical feature of the forest reserve is Monte Guilarte, which is Puerto Rico's 7th highest mountain at 3,950 feet above sea level. While Monte Guilarte is located in the municipality of Adjuntas, the forest's borders also include parts of Guayanilla, Peñuelas and Yauco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Picachos</span> Mountain peak of El Yunque in Puerto Rico

Los Picachos is a mountain peak of El Yunque massif located immediately to the southeast of El Yunque's main peak in the Sierra de Luquillo. The peak consists of a high ridge made up of several smaller peaks and it is one of the highest peaks of El Yunque National Forest that can be reached by a hiking trail. It is located at 3,041 feet above the sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerro La Santa</span> Mountain in Puerto Rico

Cerro La Santa is a 2,962 feet high mountain and the highest point in the Sierra de Cayey in Puerto Rico. The peak of Cerro La Santa is located in the Carite State Forest, at a tri-point shared by the municipalities of Caguas, Cayey (Farallón) and San Lorenzo (Espino).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra de Cayey</span> Mountain subrange in Puerto Rico

The Sierra de Cayey is one of three subranges of the Cordillera Central mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is demarcated from the eponymous main subrange of Cordillera Central by the San Cristóbal Canyon on the town boundary between the municipalities of Barranquitas and Aibonito. From west to east, it is concentrated in the municipalities of Aibonito, Cayey, Guayama, and Patillas in the southeastern region of the island. The summit of the mountain range is Cerro La Santa at 2,962 ft. and its most recognizable peak is Cerro Las Tetas at 2,759 ft.. Along with the Sierra de Luquillo in northeastern Puerto Rico, the Cayey mountain range is the smaller subrange of the Cordillera Central.

References

  1. ↑ "Reassessing rainfall in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Local and global ecohydrological implications". ResearchGate. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico". Earth Observatory. NASA. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "Northeastern Puerto Rico and the Luquillo Mountains". The Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. ↑ Harris, N.L.; Lugo, A.E.; Brown, S.; Heartsill Scalley, T. (Eds.) (May 2012). "Luquillo Experimental Forest: Research History and Opportunities" (PDF). USDA, US Forest Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Murphy, Sheila F.; Stallard, Robert F.; Scholl, Martha A.; González, Grizelle; Torres-Sánchez, Angel J. (2017). "Reassessing rainfall in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Local and global ecohydrological implications". PLOS ONE. 12 (7): e0180987. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1280987M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180987 . PMC   5501619 . PMID   28686734.
  6. ↑ "Puerto Rico mountains list | peakery". peakery.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Land & Resources Management". El Yunque National Forest. USDA. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  8. ↑ Olson, D. (1999). Taylor H. Ricketts (ed.). Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press. p. 152. ISBN   978-1-55963-722-0.
  9. ↑ Weaver, Peter L. (1995). "The Colorado and Dwarf Forests of Puerto Rico's Luquillo Mountains". Tropical Forests: Management and Ecology. Ecological Studies. Vol. 112. pp. 109–141. doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-2498-3_5. ISBN   978-1-4612-2498-3.
  10. ↑ Guariguata, M.R. (1990). "Landslide disturbance and forest regeneration in the Upper Luquillo mountains of Puerto Rico". Journal of Ecology. 78 (3): 814–832. Bibcode:1990JEcol..78..814G. doi:10.2307/2260901. JSTOR   2260901.
  11. ↑ "Natural Resources: Endangered and Threatened Species". El Yunque National Forest. USDA. Retrieved 27 March 2019.

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