Climate Change Effects in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Region
Climate Change Effects in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Region

Author: U S Department of Agriculture

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-06-26

Total Pages: 62

ISBN-13: 9781508626589

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Forest lands across the world are experiencing increased risk from extreme weather, drought, fire, insect and plant invasions, and disease. Scientists project increases in air temperature, changes in rainfall patterns, and higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) that may cause these threats to occur more often, with more intensity, or for longer durations. Natural resource managers and planners are increasingly tasked with considering the effects of climate change in their everyday work. Although many of the effects of future changes may be considered negative, natural resource management can help mitigate these impacts. Management strategies informed by the best current science enable natural resource professionals to better protect the land and resources and sustain the benefits of forest lands into the future. However, the ever-increasing volume of useful scientific information about climate change makes it difficult for managers and planners to effectively consider and apply emerging science. This report provides a knowledge base of peer-reviewed climate change science for El Yunque National Forest (EYNF), also administratively designated as the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF), Puerto Rico, and the greater Caribbean region. The extensive literature review reflects the body of sources gathered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service's Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO; Treasure and others 2014) database in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) and local managers from EYNF.

Climate Change Effects in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Region
Climate Change Effects in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Region

Author: Lisa Nicole Jennings

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 47

ISBN-13:

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Understanding the current and expected future conditions of natural resources under a changing climate is essential to making informed management decisions. However, the everincreasing volume of useful scientific information about climate change makes it difficult for managers and planners to effectively sort through and apply the emerging science. This report provides a knowledge base of peer-reviewed climate change science for El Yunque National Forest (also administratively designated as the Luquillo Experimental Forest), Puerto Rico, and the greater Caribbean region. We summarized scientific findings from over 240 peer-reviewed sources, covering a wide range of potential effects including changes to drivers and stressors and the effects of climate change on ecological, physical, social, and economic systems. Projected and observed changes include increases in air temperatures, an extension of the dry season, and changes in cloud cover that may lead to significant alterations to the diverse plant and animal communities of the Caribbean region. Species in cloud forests on isolated mountain peaks may be most at risk, due to sensitivities to moisture and a limited chance for migration. Changes in extreme weather patterns, including an increase in hurricane intensity and more frequent drought events, are projected to alter the distribution of tropical forest vegetation. Tourism patterns and recreational opportunities may change with an increase in extreme weather and impacts from sea level rise. The information presented in this report provides a starting point for natural resource managers, planners, and stakeholders to assess the vulnerability of local resources to climate change as part of a broader decisionmaking framework.

Climate Change Effects in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Region
Climate Change Effects in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Region

Author: Lisa Nicole Jennings

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 47

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Understanding the current and expected future conditions of natural resources under a changing climate is essential to making informed management decisions. However, the everincreasing volume of useful scientific information about climate change makes it difficult for managers and planners to effectively sort through and apply the emerging science. This report provides a knowledge base of peer-reviewed climate change science for El Yunque National Forest (also administratively designated as the Luquillo Experimental Forest), Puerto Rico, and the greater Caribbean region. We summarized scientific findings from over 240 peer-reviewed sources, covering a wide range of potential effects including changes to drivers and stressors and the effects of climate change on ecological, physical, social, and economic systems. Projected and observed changes include increases in air temperatures, an extension of the dry season, and changes in cloud cover that may lead to significant alterations to the diverse plant and animal communities of the Caribbean region. Species in cloud forests on isolated mountain peaks may be most at risk, due to sensitivities to moisture and a limited chance for migration. Changes in extreme weather patterns, including an increase in hurricane intensity and more frequent drought events, are projected to alter the distribution of tropical forest vegetation. Tourism patterns and recreational opportunities may change with an increase in extreme weather and impacts from sea level rise. The information presented in this report provides a starting point for natural resource managers, planners, and stakeholders to assess the vulnerability of local resources to climate change as part of a broader decisionmaking framework.

Tropical Forest Ecology and Management for the Anthropocene
Tropical Forest Ecology and Management for the Anthropocene

Author: Grizelle González

Publisher: MDPI

Published: 2019-12-18

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 3039219642

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This Special Issue looks forward as well as backward to best analyze the forest conservation challenges of the Caribbean. This is made possible by 75 years of research and applications by the United States Department of Agriculture, International Institute of Tropical Forestry (the Institute) of Puerto Rico. It transforms Holocene-based scientific paradigms of the tropics into Anthropocene applications and outlooks of wilderness, managed forests, and urban environments. This volume showcases how the focus of the Institute’s programs is evolving to support sustainable tropical forest conservation despite uncertain conditions. The manuscripts showcased here highlight the importance of shared stewardship and a long-term, hands-on approach to conservation, research programs, and novel organizations intended to meet contemporary conservation challenges. Policies relevant to the Anthropocene, as well as the use of experiments to anticipate future responses of tropical forests to global warming, are reexamined in these pages. Urban topics include how cities can co-produce new knowledge to spark sustainable and resilient transformations. Long-term results and research applications of topics such as soil biota, migratory birds, tropical vegetation, substrate chemistry, and the tropical carbon cycle are also described in the volume. Moreover, the question of how to best use land on a tropical island is addressed. This volume is intended to be of interest to all actors involved in long-term sustainable forest management and research in light of the historical lessons and future directions that may come out of a better understanding of tropical cities and forests in the Anthropocene epoch.

Where Dwarfs Reign
Where Dwarfs Reign

Author: Kathryn Robinson

Publisher: La Editorial, UPR

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13:

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Beelden van de dieren- en plantenwereld van het tropische regenwoud in Puerto Rico.

Socio-Environmental Vulnerability Assessment for Sustainable Management
Socio-Environmental Vulnerability Assessment for Sustainable Management

Author: Szymon Szewrański

Publisher: MDPI

Published: 2020-12-15

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 3039436511

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This Special Issue explores the cross-disciplinary approaches, methodologies, and applications of socio-environmental vulnerability assessment that can be incorporated into sustainable management. The volume comprises 20 different points of view, which cover environmental protection and development, urban planning, geography, public policymaking, participation processes, and other cross-disciplinary fields. The articles collected in this volume come from all over the world and present the current state of the world’s environmental and social systems at a local, regional, and national level. New approaches and analytical tools for the assessment of environmental and social systems are studied. The practical implementation of sustainable development as well as progressive environmental and development policymaking are discussed. Finally, the authors deliberate about the perspectives of social–environmental systems in a rapidly changing world.