La Robleda Natural Protected Area (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Área natural protegida La Robleda'', or simply ''La Robleda'') is a 254-acre protected natural area and conservation easement in

Cayey, Puerto Rico Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Sa ...

. La Robleda, meaning 'the oak grove', gets its name from the high concentration of pink manjack (''

Tabebuia heterophylla ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' is a species of tree native to the Caribbean, and is also cultivated. It is also known as Roble blanco, pink manjack, pink trumpet tree, white cedar, and whitewood. Description ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' grows up to 20 ...

'') trees, locally known as ''roble blanco'', in the area. The pink manjack trees in this nature reserve bloom for a few weeks every year, creating a natural scenic spectacle of pink and white colors in the

Sierra de Cayey Sierra de Cayey is a mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the southeast section of the island. Its elevations do not exceed 1000 m (3,280 ft.). The Grande de Loíza, which is one of the most important rivers in Puer ...

. In addition to the pink manjack, the reserve also protects 89 species of plants, 34 species of birds, seven reptile, six amphibian and about 24 invertebrate species. Seven of these species are identified as critically endangered by the

Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER) is the executive department of the government of Puerto Rico tasked with protecting, conserving, developing, and managing the natural and environmental resources in Puert ...

(DRNA). Some of the key tree species found in the reserve are the ortegon (''

Coccoloba rugosa ''Coccoloba'' is a genus of about 120–150 species of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae, which is native to the Neotropics. There is no overall English name for the genus, although many of the individual species have widely used common ...

''), the Sierra tulip tree ('' Daphnopsis phillipiana''), the Caribbean guzmania ('' Guzmania berteroniana''), and the rare and endangered Luquillo Mountain stopper or ''uvillo'' ('' Eugenia haematocarpa''). The area is also a

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

site.

References

External links

Para la Naturaleza (Puerto Rico's Conservation Trust) - (Spanish)

Video showcasing La Robleda
Protected areas of Puerto Rico Cayey, Puerto Rico {{CayeyPR-geo-stub

See also

References

External links