Susúa State Forest ( Spanish: ''Bosque Estatal de Susúa'') is one of the 20 forest units that make up the public forest system of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. 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 In botany, secondary growth is the growth that results from cell division in the cambia or lateral meristems and that causes the stems and roots to thicken, while primary growth is growth that occurs as a result of cell division at the tips of ...

as the land had originally been

deforested Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

and used for

cattle grazing Pastoral farming (also known in some regions as ranching, livestock farming or grazing) is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, ar ...

, timber production and agriculture. The forest is an important habitat for the endangered Puerto Rican nightjar.

History

The forest reserve was proclaimed in 1935 by the forestry division of the

Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration The Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) was one of the alphabet agencies of the New Deal established by the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Created on May 28, 1935, the PRRA's first directors included America ...

(PRRA) and subject to the 1917 Puerto Rico Forestry Law. The forest is now managed 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). The forest is also important for its

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

value as many

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

sites have been uncovered in the forest.

Ecology

The forest is an important transition zone from a subtropical moist broadleaf biome to a subtropical dry broadleaf biome which is important to several endangered species such as the Puerto Rican nightjar ( ''Antrostomus noctitherus''). The forest is also considered an important ecological corridor between the Guánica dry forest and the

Maricao State Forest Maricao State Forest (Spanish: ''Bosque Estatal de Maricao'') is a state forest located in the eastern Cordillera Central mountains of Puerto Rico. It is commonly known as ''Monte del Estado'' due to the fact that it was one of the first forest ...

. There is a high rate of endemism in the forest and species such as the ''

Zamia portoricensis ''Zamia portoricensis'', the marunguey, is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Susua State Forest region of western Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonweal ...

'' and the '' Calliandra locoensis'' of the ''

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

'' family is only found in the area and nowhere else in Puerto Rico or the world. Some endangered or threatened species found in the forest are the pincho rose tree (''

Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon ''Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon'' is a rare species of tree in the family Icacinaceae known by the common name ''pincho palo de rosa''. It is native to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. When it was listed as an endangered species under the United States' End ...

''), the black cobana (''

Libidibia monosperma ''Libidibia monosperma'' is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae, with the common names cóbana negra and cóbana polisandro. It is found in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. It is a federally liste ...

''), the Sierra higuero (''

Crescentia portoricensis ''Crescentia portoricensis'', commonly known as higuero de sierra, is a species of plant in the family Bignoniaceae. It is a perennial evergreen shrub endemic to Puerto Rico. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also terme ...

'') and the threatened red fruit bat (''

Stenoderma rufum The red fruit bat or red fig-eating bat (''Stenoderma rufum'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae, in the monotypic genus ''Stenoderma''.Gannon, M.R., Rodríguez-Durán, M., Kurta, A., and Willig, M.R. Stenoderma rufum Desmarest, R ...

'').

Recreation

Hiking is permitted in the forest on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. although visitors must contact the forest offices (787-999-2200 Ext. 5156) before arriving. Camping is allowed ($6 per tent) and cabins are also available for rent ($40 per night). The forest office also offers group tours and guided hikes, and support for researchers interested in conducting scientific investigation in the forest.

References

{{coord, 18.083, -66.905, type:landmark_region:PR_dim:5000, display=title Protected areas of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico state forests Forestry in Puerto Rico Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico Yauco, Puerto Rico 1935 establishments in Puerto Rico Protected areas established in 1935 Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration

History

Ecology

Recreation

See also

References