Vega State Forest (
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 ...
: ''Bosque Estatal de Vega'') is a
state forest
A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory.
Background
The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example:
* In Australia, a ...
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 ...
located in the municipalities of
Vega Alta and
Vega Baja
Vega Baja (, ) is a town and municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, east of Manatí, and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 13 barrios. The population of the municipality was 54,414 at t ...
. The
subtropical moist forest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat (ecology), habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Description
TSMF is generally foun ...
is located in the northern coast of Puerto Rico in the middle of the
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
zone known as the ''Carso Norteño'' (
Northern karst), and it contains features typical of such geography such as
sinkholes
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
, caves and
mogotes
Mogotes () is a town and municipality in the Santander Department, in northeastern Colombia.
References
{{Santander-geo-stub
Municipalities of Santander Department ...
. It was designated a nature reserve in 1952 and it is fully protected by the Puerto Rico Forest laws (Law No. 133) 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.
Ecology
The Vega Forest plays an important role in the protection of many underground water supplies as it contains sinkholes and areas of natural recharge for the northern aquifers of Puerto Rico. The limestone geology is important for numerous species of plants and animals.
Flora
The forest is home to at least 72 species of trees, with the best represented families being ''
'' (8 species) and ''
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...
'' (6 species). The Sierra palm (''
Gaussia attenuata
''Gaussia attenuata'' (palma de sierra, llume) is a palm which is native to Puerto Rico. The species grows on steep-sided limestone hills (known as mogotes) in Puerto Rico. Description
''Gaussia attenuata'' trees are up to 15 metres tall with g ...
''), the cock's-spur (''
Erythtrina eggersii'') and palo de rosa (''
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 ...
'') grow on limestone mogotes; the latter two are highly endangered due to habitat loss.
Fauna
Thirty-seven species of birds have been documented in the forest area, three of which are endemic to Puerto Rico: the Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo (''
Coccyzus vieilloti''), the Puerto Rican bullfinch (''
Melopyrrha portoricensis'') and the Puerto Rican vireo (''
Vireo latimeri''). The forest is also home to a number of endemic reptile and amphibian species.
Recreation
The forest contains sections which are open to visitors, located in
Vega Alta. Its administrative office also contains a plant nursery.
See also
*
List of state forests of Puerto Rico
References
{{Protected areas of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican moist forests
Puerto Rico state forests
Protected areas of Puerto Rico
Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
1952 establishments in Puerto Rico
Protected areas established in 1952