Luquillo Experimental Forest

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The Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) in Puerto Rico is a high quality tropical forest research site with a history of long-term research programs. The LEF is a National Forest and a Biosphere Reserve, which contains several research natural areas within its 11,231 ha. The objective of this project is to tie studies of disturbance regime and forest structure and dynamics to an ecological landscape perspective. The two primary research questions address (1) the relative importance of different disturbance types within the four tropical rain forest life zones of the LEF, and (2) the importance of specific elements of the biota in restoring ecosystem productivity after disturbance. A combination of long-term (10-40 year) and short-term (3-5 year) experiments will provide research components addressing: pattern, frequency, and intensity of disturbance; environmental properties expected to vary with disturbance size, age, and origin; biological properties expected to vary with environmental properties; and system properties emergent from the effects of disturbance pattern, severity, and frequency on the mutual interaction of environment and biota. Existing and newly generated data sets will incorporated into a comprehensive data management system to insure prompt data reduction, timely dissemination of information to collaborators and other research projects, and secure long-term data storage. The research site is an excellent one operated under the stewardship of the USDA/Forest Service. The Forest Service will also participate in the research through the activities of its resident scientists. The University of Puerto Rico will provide excellent facilities for the work. The multi-institutional research team is very strong, well organized and firmly committed to the requisite collaborative research mode of operation. Results of this undertaking will be important to the progress of basic ecological science as well as to the management of the living resources of tropical forest ecosystems. The Ecosystem Studies Program regards the LEF site and research team as a valuable addition to the national network of Long-Term Ecological Research projects. Accordingly, a six-year continuing award is recommended in support of this project.