Rivera San Antonio, Jennifer M.

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    Structure and species composition of the Río Hondo Community Forest in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, before and after Hurricane María: Implications for social-ecological resilience
    (2021-05-14) Rivera San Antonio, Jennifer M.; Abelleira Martínez, Oscar J.; College of Agricultural Sciences; Wessel Beaver, Linda; Ramos Cartagena, Germán R.; Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Soto Santiago, Sandra L.
    The effects of abandonment of agricultural lands on forest regrowth and succession merit further study in Puerto Rico. The 27.51 ha Río Hondo Community Forest (RHCF) is a 38 to 46-year-old secondary forest growing on abandoned sugar cane fields. I measured the tree density, basal area, biomass, and species richness (biotic variables) in 31 plots. An analysis of variance was performed to establish which abiotic factors were related to the biotic variables. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was conducted to understand which abiotic factors were related to tree species composition. During this research, Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico. Post-hurricane damage assessment was conducted by comparing biotic variables before and after the hurricane. For small and large trees before Hurricane María, tree density averaged 1345 and 581 trees/ha, basal area 4.1 and 20.4 m2/ha, and above ground biomass 8.3 and 272.1 Mg/ha, respectively. A total of 31 tree species were identified; species richness per plot ranged from 4 to 5 species. The dominant large tree species were the native Cupania americana, and the introduced Albizia procera, Cassia siamea, and Spathodea campanulata. Species composition was related to geological substrate, elevation, and distance to forest edge. After Hurricane María, tree density, basal area and biomass was reduced 10 to 27%. There was little effect on species richness. A literature review identified extraction of leaf compounds as a primary use of tree species found in the RHCF. An online survey helped to better understand the socio-ecological impacts of Hurricane María as related to community forestry. Academic and professional participants had similar responses. The survey identified no novel uses for downed trees and only 37% of those trees were used for handicrafts and firewood. This study gives the RHCF information that can be used to help forest managers and community members design and implement future intervention practices for multiple objectives such as agroforestry, ecotourism, and education.