Colón-Ruiz, Janesse S.

Profile Picture

Filters

20121
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Understory Plant Communities in the Surroundings of the Joyuda Lagoon, Puerto Rico
    (2012) Colón-Ruiz, Janesse S.; Chinea-Rivera, Jesús D.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Thaxton, Jarrod; Whitmire, Stefanie; Department of Biology; Otero, Ernesto
    Studies focused on the distribution of understory species associated with mangrove forests are very scarce. This research provides a detailed description of the understory community and their environmental requirements at a basin mangrove forest and an abandoned coconut plantation at the western edge of Joyuda Lagoon. A non-systematic survey, a 70-plot sample and a 40-plot sample were conducted. Understory and tree seedling percent cover were measured at the 70-plot sample. Tree canopy cover above the sampling site, pH, electrical conductivity, soil water content and total transmittance were measured at the 40-plot sample. Elevation was measured along the transects of the systematic survey. Species composition between the coconut plantation and the mangrove forest differed significantly. The environmental variables shown to be most significant and define understory species distribution were electrical conductivity, elevation and total transmittance. Mangrove dominated plots in contrast to the coconut plots were characterized by lower elevations, high salinity and light availability. These results suggest that if sea-level continues to increase mangrove forests and their associated understory will expand inland into the coconut plantation.