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The Caribbean National Forest located in the island of Puerto Rico, and commonly known as El Yunque (named after the Taino Indian spirit Yuquiyú, and meaning "Forest of Clouds") is the only tropical forest in the United States National Forrest System.
The forest is located the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains in Puerto Rico, and encompasses over 28,000 acres (113 km²) of land; making it the largest block of public land in the Island of Puerto Rico.
The forest covers lands of the municipalities of Canovanas, Puerto Rico, Juncos, Puerto Rico, Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, Luquillo, Puerto Rico, and Rio Grande.
The forest region was set aside in 1876 by the Spanish Crown, and represents one of the oldest reserves in the Western Hemisphere. It is home to over 240 species of trees and plants, 26 of which are found nowhere else.
Typical yearly rainfall can be up to 240 inches per year. More than 100 billion gallons of rainwater fall on the forest per year.
El Yunque is composed of five different forest ecosystems
- Tabonuco Forest
- Palo Colorado Forest
- Palma Sierra Forest
- Las Nubes Forest
- El Dutcher Bosque
External links - Caribbean National Forest - USDA Forest Service - Official Website (http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/caribbean/forest.htm)
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