Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico stands out as a uniquely captivating nation, blending a rich cultural tapestry, breathtaking natural beauty, and a complex political landscape. The fusion of Taíno, African, and Spanish influences create a cultural dynamism found nowhere else. The island's natural environment is equally compelling, featuring lush rain forests like El Yunque, pristine beaches, and the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay. This diversity supports a wide array of flora and fauna, making Puerto Rico a haven for nature enthusiasts. However, the island's political situation adds a layer of complexity. As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico grapples with a delicate status, leading to debates on issues like statehood, independence, or maintaining its current status. This political uncertainty influences various aspects of daily life, including economic policies and disaster recovery efforts. Despite these challenges, Puerto Rico's unique blend of people, natural wonders, and its complex political journey contribute to the island's one-of-a-kind culture.
Norman Greenhawk has been a member of Tropic Ventures Research and Education Foundation (TVREF) since 2008. TVREF oversees the research at Las Casas de la Selva, a 404-hectare sustainable forestry project in Patillas, Puerto Rico. The island of Puerto Rico is one of the most successful examples of reforestation in the world. In the early 1900s, the island contained only 7% forest cover, the native forests having been harvested by the Spanish Empire. Early reforestation efforts by the American government during the depression (“make work” programs) resulted in novel forest ecosystems of mixed native and non-native tree species. These forests now cover 68% of the island’s land surface. While they were originally intended as a source for timber, overly restrictive environmental laws have prevented the extraction of wood.
Puerto Rico entered into the national conversation in the mainland United States- if only briefly- in 2017, when Hurricane Maria devastated the island. All members of HCI's Board of Directors, as well as our partners at TVREF, were living in Puerto Rico at the time of the hurricane. The electrical grid was destroyed; the power wasn't fully restored to the entire island for over a year. If Puerto Rico were a US state (as opposed to an "unincorporated territory"), it would be the poorest state in the union. It currently imports most of its timber needs from the US and Brazil. Essentially, rather than extracting timber on the island under the comparatively more effective environmental protection laws of the US, the island outsources some of its timber needs to Brazil, putting further stress on the Amazon. Even the timber coming from the US mainland has the added carbon emissions resulting from shipping the wood to Puerto Rico.
TVREF seeks to develop timber extraction methods that will allow for the economic development of a sustainable timer industry in Puerto Rico, while also protecting the forests that serve as the resource base. To that end, since 2008, Norman has conducted herpetological surveys and studies at Las Casas de la Selva. We have entered into an agreement with Thirty Vakil, the Director of TVREF, to expand the herpetological research at the project, as well as to enact new conservation projects. We are also partnering with Dr. Rita Cáceres of the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus, to develop a program that will allow students to work at the projects I will be enacting at Las Casas de la Selva. Currently planned actions/projects are as follows:
Ex-situ amphibian and reptile conservation project
Las Casas de la Selva has agreed to host an ex-situ conservation center for reptiles and amphibians. One area of the property contains a secure, developed area that used to house a sawmill. It can be easily converted into an ex-situ facility.
The effects of introduced timber trees on herpetofauna
In 2015, we published a paper summarizing the findings from an 18-month study on the effects that introduced timber tree plantations had on Anolis lizard abundance and population composition[1]. A previous study had also focused on Eleutherodactylus frogs. However, both of these studies were small in scale, and we have always planned on expanding the size of the study area, as well as including leaf-litter surveys for secretive species such as Diploglossus pleii. Furthermore, in 2017, Las Casas de la Selva was devastated by Hurricane Maria; designing this study as a long-term project would allow us to compare changes in herpetofauna communities over time between the timber plantations and native forest, as both undergo ecological succession.
Expanded herpetological surveys; initiation of freshwater fish surveys
From 2013[2] onwards we conducted surveys in two remote valleys on Las Casas de la Selva property- Icaco and Hormiga valleys[3]. Hormiga Valley is especially remote, and can only be accessed by climbing down a mountainside. These valleys had never been surveyed for amphibians prior to our efforts. We identified six species of frogs, including three species of threatened Eleutherodactylus that ranged from Endangered to Critically Endangered in their IUCN classifications.
We believe that further surveys are warranted. The valleys are located within or adjacent to the known ranges of three Critically Endangered species that are considered extinct: Eleutherodactylus jasperi, E. eneidae, and E. karlschmidti. Considering that most remote mountain valleys of Puerto Rico have not been extensively surveyed for fauna, and the fact that we were unable to access the mountain ridge between Icaco and Hormiga valleys, there is still a distinct possibility that these three species are not extinct, and may be found on Las Casas de la Selva property.
No part of Las Casas de la Selva has been surveyed for freshwater fish. Due to the ease of freshwater surveys, we will incorporate this practice into our field surveys. Once a list of freshwater fish species are compiled, additional research/conservation actions may or may not be warranted.
Post-hurricane ecological restoration/alteration prior to amphibian reintroductions
Hurricane Maria devastated the forests of Puerto Rico, but has provided an opportunity to combine techniques of environmental restoration with animal relocation techniques. One species we will be working with in the ex-situ project prefers areas with abundance bromeliads. There are areas of the forest at Las Casas de la Selva that are already suitable habitat. There are other areas that would be suitable habitat, except for a lack of bromeliads. We plan to grow native bromeliad species that will then be introduced into the forest and installed in densities that will support Eleutherodactylus spp populations. We can then compare the recovery of Eleutherodactylus spp in areas with natural bromeliad populations and those in the areas we altered the habitat.
[1] Greenhawk, N. (2015). Testing sustainable forestry methods in Puerto Rico: Does the presence of the introduced timber tree Blue Mahoe, Talipariti elatum, affect the abundance of Anolis gundlachi?. Herpetology Notes, 8, 141-148.
[2] Greenhawk, N. (2013). Range Extension of Eleutherodactylus cooki, the “Coqui Guajon”, Grant, 1932 (Amphibia: Eleutherodactylidae). Check List, 9(5), 1050-1053.
[3] Greenhawk, N., Zlotnik, S., Billy, L. M., Boas, S., & Gabel, S. (2017). Baseline amphibian survey and sampling of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the Icaco and Hormiga valleys, Patillas, Puerto Rico. Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology, 16(1), 63-69.