NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



703 



aliandoned coffee plantation now return- 

 ing to original conditions, with an 

 abundance of tree fern, orchids, etc. 

 Will doubtless soon have tree ferns, 

 etc., so cut as to be of little interest. 

 25 meters along the road now theoreti- 

 cally protected by law. Of greatest 

 value at present because it can be 

 reached so easily, and in climl)ing the 

 mountain from Yauco all gradations of 

 rainfall received can be noted. 



Reached by auto from Yauco, 23 km. 

 on the new road to Lares and from 

 Lares.— (?. A^. W. 



Steep Rocky Hills 



Considerable area of dry deciduous 

 forest, that except for having some of 

 the larger trees cut and being grazed 

 by goats and cattle, will probably re- 

 main unchanged. Between Yauco and 

 Ponce, readily accessible by R. R., 

 auto road, or by foot, from either city. — 

 G. N. W. 



EXISTING AND PROPOSED INSULAR 



FORESTS 



Luquillo National Forest (A3) 



See in Eastern Forest District. 



*Maricao Insular Forest 



Contains approximately 5000 acres. 

 Is situated in the mountainous region 

 embracing the headwaters of several 

 important streams within the munici- 

 palities of Maricao, San German, and 

 Sabana Grande. About 2000 acres are 

 deforested lands upon which very in- 

 teresting reforestation projects are being 

 conducted. More than half of the total 

 area consists of one body of typical 

 tropical rain forest which has been but 

 slightly disturbed from its original 

 condition. It is quite similar in general 

 characteristics to the Luquillo National 

 Forest and is the second largest area of 

 orignal or virgin forest growth in the 

 island, the Luquillo Forest being by 

 far the largest virgin forest area. — 

 E. M. Bruner. 



*Guanica Harbor Forest 



An area of some 5000 acres covering 

 low ridges along the south coast imme- 

 diately east of Guanica Harbor. Ex- 

 ceedingly rocky, thin-soiled land and 

 characterized by semi-arid climate. 

 Original forest practically destroyed. 

 Accessible to the towns of Guanica and 

 Yauco. There are numerous trails mak- 

 ing the entire area accessible. A few 

 guinea may still be found. One of the 

 few places in Porto Rico where lignum 

 vitae still occurs. — E. M. Bruner. 



*Point Barraco Forest 



Contains about 500 acres covering a 

 narrow rocky ridge protruding into the 

 Carribean at the west side of Guayanilla 

 Bay. Is in every respect similar to the 

 Guanica Harbor Forest from the eastern 

 end of which it is separated only by a 

 narrow strip of land. Is easily acces- 

 sible from the Sugar Central of Lluveras 

 Hermanos between the towns of Gua- 

 yanilla and Yauco. — E. M. Bruner. 



Mona Island Forest 



Situated in Mona Passage, midway 

 between Porto Rico and Santo Domingo, 

 and belonging to the former. The con- 

 ditions of climate and vegetation are in 

 many ways unique, representing an 

 extreme of aridity and of development 

 of the cactus flora on nearly bare lime- 

 stones. Except for the relatively small 

 amount of coastal plain, which has 

 already been more or less cleared of its 

 original forest growth, the entire Island 

 of Mona will I)e preserved in a natural 

 condition. The few trails on the island 

 are nothing more than dim paths which 

 can be followed only by one thoroughly 

 familiar with them. The forest growth 

 of the elevated land hardly attains tree 

 size at all but is merely a brush forest 

 over the greater portion of the area, 

 though tree sizes may be attained by a 

 few species in some small scattered spots 

 having a comparatively fair depth of 

 soil. Over most of the area the scrubby 

 forest cover is quite dense and is made 



