FORESTS OF POETO RICO. 31 



discriminated against because their good qualities are commercially 

 unknown. 



There is an almost complete absence of species having a gregarious 

 habit, the tabanuco (69) 1 and palma de sierra (3) being the chief 

 exceptions. 



RAIN FORESTS OP THE LUQUILLO. 



The entire forested area in the Sierra de Luquillo is within the 

 rain-forest belt. The situation is, however, a generally unfavorable 

 one as compared with other areas of abundant rainfall by virtue 

 of its unshielded exposure to the full force of the trade winds, so that 

 the forests here represent rather the minimum tropical rain-forest 

 development. 



The main stand of the typical rain-forest development previously 

 described covers probably somewhat more than half of the mountain 

 area. Its four leading species are tabanuco (69), guaraguao (74), 

 laurel sabino (17), and ausubo (141), in the order of their numerical 

 importance. Largely because it has always been in great demand 

 among the natives for all manner of uses, the ausubo is now quite 

 scarce. Cedro (71), too, is only occasionally to be found here. It is 

 doubtful if there was ever more than a scattering of caoba (72), 

 because of its preference for a slightly less humid site. While these 

 forests are usually considered to be undisturbed original growth, 

 such is not, strictly speaking, the case, for cedro and others of the 

 more valuable woods have been taken out a tree at a time by a 

 gradual culling process extending over many years. 2 



Two subordinate types within the tropical rain-forest belt of the 

 Luquillo are the " hurricane hardwood" and " sierra palm" types. 

 The former, occupying the places of greatest exposure, the ridge sum- 

 mits and the easterly slopes above 2,500 feet elevation particularly, is 

 a low, gnarled, and stunted tree growth, mainly of the inferior species. 3 

 Scarcely 25 feet high, the stands are in most places very dense and 

 the limbs of the trees interlace and are covered with water-laden 

 moss. For days at a time this type may be continuously bathed in 



i See Plate III. 



2 There is authentic information concerning one cedro cut within the last 6 years from the south side of 

 the range, the stump of which yet remains and measures 18 feet in circumference (5| feet in diameter). 

 Several attempts are reported to have been made before a purchaser could be found for this tree because 

 of its size and the difficulty of felling it and moving it away with the ordinary means at hand. Another, 

 still standing at the present time, measures 25 feet 5 inches in circumference. 



s An instance called to the attention of the writer relative to one of the secondary peaks visited by him in 

 1912 toward the south side of the range (elevation 3,000 feet) suggests the possibility of the hurricane of 1898 

 being at least a contributory cause of the low cover found on these exposed sites and led to the selection 

 of the name " hurricane hardwood " type to designate this growth. An American resident said that at the 

 time she took up residence there in the winter of 1899-1900 this peak was stripped entirely bare of all vege- 

 tation and that it remained so for 2 to 3 years afterward. Gradually it showed patches of green and 

 eventually became entirely covered. The present stand is a dense young growth of yagrumo, palma de 

 sierra, and other of the poorer quality hardwoods. It may be significant that Dr. George Eggar, quoted 

 by Hill, does not remark on the presence of such a growth at the time cf his exploration of El Yunque ir/ 

 1887, when a more normal growth may have been present. 



