Atlantic Neotropical

The NEON Atlantic Neotropical Domain spans South Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Its candidate core site, located at the Guánica Forest in southwestern Puerto Rico, is representative of the diverse ecosystems and life forms of the tropics—an area with significant native biodiversity that is also impacted by introduced animal and plant species. NEON research in the area will focus on land use. The site at Guánica Forest pairs with the NEON Pacific Tropical site at the Laupahoehoe Experimental Tropical Forest in Hawaii to share a research focus on dry and wet tropical forests. The site also anchors the tropical point of NEON continental-scale land-use research.

Domain: Atlantic Neotropical (Domain #4)

Science Focus: Land use.

Candidate Core Site Name: Guánica Forest, Puerto Rico

Representativeness: The site has a varied history of land use, and is being encroached upon by suburbs and industrial development on the north and east sides. It contains many of the dominant tree species found throughout the domain and features a mixture of introduced and native species.

Location: Latitude: 17.976; Longitude: -66.852

Unique Feature: As a seasonally dry forest, Guánica represents the most common life zone in the tropics and compares to seasonal temperate forests.