How many rain forest zones (or forest types) are there in El Yunque?
There are four types of rain forest zones in El Yunque.
The Tabonuco Forest Type
Since this rain forest has many tall trees, it has a very low intensity of light at ground level. The trunk of these trees is usually very straight and their first branches are high above the ground. This forest type has the richest flora in this rain forest with 175 tree species. This zone covers 430 hectares (13,417acres) of the this forest.
The Palo Colorado Forest Type
This zone is an upland swamp of short-statured trees with shallow root systems. They start to appear uphill from the Tabonuco Forest. This forest zone has an elevation of above 2,000 feet on slopes and valleys, containing 50 tree species. This type of area covers 3,400 hectares (8,401 acre) of this rain forest.
The Sierra Palm Forest Type
Although flora in this area is not of great height or large trunk diameters, it occurs in dense patches within the elevation ranges of both the Palo Colorado and Tabonuco Forest zones. Sierra Palms grow where other tree species cannot. This forest type is found on steep slopes, unstable soils and streambeds above 1,500 feet. This forest type covers 2,050 hectares (5,065 acres) of the El Yunque.
The Dwarf Forest Type
This forest type is also known as “elfin woodlands”. It isfound at the upper edges of the Palo Colorado and Sierra Palm Forest Types. In this area, tree types become shorter, blending into a zone of small vegetation. This forest type exists in an area of water-saturated soils with not much oxygen. This forest zone covers 450 hectares (1,111 acres) on this National Rain Forest.
