Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Guanica State Forest Puerto Rico- A Photo Essay


Although I've been showing images of birds and wildlife, at heart I'm an ecologist.  My brain wants to understand how things work- and how things interact.  Without a critical understanding of the physical conditions of a place, and the plants that are able to survive in these conditions, you can't fully understand the animals. Guanica is a great example of how plants evolve to survive under harsh environmental conditions. The Guanica State Forest is a United Nations world biosphere reserve, an international designation denoting that this is a globally significant ecosystem.  Over 700 species of native plants dwell in this amazingly well preserved tropical dry forest.  I could spend five years learning the flora of this place, and I'd still be learning new things each day.  For now, I am only armed with photos, but the next time we go to Guanica, I'm hoping to learn the names of a few of the more charismatic plant species.

Tom

2 comments:

  1. My ex and I spent a couple of days there back in 2002, I think it was. Interesting place. Thanks for the memories.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No Problem. Yes, isn't it cool? I could spend a long time at Guanica, and I can't wait to go back next year.

    Tom

    ReplyDelete