Ecological Paradigms for the Tropics: Old Questions and Continuing Challenges
Book Chapter
Lugo, AE, Waide, RB, Willig, MR et al. (2015). Ecological Paradigms for the Tropics: Old Questions and Continuing Challenges
. 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780195334692.003.0001
Lugo, AE, Waide, RB, Willig, MR et al. (2015). Ecological Paradigms for the Tropics: Old Questions and Continuing Challenges
. 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780195334692.003.0001
This chapter focuses on the ecological response mechanisms of the Luquillo Mountains tonatural and human-induced disturbances, such as hurricanes and land cover change. It identifies the ecosystems of the Luquillo Mountains as a perfect representation of large masses of a non-frost tropical land because of its naturally occurring features: high rainfall, hurricane disturbances, maritime climate, and insularity. It then sets out the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program as a by-product of the 20th and 21st century experimentations, and discusses its contributions to the basic understanding of the ecological make-up and biogeochemistry of the Luquillo Mountains.