Reading and researching a location can give you a lot of information about how an ecosystem or landscape works. You learn about the ebb and flows of heat, moisture, animals and flora. But stepping into a location feeling the latent heat, sounds of animals, and the soil between your fingers and toes will never be replaced by reading about a location. El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical forest operated by the USDA. El Yunque is truly a gem of the Forest Service and was the adventure I didn’t even know I was looking for.
The Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory was born out of the work of Dr. Art White, who knew the only way to understand a natural system is the collect as much data as possible. Every leaf, element, and bug is part of the story. The data is rich here because of the United States Geological Survey and the Long-Term Ecological Research Programs. This is a huge boost to the history of knowledge at this site and we could use their equipment and data, as long as we could find it among the thick rainforest!
I was completely awe struck upon exiting my vehicle to behold the natural processes at work at Luquillo. Every inch of the forest was a live. All surfaces and beneath them were home to a world unto itself. I found myself living the adventures of finding Dr. Livingston, in a jungle, relying upon hearsay to locations of lost signs of civilization. With the leadership of Dr. Andy Kurtz and Dr. Lou Derry, we were able to locate soil lysimeters installed more than 10 years ago. Even more surprising is that the majority of them worked.
Hiking through the Bisley watershed was like entering another world. With large stands of trees and plants I had never seen before. The proud trees and dominating vegetation was something my mind would have only created while reading Ray Bradbury.
Even more striking than the vegetation was the geology. You could clearly see as eye-catching signs that water was beating, wearing, and weathering rocks away. Water was cutting directly into the rock as if it were a slow saw. Cutting away every so slowly but powerfully through granite, carrying the nutrients down stream and out to the ocean.
Visiting Luquillo was a truly inspiring trip. The tall mountains overlooking the tranquil bay below is something I can never forget. The deep red soils tell stories that I am excited to my future students.
Visiting Luquillo was a truly inspiring trip. The tall mountains overlooking the tranquil bay below is something I can never forget. The deep red soils tell stories that I am excited to my future students.