America's tropical rainforest. El yunque

Description

The United States' only tropical rainforest, the El Yunque National Forest, is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains in Puerto Rico, less than an hour's drive from the city of San Juan. Formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest, El Yunque, as it is locally called, is the rainiest of all of America's National Forests with up to 240 inches per year and provides the perfect rainforest experience. You can get there by car or bus and the US Forest Service maintains an extensive network of paved and unpaved trails for hiking, as well as picnic facilities. This magnificent reserve encompasses over 28,000 acres of land and represents one of the most complex ecological systems on earth; it is home to over 240 species of plants, many indigenous to Puerto Rico, and a number of animals, including the coqui, the island's beloved little tree frog. This program provides the perfect introduction to this beautiful rainforest, one of the oldest reserves in the Western Hemisphere.

Runtime

8 min

Subjects

Genre

Date of Publication

1998

Database

Alexander Street

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