Vegetation profile and canopy height of Tabonuco, Colorado and Cloud Forests

The overall height and the presence of vegetation in different height intervals above ground is recorded above points on a 5 x 5 m grid in three hectare-sized plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. One plots each is in tabonuco forest (350 m elevation), colorado forest (650 m) and cloud forest (1000 m). The first records were made shortly before Hurricane Hugo, in 1989. Post hurricane measurements have been made five time to six time in each plot, the most recent been in 1998 for all plots. The results show the damage to forest structure wreaked by Hurricane Hugo, steady recovery of forest structure after Hugo, minor damage by Hurricane Hortense in 1996, and resumption of recovery after Hortense. Maximum canopy height and the vertical distribution of vegetation in the forests are returning to pre-hurricane Hugo values.

本数据集针对波多黎各卢奎略实验森林（Luquillo Experimental Forest）内三块3公顷样地，对5×5米网格布设的各点位地表以上不同高度区间的植被存在情况及整体高度进行了记录。三块样地分别坐落于塔博努科林（tabonuco forest，海拔350米）、科罗拉多林（colorado forest，海拔650米）与云雾林（cloud forest，海拔1000米）。首批观测数据采集于1989年，即雨果飓风（Hurricane Hugo）登陆前不久。各块样地在飓风过后共计开展了5至6次复测，所有样地的最新一次复测均完成于1998年。观测结果显示：雨果飓风对森林结构造成了严重破坏，灾后森林结构逐步恢复；1996年的霍顿斯飓风（Hurricane Hortense）仅造成轻微损害，此后森林恢复进程再度重启。目前，森林的最大冠层高度与植被垂直分布格局正逐步回归至雨果飓风前的基准水平。