Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: No Data Available

Dynamics:  Landslides and hurricanes are the key triggers of dynamic processes of these forests. Substrate and topography and their interaction with the vegetation are the most important factors for the survival of these forests during hurricanes - probably the single most important natural trigger of the successional dynamic. Surviving trees have their roots securely anchored in the substrate. These factors are also critical for regulating surface runoff and maintaining the water balance under very humid conditions on exposed ridges and steep slopes. Forest recovery after disturbance is slow. Monitoring of dwarf forest in Puerto Rico''s Luquillo Mountains showed that it can take up to 20 years for woody species to establish and after that their growth rate is very slow. It took almost 35 years until the canopy closing decreased the grass and fern cover (Weaver 2008). Moreover, the succession process is often subjected to setbacks due to periodic hurricane disturbance. This study also showed that hurricanes cause delayed mortality, with declines in biomass and stem numbers exceeding ingrowth during 15 years after Hurricane Hugo hit. Another important finding of this study is that more than half of the arborescent species growing in dwarf forest, where they play a prominent role in post disturbance recovery, are endemic to Puerto Rico (Weaver 2008). Cloud forests are known as places of high endemism but not necessarily as areas with rich biotas (Weaver 2000, 2008).