Date of Publication
2019 12:00 AM
Publication Date
August 21, 2019
Security Theme
Extreme Events
Keywords
Extreme Events, srhreports, naturaldisasters, country-puertorico, hurricanes, forests, Puerto Rico, systematic literature review, ecological research
Description
Hurricanes shape ecosystems. A broad range of forested ecosystems is particularly affected by hurricanes, thus creating the need for studies addressing the effects of these disturbances. There is a long history of hurricane and forest research on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. In this study, results are presented from a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles regarding ecological research conducted in Puerto Rico on the topic of hurricanes and forests published from 1900 through 2017. This paper presents a summary of cyclonic activity on the island during the study period and the results from the systematic literature review within this cyclonic context. The paper also discusses findings in terms of aspects of forests studied, geographical distribution of study areas, and time scales at which research was conducted. These findings allow us to determine what was studied about hurricanes and forests, identify gaps in the information, and suggest possible areas of research and production of new knowledge that recent and future storms can bring. Recommendations are made identifying research needs and proposing additional approaches to complement existing information.
Report Location
Broadening Our Understanding of Hurricanes and Forests on the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico: Where and What Should We Study Now?
Hurricanes shape ecosystems. A broad range of forested ecosystems is particularly affected by hurricanes, thus creating the need for studies addressing the effects of these disturbances. There is a long history of hurricane and forest research on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. In this study, results are presented from a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles regarding ecological research conducted in Puerto Rico on the topic of hurricanes and forests published from 1900 through 2017. This paper presents a summary of cyclonic activity on the island during the study period and the results from the systematic literature review within this cyclonic context. The paper also discusses findings in terms of aspects of forests studied, geographical distribution of study areas, and time scales at which research was conducted. These findings allow us to determine what was studied about hurricanes and forests, identify gaps in the information, and suggest possible areas of research and production of new knowledge that recent and future storms can bring. Recommendations are made identifying research needs and proposing additional approaches to complement existing information.
Comments
Originally published in Forests https://doi.org/10.3390/f10090710