Ceiba State Forest

in 1941. The forest's ecological value has been recognized since 1918, when Puerto Rico governor Arthur Yager proclaimed and designated mora than 800 acres of coastal mangrove forest between the municipalities of Fajardo and Naguabo. In 1941, the Puerto Rican government transferred a large portion of this zone and granted it to the federal government for the development of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. In 1979, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) then designated the remaining portion as an irreplaceable forest reserve based on its biological, cultural and historical importance and legacy through executive order OE-1996-57. After Roosevelt Roads was closed down there have been pushes to integrate sections of the former naval station and of the Punta Figueras area into the state forest. The forest was recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International in 2007 due to its importance as a biodiverse wetland habitat for numerous marine and terrestrial bird species. == Geography ==

Climate The average annual precipitation in the reserve is 1,312 mm of rain per year, and its average temperatures are of 26.1C. The driest month in the forest is February and the most humid season is analogous to the wet season between the months of May to September. Geology About 95% of the ground in the forest reserve is covered by mangrove. Most of the year the soil in the reserve is found under sea water, and most of the soils are classified as marsh or wetland soil. These types of soil are characterized for being argillaceous, saline and organic (influenced by the presence of mangroves). There are two other types of soil found in the reserve: lomic sandy soil found in the beach areas, and the loamy clay silt found throughout the parts of the forest that are not submerged. All types of soil in the reserve are of high acidity and salinity. == Ecology ==

Flora The forest is home to all four types of mangrove forest found in Puerto Rico: red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) and buttonwood or button mangrove (Conocarpus erectus). Saltwort (Batis maritima) is also very common in the area. Seagrass can be found in the maritime areas of the reserve and it is a source of food and refuge for numerous animal species. Vegetation is rarer in the salt marshes. == See also ==