{"title":"Rio Cupeyes NEON - United States of America","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/","suffix":"34666650-817c-40e6-8b09-768f2223f4f8"},"type":"site","created":"2020-05-25T09:36:50+02:00","changed":"2025-09-17T13:48:20+02:00","attributes":{"affiliation":{"networks":[{"network":{"name":"GERI","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"c3abdc60-49f1-49db-81fe-863b7dbb21d3"}},"siteCode":null,"verified":true},{"network":{"name":"NEON","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"fd9fbc88-0baa-4d02-b824-dc29f721782c"}},"siteCode":"CUPE","verified":true}],"projects":null},"contact":{"siteManager":[{"type":"person","name":"Yamil Toro","email":"ytoro@battelleecology.org","orcid":null}],"operatingOrganisation":null,"metadataProvider":[{"type":"person","name":"Melissa Marquez","email":"marquez@battelleecology.org","orcid":null}],"fundingAgency":null,"siteUrl":[{"title":null,"value":"https:\/\/www.neonscience.org\/field-sites\/cupe"}]},"general":{"abstract":"R\u00edo Cupeyes (CUPE) is an aquatic NEON field site located in southwestern Puerto Rico. R\u00edo Cupeyes is managed by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (el Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, DRNA) under delegation from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This is a 2nd-order wadeable stream and tributary of R\u00edo Guanijibo. The watershed is a 4.26 km2 (1053 acre) catchment comprised of old- and secondary-growth subtropical moist and subtropical wet forest. The NEON reach is located in a montane area with steep slopes where landslides may occasionally occur. Although the vegetation adjacent to the stream reach is dense and the stream exhibits a steep gradient, the channel is relatively free of vegetation and is stabilized by large boulders. It is considered a Type 2 Heritage River (R\u00edo Patrimonial), a relatively pristine body of water originating within the DRNA-protected State Forest of Maricao (el Bosque Estatal de Maricao). This location is part of the NEON Atlantic Neotropical Domain (D04), which includes the island of Puerto Rico and the southern tip of Florida. The Domain includes two terrestrial field sites and one additional aquatic field site.","citation":null,"relatedIdentifiers":null,"status":{"label":"Operational","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/elter_cl\/10772"},"yearEstablished":2015,"yearClosed":null,"relatedSites":null,"siteName":"Rio Cupeyes NEON","shortName":"CUPE","siteType":"Platform","protectionLevel":null,"landUse":null,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-06\/cupe.jpg","alt":"CUPE Stream Sensor"}]},"environmentalCharacteristics":{"airTemperature":{"yearlyAverage":25,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"\u00b0C","referencePeriod":null},"precipitation":{"yearlyAverage":1168,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"mm","referencePeriod":null},"biogeographicalRegion":null,"biome":"evergreen_forest","ecosystemType":[{"label":"Evergreen Forest","uri":null},{"label":"Forest","uri":null},{"label":"Fresh Water Rivers","uri":null},{"label":"Rivers","uri":null}],"eunisHabitat":null,"landforms":null,"geoBonBiome":["Fresh water rivers"],"geology":"Parent material for R\u00edo Cupeyes is serpentinite, derived from ultramafic bedrock.","hydrology":"The flow regime is typical of Puerto Rican streams with watersheds comprised of subtropical moist and wet forests. Discharge occurs in strong, seasonal patterns with low flows during the mid- to late- dry season (December through March) and baseflow discharge 2-3 times higher during the annual wet season (May through November). Tropical storms or hurricanes, typically between June and December, may lead to extreme high flow events along this stream. Although much of the channel substrate consists of small particles that are likely to be displaced during high discharge events, large and relatively immobile boulders are ubiquitous along the channel margins. Substrate composition of the stream is a heterogeneous mix of sand, cobble, pebble, large boulder, and large areas of exposed bedrock.","soils":"The watershed is comprised of shallow, excessively drained serpentine soils derived from ultramafic bedrock, which exhibit low calcium\/magnesium ratios; low nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus; and high concentrations of nickel and chromium. These are generally considered poor agricultural soils, with poor fertility and low water-holding capacity. Interestingly, these clay soils are capable of absorbing unusually large amounts of water, but are unable to retain the moisture due to unique physical properties. Soils remain dry despite an abundance of rain.","vegetation":"Forest cover consists of mature, mostly second-growth wet subtropical forest. Dominant tree species in the riparian zone include caimitillo (Micropholis chrysophylloides), white cogwood (Homalium racemosum), roble colorado (Tabebuia schumanniana), mango (Mangifera spp.), and Stahl\u0027s stopper (Eugenia stahlii). Undercover growth consists of dense stands of shrubs, small trees, and vines. It is common that thick vine masses descend from the canopy directly into the stream channel."},"geographic":{"boundaries":null,"coordinates":"POINT (-66.98676 18.11352)","country":["United States of America"],"elevation":{"avg":157,"min":null,"max":null,"unit":"msl"},"size":{"value":486,"unit":"ha"},"relatedLocations":null},"focusDesignScale":{"experiments":{"design":"mainly experimentation","scale":"beyond catchment scale"},"observations":{"design":"mainly observation","scale":"entire catchment"},"observedProperties":[{"label":"air temperature","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22035"},{"label":"atmospheric parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20937"},{"label":"carbon-to-nitrogen ratio","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/21350"},{"label":"chemical parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10333"},{"label":"ecosystem parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20939"},{"label":"land cover","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22142"},{"label":"land cover type","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10241"},{"label":"landscape parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20943"},{"label":"photosynthetically active radiation intensity","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22186"},{"label":"physical parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20938"},{"label":"soil alkalinity","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22038"},{"label":"soil parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20944"},{"label":"species abundance","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10018"},{"label":"species composition","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22285"},{"label":"specific conductivity","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22289"},{"label":"stage height","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22290"},{"label":"total organic carbon","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22297"},{"label":"water depth","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22310"},{"label":"water level","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/30025"},{"label":"water parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20945"},{"label":"water quality","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22312"},{"label":"water temperature","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22313"},{"label":"water transparency","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10392"}]},"infrastructure":{"accessibleAllYear":true,"accessType":null,"allPartsAccessible":null,"maintenanceInterval":null,"permanentPowerSupply":true,"operation":{"permanent":true,"notes":null,"siteVisitInterval":null},"notes":null,"collection":null,"data":{"policy":{"url":null,"rights":null,"notes":null}}},"relatedResources":null,"projectRelated":{"lter":{"lterSiteClassification":null}}}}