Site Baseline and Analytical Plan

Baseline documentation

Study 11

Site baseline summary

Study ID: CHRS 11

Research question

What reference conditions are needed to interpret changes in soils, water and habitat?

Location and scope: Puerto Rico · Copper Hill.

Principal site: Copper Hill, Las Marías & Maricao, Puerto Rico · Forest management plan (2022–2026) prepared by an independent consultant under a USDA NRCS conservation program

Documented period Baseline work began in 2022.

Approach and context

Site characterization begun in 2022 includes mapping, soil and water characterization, tree inventory and ecological observations. The consultant’s field visits for the NRCS CPA 106 plan ran from March 2022 to February 2024, followed by planning sessions through 2026. Its vegetation transects recorded 33 trees of 12 species, with a mean height of 6.6 m and a maximum of 21.9 m. The 2022 Forest Stewardship Plan adds a forest and wildlife inventory and maps of topography and soils.

Classification: Baseline documentation
Research domain: Tropical Agroforestry
Research site: Copper Hill Farm, Las Marías & Maricao, Puerto Rico

Data and figures

Bar chart of tree species importance values — Importance value index for the 12 tree species recorded in two forest transects. As reported in the NRCS conservation planning activity (CPA 106) plan, prepared by an independent consultant, June 2026, §4.4.3, p. 12.

What the record supports

The baseline provides reference conditions for interpreting changes in soils, water and habitat over time.

Baseline work summarized; supporting reports and attribution await review.

All foundational studies Research inquiry