A team from the U.S. Forest Service will begin taking stock of St. Croix’s trees next week, Forest Service researcher Tom Brandeis said. "Our principal concern is to get an estimate of forest change—gains and losses," he said.
In addition to counting trees, the survey will look at issues such as pests and diseases, as well as damage from 2008’s Hurricane Omar. This is a follow-up survey to one done in 2004.
The three San Juan-based biological scientists working on the project—Luis Ortiz, Humfredo Marcano and Iván Vicéns—will be on St. Croix until April. Brandeis said they will be in a bright green SUV and carry identification.
Brandeis hopes that homeowners will grant permission for them to evaluate the trees if the sampling location is on private property.
"We don’t damage any vegetation," he said.
The trio will take samples at 53 spots across St. Croix."It’s evenly spaced across the whole island," he said.
A team will then repeat the process in five years.
The project is a joint effort between the Forest Service’s Southern Research Station and International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
The Forest Service recently wrapped up similar surveys on St. Thomas and St. John.
After the second forest survey is completed, the Forest Service will issue a report with an analysis of the information.
