Mata de Plátano Field Satation and Nature Reserve

Mata de Platano Field Station and Nature Reserve (MPFS), established in February 2000 by the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico – Bayamon campus and the environmental organization Citizens of the Karst (CDK), serves as a vital hub for research, education, and outreach within the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Nestled in the northern karst region of the island, MPFS encompasses approximately 53 hectares (5,705,000 sq. ft.) of pristine land.

Situated in the rural expanse of the Arecibo Municipality at coordinates Latitude 18.41448 and Longitude -66.72875, the station features a two-story concrete building which serves as its headquarters. This building accommodates up to 24 guests and is equipped with common areas, a kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry facilities. Dedicated spaces for scientific laboratories, academic work, and community outreach are also available.

Year Founded
2000
Year Joined OBFS
2015
Size of Field Station (hectares)
1-100
FSML Web Address
https://oire.bayamon.inter.edu/fieldstation

Private nonprofit organization?
Yes
Universities affiliated / Parent Organization
Inter American University of Puerto Rico
Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
No
Member of the Virtual Field
No

Additional Information

Private nonprofit organization?
Names of Universities affilated
0
Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
No
Name of partner
Tribal partners/users
No
MSI/HBCU users
Yes
Community College users
Yes
Member of the Virtual Field
No

Visiting a FS/ML

Open to the Public
Yes
Year round staff
Seasonal staff
Overnight housing facilities/# of beds
21-50
Distance to emergency services
21-40 minutes
Library
No
Hiking trails
Yes
Internship employment
No

Environmental Information

Biomes
Tropical Rain Forest and Temperate Forest
Minimum Elevation
101-300 meters
Maximum Elevation
101-300 meters
Köppen climate classification
A (tropical)
Freshwater habitats
No
Urban or rural
Agricultural fields
No

Research

REU host station
No
Dry lab space
Yes
Wet Lab space
Yes
Research vessels available
No
GIS capacity on site
No
Long term data sets
No
On site herbarium or voucher species
Formal Data Management Plan
No
Mesocosms, plots, stream diversions, or other sets ups for outdoor manipulative experiments
No
Date Joined OBFS
January 22, 2024