Leah Andino

Biography

I am a new seasonal technician for the Landscape Ecology Lab. I’m from Southern California and grew up seeing the outdoors as a bit icky with too many bugs. As an older teen, something changed and forests suddenly became interesting since they were unfamiliar to me and I was used to the shrubby landscapes of our Mediterranean climate. With my new interest, I went on to major in Geography/Environmental Studies and earn my master of Forest Science.
Lately, I have been enjoying hanging out in all kinds of forests and streams, hands on activities like sewing/crafting/gardening, and wrestling my cat, Gussie.

Favorite field site

Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico
- Subtropical moist to subtropical rain forest
- Mountainous landscape: 1,000-meter elevation gradient
- Field site has the same boundary as the national forest (El Yunque National Forest)
- Largest tropical forest in the experimintal forest and range system: >28k acres
- Site has been studied for over 100 years
- Fun fact: I found a transparent semi-slug in the forest that flattens out snd also has slug shape

Map of Field Site + Station

library(leaflet)

leaflet() %>%
  addTiles() %>%     
  addMarkers(lng = -65.81992899709486, lat = 18.32169436202568, popup = "El Verde Field Station") %>%
  addMarkers(lng = -65.80131608201233, lat = 18.29935172350278, popup = "El Yunque National Forest")

Code

#test data
dbh <- c(35, 23, 12, NA, 8) # in cm
plot_area <- 0.1 #in ha

#my function
my_ba <- function(dbh, dbhunits = "cm", plotsize, standsize) {
  dbh <- as.vector(na.omit(dbh)) #drop dbh NAs
  expfact <- standsize / plotsize #plotsize + standsize must be same units
 
   #diff constants depending on units
  if(dbhunits == "cm") {
    constant <- pi / (4 * 10000)
    ba <- constant * (dbh^2)
    baf <- ba * expfact
    ba_stand <- sum(baf)
  } else {
    # if U.S. units
    constant <- pi / (4 * 144)
    ba <- constant * (dbh^2)
    baf <- ba * expfact
    ba_stand <- sum(baf)
  }
  
  return(ba_stand)
}