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Costa Rica's Nature General Info
National Parks and Reserves in Costa Rica. The protection of Costa Rica's natural heritage is managed by the respective national parks and reserves. These areas protect many species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fresh and salt water fish, and a vast number of identified vascular plants-representing 4% of the world's total floral and faunal species.
In addition, these management groups protect examples of almost all the existing natural habitats such as deciduous forests, mangrove swamps, rain forests, herbaceous swamps, cloud forests, paramos, hilillo forests and marshlands. They also protect areas of historical and archaeological interest, such as pre-Columbian settlements and early battlefields, as well as beautiful areas of scenic interest, such as beaches, valleys and waterfalls. But above all, the areas of particular interest to the conservationist are the zones which protect the last remaining examples of Central American dry forest and the beaches where the sea turtles nest.
The Costa Rica Tourist Board (ICT), as the entity in charge of tourist activities, has assumed the task of seeing that tourism directly contributes to conservation. To achieve this goal, ICT cooperates with other State institutions such as the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM)-whose National Parks Service manages 20 national parks, 8 biological reserves and a national monument. In addition, the Forestry Service has responsibility for 27 protected areas and 9 forest reserves while the Wildlife Office manages 9 wildlife refuges. The 74 units, covering an area 1,154,945 hectares, represent 25% of the national territory (as of August, 1993), which means that Costa Rica has a larger percentage of its total area set aside in parks and preserves than any other country on Earth.
The protection of Costa Rica's natural resources has implications beyond its borders because they encompass an incredible biodiversity, including numerous species on the verge of extinction. All of this is the reason the country has become one of the most popular destinations for visiting ecologists and biologists.
On the whole, access to these areas and facilities are freely available provided the visitor respects the need to protect them. These protected areas are ideal for hiking and rafting, for watching the birds and other wildlife, for camping and just for enjoying in general, their rivers, beaches, jungles, mountain forests, volcanoes as well as their historic and archaeological sites.
Wildllife of Costa Rica
Costa Rica's climate and geography are great for supporting a wide variety of wildlife. Sometimes known as the "biological crossroads" of the world, Costa Rica's inhabitants are made up of more than 500,000 species of animal. Arguably the most impressive collection of wildlife can be found in the Corcovado National Park.
Butterflies and moths
There are about 1,250 species of butterflies and at least 8,000 species of moths. Butterflies and moths are common year round but are more present during invierno, the rainy season.
Costa Rican butterflies and moths have made amazing adaptations to the environment. Some examples of these are the following:
- Swallowtail caterpillars imitate bird droppings and many others have bright colours to warn predators of bodily toxins.
- What someone would easily identify as a butterfly or a wasp, in Costa Rica could well be a moth in camouflage.
Animals
Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. In general they are multicellular, capable of locomotion, responsive to their environment, and feed by consuming other organisms. Their body plan becomes fixed as they develop, usually early on in their development as embryos, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on.
The word "animal" comes from the Latin word animal, of which animalia is the plural, and ultimately from anima, meaning vital breath or soul.
Characteristics
Animals have several characteristics that set them apart from other living things. Animals are eukaryotic and usually multicellular (although see Myxozoa), which separates them from bacteria and most protists. They are heterotrophic, generally digesting food in an internal chamber, which separates them from plants and algae. They are also distinguished from plants, algae, and fungi by lacking cell walls.
Structure
With a few exceptions, most notably the sponges (Phylum Porifera), animals have bodies differentiated into separate tissues. These include muscles, which are able to contract and control locomotion, and a nervous system, which sends and processes signals. There is also typically an internal digestive chamber, with one or two openings. Animals with this sort of organization are called metazoans, or eumetazoans when the former is used for animals in general.
All animals have eukaryotic cells, surrounded by a characteristic extracellular matrix composed of collagen and elastic glycoproteins. This may be calcified to form structures like shells, bones, and spicules. During development it forms a relatively flexible framework upon which cells can move about and be reorganized, making complex structures possible. In contrast, other multicellular organisms like plants and fungi have cells held in place by cell walls, and so develop by progressive growth. Also, unique to animal cells are the following intercellular junctions: tight junctions, gap junctions, and desmosomes.
Reproduction and development
Nearly all animals undergo some form of sexual reproduction. Adults are diploid or polyploid. They have a few specialized reproductive cells, which undergo meiosis to produce smaller motile spermatozoa or larger non-motile ova. These fuse to form zygotes, which develop into new individuals.
Many animals are also capable of asexual reproduction. This may take place through parthenogenesis, where fertile eggs are produced without mating, or in some cases through fragmentation.
A zygote initially develops into a hollow sphere, called a blastula, which undergoes rearrangement and differentiation. In sponges, blastula larvae swim to a new location and develop into a new sponge. In most other groups, the blastula undergoes more complicated rearrangement. It first invaginates to form a gastrula with a digestive chamber, and two separate germ layers - an external ectoderm and an internal endoderm. In most cases, a mesoderm also develops between them. These germ layers then differentiate to form tissues and organs.
Most animals grow by indirectly using the energy of sunlight. Plants use this energy to convert sunlight into simple sugars using a process known as photosynthesis. Starting with the molecules Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Water (H2O), photosynthesis converts the energy of sunlight into chemical energy stored in the bonds of Glucose (C6H12O6) and releases Oxygen (O2). These sugars are then used as the building blocks which allow the plant to grow. When animals eat these plants (or eat other animals which have eaten plants), the sugars produced by the plant are used by the animal. They are either used directly to help the animal grow, or broken down, releasing stored solar energy, and giving the animal the energy required for motion. This process is known as glycolysis.
Animals who live close to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps on the ocean floor are not dependent on the energy of sunlight. Instead, chemosynthetic archaea and eubacteria form the base of the food chain.
Ecotourism is one of Costa Rica’s primary economic resources, and the country's butterflies add a lot to that. They bring life to rainforests, not only with the diversity in colour, but with the magnificence of the flowers that they help pollinate.
Some common butterflies and moths in Costa Rica include:
- Thoas Swallowtail
- Marpesia berania
- Dotocopa laure
- Banded Peacock
- Zebra longwing
- Morpho butterfly
- Green Page Moth
Other Insects
Invertebrate species make up most of Costa Rica’s wildlife. Of the estimated 505,000 species, about 493,000 are invertebrates (including spiders and crabs). It is known that there are tens of thousands if insects and microscopic invertebrates in every land type and elevation level. However, they are largely unnoticed or unidentified.
Some notable insects in Costa Rica are stingless bees, ants such as leaf-cutter ants and army ants, Hercules beetle, and many katydids.
Amphibians in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is home to around 175 amphibians, which include frogs. Frogs in Costa Rica have interesting ways of finding fishless water to raise their young in. Fish, of course, will eat tadpoles and eggs. Poison Dart Frogs put their eggs in water pools in bromeliads. Other methods include searching ponds before laying eggs, and laying eggs in wet soil.
There are 35 species of Elutherodoctylus frogs, 26 species of Hyla Frogs and 13 species of glassfrogs.
Notable frog species in Costa Rica include Red-eyed Tree Frog, a few species of Poison Dart Frogs, the semitransparent Glass Frogs, and the large Smokey Jungle Frog.
Some notable toad species in Costa Rica include the ten species of Bufo toads, and the Giant toad a huge toad known for its wide appetite. It has been documented eating almost anything, including vegetables, ants, spiders, any toad smaller than itself, mice, and other small mammals.
Birds of Costa Rica
Although Costa Rica is a small country, it is in the birdrich neotropical region, and has a huge number of species for its area. 894 bird species have been recorded in the country (including Cocos Island), with seven endemics. 19 species are globally threatened.
List of Birds of Costa Rica
Although Costa Rica is a small country, it is in the bird-rich neotropical region, and has a huge number of species for its area. 894 bird species have been recorded in the on the country (including Cocos Island), with seven endemics. 19 species are globally threatened. The Official List of the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica contains 857 species.
About 600 species are resident, with most of the other regular visitors being winter migrants from North America.
Part of the diversity stems from the range of habitats, ranging from Caribbean mangrove swamps to chains of mountains down the spine of the country rising to more than 3,500 m. This chain forms a geographical barrier, which has enabled speciation to take place so that closely-related but different species may occur on either side of the chain - a good example is the White-collared Manakin of the Caribbean side, which is now distinct from the Orange-collared Manakin of the Pacific slope.
In the past, higher sea levels left the mountains as highlands, and isolation again led to distinct species developing, with over thirty now endemic to the mountains, especially the Talamanca range which extends from southern Costa Rica into Panama.
Costa Rica's national bird is the ubiquitous Clay-colored Robin.
The Clay-colored Robin or Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi) is a common Central American bird of the thrush family. It is the national bird of Costa Rica.
In general appearance and habits it resembles other Turdus thrushes such as the American Robin. It is about the same length or slightly smaller: 23–27 cm (9–10.5 in), and weighs 74-76 g (2.6 oz.) on average. The plumage is brownish, somewhat lighter below than above, lightest on the flanks. Birds from humid regions are darker than those from dry regions. The throat is faintly streaked. Immature birds have faint mottling on the back and underparts. The bill is greenish-yellow with a dark base, the legs are pinkish or flesh-colored, and the irises are reddish—all useful identification points.
The song, rather low-pitched and with a slow steady tempo, consists of many slurred musical phrases which are often repeated irregularly. The tock flight call is like the American Robin's but harsher.
The Clay-colored Robin ranges from northeastern Mexico to northern Colombia; west and north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec it's limited to the Atlantic slope, except for a population around Oaxaca City that probably originates from cage birds. It occurs rarely in south Texas, mostly in winter, and has bred there. Its habitat is open areas with trees or hedges and forest edges.
In much of its range it is familiar in yards and gardens, similar to some other thrushes such as the American Robin, the Eurasian Blackbird, and the Song Thrush. The Costa Ricans chose the yigüirro, as they call it, over many more spectacular birds, perhaps because of this "friendly" nature, but also because its song is said to call the rains.
It usually forages for fruit or invertebrates on the ground or near it, singly or in pairs, but flocks may feed high in fruiting trees. It will follow army ants to feed on small prey disturbed by the ant columns.
The Clay-colored Robin builds a heavy cup nest of grass, moss, and mud on a firm support above the ground, which may include human constructions such as windowsills. It lays 2 to 4 pale blue eggs with red-brown and gray markings between March and July and may double-brood. It is aggressive in defence of its nest, but is not otherwise particularly territorial.
Mangrove
Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in coastal habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999), for which the term mangrove swamp also applies. Mangrove plants are found in depositional coastal environments where fine sediments, often with high organic content, collect in areas protected from high energy wave action.
Mangrove plants are a diverse group which have been able to exploit a habitat (the intertidal zone) because they have developed a set of physiological adaptations to overcome the problems of anoxia, salinity and frequent tidal inundation. Each species has its own capabilities and solutions to these problems; this may be the primary reason why, on some shorelines, mangrove tree species show distinct zonation due to variations in the range of environmental conditions across the intertidal zone. Therefore, the mix of species at any location within the intertidal zone is partly determined by the tolerances of individual species to physical conditions, like tidal inundation and salinity, but also may be influenced by other factors such as predation of their seedlings by crabs.
Once established, the roots of the mangrove plants provide a habitat for oysters and help to impede water flow; thereby enhancing the deposition of sediment in areas where it is already occurring. It is usually the case that the fine, anoxic sediments under mangroves act as sinks for a variety of heavy (trace) metals which are scavenged from the overlying seawater by colloidal particles in the sediments. In areas of the world where mangroves have been removed for development purposes, the disturbance of these underlying sediments often creates problems of trace metal contamination of seawater and biota.
It is often stated that mangroves provide significant value in the coastal zone as a buffer against erosion, storm surge and tsunamis. While there is some attenuation of wave heights and energy as seawater passes through mangrove stands, it must be recognised that these trees typically inhabit areas of coastline where low wave energies are the norm. Therefore their capacity to ameliorate high energy events like storm surge and tsunamis is limited. Their long term impact on rates of erosion is also likely to be limited. Many river channels that wind through mangrove areas are actively eroding stands of mangroves on the outer sides of all the river bends, just as new stands of mangroves are appearing on the inner sides of these same bends where sediment is accreting.
They also provide habitats for wildlife, including several commercially important species of fish and crustacea and in at least some cases export of carbon fixed in mangroves is important in coastal foodwebs. In Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and India, mangrove plantations are grown in coastal regions for the benefits they provide to coastal fisheries and other uses. Despite replanting programs, over half the world's mangroves have been lost.
Biology of mangroves
The mangal describes the types of habitat which mangroves live in; it is exclusively subtropical and tropical and tidal, and therefore having soil or sediment that is water-logged and saline or of variable salinity. Areas where mangal occurs includes estuaries and marine shorelines. A wide variety of plant species can be found in mangrove habitat, but about 54 species in 20 genera, belonging to 16 families constitute the "true mangroves", species that occur almost exclusively in mangrove habitats and rarely elsewhere (Hogarth, 1999). Evolutionary convergence has resulted in many species of these plants finding similar solutions to the problems of variable salinity, tidal ranges (inundation), anaerobic soils and intense sunlight that come from living in the tropics.
Adaptations to low oxygen Red mangroves, which can live in the most inundated areas, prop themseles up above the water level with stilt roots, and can then take in air through pores in their bark (lenticels). Black mangroves live on higher ground, and make many pneumatophores (specialised root-like structures which stick up out of the soil like straws for breathing) which are covered in lenticels. These "breathing tubes" reach heights of up to 30 centimeters, though some species have ones that reach over 3 meters high. There are four types of pneumatophore - stilt or prop type, snorkel or peg type, knee type and ribbon or plank type. Knee and ribbon types may be combined with buttress roots at the base of the tree. The roots also contain wide aerenchyma to facilitate oxygen transport within the plant...
