Costa Rica
Trade-offs in nature tourism: contrasting parcel-level decisions with landscape conservation planningBackgroundThis article discusses the trade-offs linked to nature tourism in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Nature tourism has been used for promoting conservation in Costa Rica since the 1970s when it was adopted into developmental policy. Tourism is now the largest industry in Costa Rica; but is nature tourism an effective way to preserve ecosystem services and promote economic benefits? The study area includes Monteverde (an ecotourism town near the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve), San Luis (a coffee and dairy farming community), and Guacimal (economy based on cattle ranching and dairy). Open access copy available |
Comportamiento de las especies y preferencias de los productores. Plantaciones forestales en Costa Rica y Nicaragua (Species behavior and farmers' preferences. Forest plantations in Costa Rica and Nicaragua)EspañolantecedentesLos autores estudiaron plantaciones comerciales en 112 fincas de productores forestales, en el Cantón de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica y el Departamento de Carazo, Nicaragua. objetivos y metodologíaEl trabajo realiza un inventario de las plantaciones forestales en todas las fincas estudiadas. Las variables evaluadas incluyen: supervivencia, dap, altura total, forma y sanidad de los árboles. Open access copy available |
Genetic Consequences of Tropical Second-Growth Forest RegenerationBackgroundThis article is an examination of the genetic impacts of old-growth deforestation among 24 year-old second-growth Iriartea deltoidea, a canopy palm, in a lowland Costa Rican forest. Iriartea is widely distributed throughout neotropical rainforests and displays a diverse range of size classes in mature forests. This species recolonizes second-growth forests with newly generated seeds, which are dispersed by birds and mammals. Open access copy available |
Screening Trial of 14 Tropical Hardwoods with an Emphasis on Species Native to Costa Rica: Fourth Year ResultsBackgroundA lack of silvicultural information on native timber species in the tropics has contributed to the propogation of fast-growing exotic tree species in reforestation efforts. The plantations evaluated at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica were considered marginal lands with low input of forest maintenance, reflecting the conditions of many lands that farmers would use for reforestation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Carbon Sequestration in Pastures, Silvo-Pastoral Systems and Forests in Four Regions of the Latin American Tropicsbackground77% of agricultural land in the tropical Americas is used for pasture (including silvo-pasture and Argo-silvo-pasture), making carbon stocks in this land type an important consideration. This paper presents three-year research results on the evaluation of soil carbon stocks (SCS) in long-established pasture and silvo-pastoral systems (10-16 years under commercial production), native forests and degraded land in four regions of tropical Americas. Available with subscription or purchase |
Targeted reforestation could reverse declines in connectivity for understory birds in a tropical habitat corridorbackgroundThis study looks at how conservation efforts over the last 25 years have impacted functional connectivity of forest habitat in northeastern Costa Rica’s San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor. The study focuses on insectivorous understory forest birds. Open access copy available |
The World Bank Forest Strategy: Striking the Right BalancebackgroundIn response to the changing dynamics of the forest sector and global economy, the World Bank launched a Forest Policy Implementation Review and Strategy process. Through this process the Operations and Evaluation Department (OED) was asked to conduct an independent evaluation of the Bank's 1991 Forest Strategy, which is reviewed in this report. Available with subscription or purchase |
Quelques réussites dans la réduction de la déforestation: Des pays tropicaux où les politiques de protection de la forêt et de reboisement ont fonctionnéThis report highlights successes of developing countries and their strategies for reducing deforestation and as a result, their emissions of greenhouse gases. The authors note that decreases in deforestation are primarily a result of REDD+ programs, including payments for ecosystem services, better law enforcement, governance reforms, moratoria on deforestation practices, and incorporating the environment in development efforts. Other successes come from policy changes and programs that have had intended and unintended positive impacts on forests.
Full resource not available online |
Using Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Monitor Tropical Forest RecoveryBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Mapping Species Composition of Forests and Tree Plantations in Northeastern Costa Rica with an Integration of Hyperspectral and Multitemporal Landsat ImagerybackgroundThis article discusses the improvement in accuracy of remote sensing to monitor and evaluate reforestation projects by combining moderate-resolution and hyperspectral imagery with multi temporal, multispectral data. The combination of these technological monitoring methods allows researchers to accurately classify general forest types and tree plantations by species composition. Open access copy available |
