Sarah Mockler

Feature Article

Climate Change: A Threat to Costa Rica’s Biodiversity

For avid travelers, Loras students from the January Term class titled, “Environmental

Issues in Costa Rica” recommend Monteverde, Palo Verde, and La Selva in Costa Rica. Each

place offers a new look on life and how we as humans treat our land. The biodiversity of Costa

Rica was also on display at each site. Dr. Thomas Davis, a biology professor at Loras, enjoys

Costa Rica because of the chance to explore more deeply the idea of land ethic. Dr. Davis is

more than qualified with a Ph.D. in Zoology and has taught this class four times among other

biology courses. He considers himself a “field biologist” with active research on local birds,

turtle eggs, and water quality. Each site offered different learning opportunities.

Monteverde, the cloud forest, taught

students how to observe and admire every subtle

detail. Palo Verde, the dry forest, opened eyes to

the beauty of birds and ants, learning about the

integral way that ants are involved in the

ecosystem. La Selva, the wet forest, provided an

opportunity to learn about primary and secondary

forests in one area.

At Monteverde, climate change was visible

to the naked eye due to the cloud elevation.

Monteverde National Park, established in 1972, has

a protective reach of over 35,000 acres. This is a place to be in awe of the Resplendent Quetzal, a

bird only found in cloud forests. Here you can hear the birds communicating all throughout the

day.

Palo Verde offered the most animals compared to the other forests, with over 300 bird

species. The marsh is heavily populated with birds, from aquatic birds to those that migrate to the

warm weather.

Here you can see the Roseate Spoonbill wade through the water and use its sense of touch to

catch its prey. Also seen is the Jacana with its yellow underwing, brown body, and thin yellow

legs. Howler monkeys, White-throated Capuchin monkeys, and Spider monkeys all reside in this

forest. The Howler monkeys can be heard from near or far. The White-throated Capuchin

monkeys can be seen jumping one tree to the next and making their little monkey noises.

La Selva, a wet forest, is the place where our first sloth was seen. Biologists and

scientists gravitate towards La Selva because of its wide variety and opportunities that

Organization for Tropical Studies has to offer.

Environmental issues are numerus but the focus is on climate change and invasive

species. However, Costa Rica has acknowledged the issues and is working to combat them.

Reilly Kuhn, a student on the trip stated, “Costa Rica is ahead of the United States in many
environmental issues such as carbon emissions, biodiversity, and solar power.” She continued

saying, “I think we can learn a lot about their interest in the land. They all seem to really

appreciate the land and their great biodiversity.” Dr. Davis also believes Costa Rica is an

example for the rest of the world. As he stated, “The government is aware of the importance of

the forest ecosystem.” The class was able to learn more about these issues by visiting the three

different forests.

The class observed climate change in Monteverde through the lack of clouds. The clouds

have been rising in elevation, which causes certain birds to keep moving up and creates conflicts

with the birds native to the area. Dr. Davis guesses that the warmer air in the lower elevation is

not a good fit for some birds. He proposes that we do more research to find a better scientific

reason.

Another issue in Costa Rica that our guide Marco told us about was a recent decline in

the Resplendent Quetzal population. The Resplendent Quetzal radiates colors in the sunlight and

the long tail sways in the wind. The blue, green and red colors are vivid and admirable. The

decline in population was due to changes in environment that caused the avocado trees to not

produce as much fruit, which is the kind that Quetzals prefer. The Quetzal, a beautiful bird, is

only seen in cloud forests. The students were fortunate enough to see a male and a female

Quetzal in close proximity to each other. Just one branch away sat an Emerald Toucanet, which

has a variety of green feathers and a multicolored, prominent beak.

 When up on La Roca in Palo Verde, the view is filled with the marsh and stunning

landscape. Sometimes, the birds miss the marsh because of the lack of visible water as a result of

the invasive species, the water hyacinth.

Water hyacinth is an invasive species that has caused problems for the migratory birds.

This plant sits on top of the water and blocks the sun for the other plants. The initial plan of

eliminating the water hyacinth was to use cows, but they were not fast enough. Now they use a

tractor that stirs up the water. This tractor has a

wheel on the back that digs up the ground and tears

up the water hyacinth. The next stop was La Selva.

In La Selva a primary and secondary forest

can be studied. A primary forest, or old growth

forest, provides many species of palms.

Consequently, the wildlife stay high in the canopy. In contrast, the secondary forest is less dense

and with a lower canopy.

When talking to a guide in La Selva, a group of students heard first-hand accounts of how

climate change is affecting Costa Rica. Jaida was an amateur photographer and explained how

she has not seen certain insects anymore. Years ago, she would see big millipedes and other

insects. However, she reported that it is becoming more difficult to find certain species of

insects.

Reilly expressed it well when she said, “Everyone should get the chance to experience a

trip like this – seeing and appreciating the beauty of nature.” Costa Rica allows exploration and

the chance to learn by observing and interacting with the nature and the guides.
 This class provided the students with a chance to learn about the environmental issues in

Costa Rica, such as climate change and invasive species—all through the exploration of the three

sites of Monteverde, Palo Verde, and La Selva. Each site offered a chance to admire the beauty

of the land and the animals residing there.

 Sources

“Monteverde Costa Rica - Monteverdes Cloud Forest.” Monteverde Costa Rica - Monteverde's

Cloud Forest, 2018, www.monteverdeinfo.com/cloud-forests.

Interview with Dr. Thomas Davis and with student, Reilly Kuhn