Plants of Costa Rica

So far I have given most attention in these reports to the animal kingdom. Plants, even the exuberant species of the tropics, can be ignored as we focus our search for some movement of sign of our animal brethren. It would be a mistake, however, to neglect the producers. Without them animal life could not exist. Their ability to capture and store the sun's energy make them fundamental in all food webs.

The relationships between plant and animal can often be quite complex. Flowering plants have evolved in conjunction with birds and insects to help insure their pollination while offering animals energy in return. Consider the Heliconia, such as the one Eylen is pointing out here. Heliconia and hummingbirds have taken co-evolution a step further, each one adapting its form to fit the other. This insures the hummingbird an exclusive food source and guarantees the Heliconia that its pollen will arrive at the correct destination.

The second main program of Ecology Project International in Costa Rica is research in jungle restoration. Our group traveled inland to La Suerte biology station, also in Limón province. Together with biologists, EPI staff has been planting rain forest seedlings and documenting their progress. The Costa Rican government provide the young trees and at La Suerte they are being used to reestablish jungle in cattle pasture that was rain forest 30 years ago.

Student volunteers, under EPI supervision, plant trees in numbered grids that allow the biologists to monitor growth. Those planted only four years ago are already over 5 m tall, thus winning the struggle with the surronding tall grass for sunlight. There should be no stopping them now as they reach for the sky. It is deeply gratifying to participate in this promising experiment in reversing deforestation, transforming cattle pasture back into native rainforest.

During our visit to La Suerte we planted the following jungle seedlings: cedro (Cedrola odorata), gavilán (Pentachethra macroloba), ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), cenizaro (Samanea saman) and almendro (Dipterix panamensis). All seem to be thriving in their return to the soils which only recently hosted deep forest. As they return, animal life follows and slowly begins to rebuild the complex web of interrelationships which is the tropical rainforest.