Biodiversity Conservation in Costa Rica: Learning the Lessons in a Seasonal Dry Forest (2004)(en)(

Gordon W. Frankie, Alfonso Mata, S. Bradleigh Vinson9780520223097, 9781417520442, 0520223098, 0520241037, 9780520241039

The beautiful tropical dry forest of northwest Costa Rica, with its highly seasonal rainfall and diversely vegetated landscape, is disappearing even more rapidly than Costa Rica’s better-known rain forest, primarily because it has been easier to convert to agriculture. This book, based on more than thirty years of study, offers the first comprehensive look at the ecology, biodiversity, and conservation status of this endangered and fragile region. The contributors, from Costa Rica, Britain, Mexico, and the United States, and representing the fields of ecology, environmental education, policy, and the law, examine the major plant and animal groups living in the dry forest and present the first technical evaluation of Costa Rica’s conservation efforts.As they assess the status of their area of specialty in the dry forest, the contributors also look beyond this particular region to show how its plants and animals are ecologically and evolutionarily connected to other geographic areas in Costa Rica and Central America. Their chapters cover topics such as watershed and coastal management, plant phenology, pollination, insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. They also consider the socioeconomic, policy, legal, and political aspects of biodiversity conservation, giving the volume a wide-ranging perspective and making a unique contribution to our knowledge of the tropical dry forest. The book concludes with an important synthesis of the contributors’ recommendations on future directions, policies, and actions that will better conserve biodiversity in Costa Rica and other neotropical forests as well.

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Table of contents :
PREFACE……Page 8
1. Introduction……Page 12
2. Flowering Phenology and Pollination Systems Diversity in the Seasonal Dry Forest……Page 28
3. Breeding Structure of Neotropical Dry-Forest Tree Species in Fragmented Landscapes……Page 41
4. Impact of Global Changes on the Reproductive Biology of Trees in Tropical Dry Forests……Page 49
5. Tropical Dry-Forest Mammals of Palo Verde……Page 59
6. The Conservation Values of Bees and Ants in the Costa Rican Dry Forest……Page 78
7. Ecology of Dry-Forest Wildland Insects in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste……Page 91
8. Diversity, Migration, and Conservation of Butterflies in Northern Costa Rica……Page 110
9. Watershed Ecology and Conservation……Page 126
10. Where the Dry Forest Feeds the Sea……Page 137
11. Mangrove Forests under Dry Seasonal Climates in Costa Rica……Page 147
12. Geographical Distribution, Ecology, and Conservation Status of Costa Rican Dry-Forest Avifauna……Page 158
13. An Ultrasonically Silent Night……Page 171
14. Biodiversity and Conservation of Mesoamerican Dry-Forest Herpetofauna……Page 188
15. Parque Marino Las Baulas……Page 205
16. Prospects for Circa Situm Tree Conservation in Mesoamerican Dry-Forest Agro-Ecosystems……Page 221
17. Biodiversity Inventories in Costa Rica and Their Application to Conservation……Page 240
18. Conflict Resolution……Page 248
19. Conservation and Environmental Education in Rural Northwestern Costa Rica……Page 258
20. The Media and Biodiversity Conservation……Page 268
21. Threats to the Conservation of Tropical Dry Forest in Costa Rica……Page 277
22. Environmental Law of Costa Rica……Page 292
23. Dispute over the Protection of the Environment in Costa Rica……Page 300
24. The Policy Context for Conservation in Costa Rica……Page 310
25. Conclusion and Recommendations……Page 322
CONTRIBUTORS……Page 336
INDEX……Page 338