Ecological management and sustainable development in the humid tropics of Costa Rica

摘要

Costa Rica is an ideal reference point for tropical ecology in the world. It has abundant majestic wet and dry forests, impenetrable coastal and inland wetlands, wild rivers, productive estuaries, fog- and rain-shrouded mountains, and active volcanic landscapes that support some of the most impressive dense biodiversity found on the planet. Because of its fortuitous tropical setting, it has also served as an important location for agricultural production, including crops such as coffee, bananas, pineapples, wood and wood products. Its incredible ecological systems have also attracted more eco-tourists and adventure travelers per square kilometer than any other country in the world (22.5 international ecotourists/km~2 calculated on data reported by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, 2007). The current focus on climate change has increased interest in the amount of carbon fluxing through these productive ecological and agronomic systems as well as the potential impacts of new weather patterns on coastal and inland systems.