In this Book
- Biodiversity Conservation in Costa Rica: Learning the Lessons in a Seasonal Dry Forest
- Book
- 2004
- Published by: University of California Press
summary
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.
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.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright
- pp. 2-5
- 1. Introduction
- pp. 1-12
- Part 1. Biodiversity and Ecological Studies
- Section A. Costa Rican Dry Forest
- pp. 15-16
- 9. Watershed Ecology and Conservation
- pp. 115-125
- 10. Where the Dry Forest Feeds the Sea
- pp. 126-135
- Part 2. Transferring Biodiversity Knowledge into Action: The Record
- 20. The Media and Biodiversity Conservation
- pp. 257-265
- 25. Conclusion and Recommendations
- pp. 311-324
- List of Contributors
- pp. 325-326
Additional Information
ISBN
9780520937772
Related ISBN(s)
9780520241039
MARC Record
OCLC
55749160
Pages
352
Launched on MUSE
2014-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No