Biodiversity

Tropical Costa Rican Macaw

  One of the main reasons why Costa Rica leads the ecotourism sector is due to the immense biodiversity that can be found within its jungles and rainforests. With such a variety of life in the ecosystem, it’s no wonder why this country focuses on preserving it. While deforestation continues to be an issue in other countries, Costa Rica has diminished it and takes pride in having the largest percentage of protected areas found within the world. Protected areas and national parks consist of 25% of the land mass.

  Costa Rica is home to hundreds of different species and plants, containing 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Some of you reading this might like reptiles and snakes, or enjoy looking at colorful butterflies and tree frogs, while others might enjoy bird watching or seeing the monkeys swing from tree to tree. No matter where you travel to, there will always be something that’ll catch your attention.

  There are two national parks that stand out in regards to immense biodiversity. The first is Tortuguero National Park, which is located on the Caribbean coast and covers 77,032 acres. It’s the third most visited park in Costa Rica and can only be accessed by boat or airplane. This park has over 375 species of birds, various monkeys including the spider, howler and white-throated capuchin, two and three-toed sloths and a very big variety of reptiles. It also has over 2,200 species of plants as well as 400 species of trees.

  The second is Corcovado National Park, which is very well known internationally among ecologist, not only because of it being the biggest national park in Costa Rica, but for its biodiversity including big cats and tapirs. This park can be found on the Osa Peninsula, near the southwestern part of Costa Rica and is the only park where all four of the Costa Rican monkeys can be seen. The rivers and lagoons found within the park are home to the spectacled caiman, American crocodile and bull sharks. This park has 500 tree species and various species of wildlife.

  Costa Rica consists of only .03 of the world’s landmass, yet it consists of 5% of the earth’s biodiversity. That’s an overwhelming amount of diversity held within such a small country, and not forgetting that 25% of it is protected. One thing that’s certain is that Costa Rica is a center for biological diversity. There’s something here for everyone to see that will leave you amazed and have you wanting more.