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We kicked off the Spring Semester 2010 with a very exciting first field tripthat immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity in Braulio Carrillo National Park. There, we did orientation hikes, and talked about tropical ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, mechanisms responsible for the generation of high species richness, and the impact of global warming on tropical ecosystems.
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We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
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We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
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[post_title] => Gerardo Avalos, Ph.D.
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[post_content] => On September 15th, SFS Costa Rica students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
In Costa Rica, the parades are unique in the sense that they are not military displays of force; rather, they are carried out by local schools, and the celebration places emphasis on children. From major cities to small towns, everyone celebrates the independence. Thus, our students went to town to observe the parades, exchange experiences with the locals, and have lunch in many of the places open for the occasion. The whole town of Atenas participates--people sell food in the parks, have BBQs, and in general spend time with family and friends.
Students also took advantage of the opportunity to read in between the lines and see how Independence Day is celebrated in comparison with the celebration in the US. In Costa Rica small schools organize marching bands, folk dances, and floats with messages ranging from biodiversity preservation, peace, international understanding to the appreciation of Costa Rican values and ways to make a living, like maintaining a sustainable relationship with nature through agriculture and forestry. It is always quite a wonderful cultural experience.
→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Celebrating Costa Rica's Independence
[post_excerpt] => On September 15th, our students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
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[post_content] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
The easiest way to attract them (and by the way, to get amazing pictures) is through the use of hummingbird feeders. An increasing number of hummingbird enthusiasts maintain sugar-water hummingbird feeders on a permanent basis.
The underlying reasons for establishing feeders range from pure curiosity to see these remarkable birds at a close range to the general belief that feeders benefit the hummingbirds. Feeders satisfy the human thrill of attracting birds that are often difficult to observe in high numbers under natural conditions.
Although this practice is widespread, little is known of the consequences of the continuous use of commercial feeders on the biology of hummingbirds or for the reproductive success of their associated plants.
After studying hummingbird pollination systems for several years in the highlands of Costa Rica (at Cerro de La Muerte, which literally means “The Mountain of Death”) we determined that the use of artificial sugar-water feeders influences the quantity and composition of pollen loads of highland hummers.The pollen load consists of the types of different pollen a hummingbird could carry (and thus, how many plant species the hummingbird has visited). This is easily measured. The tricky part is to capture the hummingbird, which we do with mist nets. These are very fine nets that allow us to capture a hummingbird without harming the bird.
Using a piece of Scotch tape rubbed against the throat, nape, and crown of the bird, we collected pollen samples in this manner, put the tape on a microscope slide, and later identified the pollen using a microscope. By looking at the structure and size of pollen grains, we could easily match pollen with the plant species from which it came from.
At Cerro, we studied four species of hummingbirds: the Volcano (Selasphorus flammula), Fierythroated (Panterpe insignis), Magnificent (Eugenes fulgens) and Green Violet-eared (Colibrithalassinus). The most aggressive and territorial species at the site, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, dominated the feeders during the dry season. During the wet season, feeder usage was more evenly distributed across species, with the exception of the Volcano Hummingbird, which was kicked to the last place in the dominance hierarchy.
Pollen loads of hummingbirds captured near feeders were low in abundance (more than 50% out of 183 hummingbirds had zero or little pollen grains), and were low in species richness (96% of the hummingbirds had pollen from only one plant species). Pollen loads increased during the dry season coinciding with peaks in flower production, although the majority of captured hummingbirds carried no pollen. This shows that sugar-water feeders congregate hummingbirds drawing them away from flowers.
The competitive and antagonistic pattern observed between feeders and flowers shows that natural pollination systems are being significantly altered by the use of feeders. Supplementing hummingbirds with food seems likely to interfere with pollination networks already stressed by many anthropogenic effects, including global warming.
If you have a hummingbird feeder at home, please don´t use it on a permanent basis. It is fine to watch these birds at close range, but please, don´t make them addicts to cheap food. Plant a hummingbird garden, or even better, go out bird watching.
[post_title] => What's the Impact of Hummingbird Feeders?
[post_excerpt] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
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We kicked off the Spring Semester 2010 with a very exciting first field tripthat immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity in Braulio Carrillo National Park. There, we did orientation hikes, and talked about tropical ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, mechanisms responsible for the generation of high species richness, and the impact of global warming on tropical ecosystems.
We then moved on to the integrated El Progreso farm on the second day, where we made batches of efficient microorganisms for the farm use. Along the way, our students learned the technique of collecting microorganisms from the forest litter, then mixed them with semolina and molasses starting an anaerobic process that will reproduce and concentrate these organisms in a mixture that could be diluted several times to become a very powerful disinfectant and fertilizer. This is one of the techniques we transferred from El Progreso to our Center´s farm where it has worked successfully.
We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
[post_title] => Costa Rica's Tropical Ecosystems, Hands-On
[post_excerpt] => We kicked off the semester with a very exciting field trip that immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity.
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[post_content] => Dr. Avalos will be submitting this observation as a scientific note for publication.
One of the most evident and immediate consequences of global warming is the rapid shift in distribution ranges of plant and animal species. There is recent highland habitat colonization by species usually found in lowland environments. The recent arrival of the Keel-billed Toucan to Monteverde in Costa Rica is one of many examples. Bats are also experiencing elevation changes in their distribution, and are moving up.
The consequences of such changes in the abundance and distribution of plants and animals are unknown, although we may predict local extinctions in the short term, especially in species with small distribution ranges and very specialized habitat requirements. We also expect that species that depend on transient resources such as flower nectar will be some of the first ones to be impacted by global warming. Mountain areas serve as a refuge for lowland species, as they remain relatively cooler in comparison to lowland habitats during times of climate change.
Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to these changes due to their high metabolic requirements for food resources, especially nectar. Hummingbirds have a considerable capacity to adapt almost instantaneously to changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of nectar. Some species consume several times their body weight in nectar, and also rely on small insects to complement their diet (thus the old joke, “You eat like a hummingbird,” is not really a compliment; it means that you eat a lot!) It is common to see hummingbirds stealing insects from spider webs. They need the protein, but their fuel comes from sugar.
During Directed Research last April, I had the chance to observe the Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) feeding on flowers of Giant Thistle Cirsium subcoriaceum at Cerro de la Muerte, at 2,900m of elevation on the Caribbean side of the continental divide of Costa Rica. The Long-billed Hermit is a characteristic lowland rainforest species, and within Costa Rica, it is typically found in the humid lowlands of the Caribbean and South Pacific slope from sea level up to 1,200 m (thus, Cerro was twice as high). This is your classic tropical hummingbird, and as such, it has been the subject of studies on bird pollination and bird-plant co-evolution in the tropics. It uses a feeding strategy called “trap-lining”, which consists in following a route of flowers, rarely returning to the same flower patch in one day.
As a group, hermit hummingbirds have curved beaks and less flamboyant plumage relative to their non-hermit relatives (which usually have more metallic colors and short, straight beaks), and are sluggish and sometimes lazy, since they do not defend flower resources (non-hermits are more aggressive, usually defend a good patch of flowers, and are capable of incredible flying maneuvers). Hermits build their nests hanging from the tip of palm leaves (see photograph), usually laying two eggs. As the chicks increase in size, their beaks also increase in length. Female hummingbirds feed them with a nectar soup sprinkled with insect body parts. Male hummingbirds do not help rearing the young. The Long-billed Hermit is a typical trap-liner, ranging from central Mexico and Central America, to the tropical rainforest of northwestern Colombia, western Venezuela, western Ecuador and Peru, and Amazonian Bolivia and Brazil.
What is a lowland rainforest species doing at Cerro de La Muerte?
Cerro is dominated by oak forests and páramo ecosystems. Temperatures range from 25°-0°C, and may approach -5oC before dawn and 28oC at midday during the dry season. The dry season lasts from November-April, and the wet season reaches a peak during September-October. At the end of the dry season there is a blooming peak for most hummingbird-pollinated plants. The Caribbean side of Cerro de la Muerte has closed, continuous forests, buffered by Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park and Rio Macho Forest Reserve. The maintenance of continuous biological corridors between the highlands and the lowlands will be critical in the near future for the conservation of lowland species. Although trap-lining hummingbirds have been traditionally considered incapable of thriving in the highlands (mainly because of high energy requirements associated with withstanding low temperatures), temperature increases in the lowlands (combined with habitat loss) may push some species out of their normal ranges into the highlands, where they could benefit from transient peaks in nectar resources.
This is one sign of how what we do is linked in many subtle ways to the natural world. Our consumption patterns and the way we relate to the land is becoming the most important selective pressure on biodiversity.
[post_title] => Lowland Hummingbirds Are Moving Up… Is Global Warming the Culprit?
[post_excerpt] => Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to changes.
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[post_content] => This first summer session, our Center received 21 students from a variety of universities and places around the United States. Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest, as well as alternatives to generate economic income while balancing the conservation needs of local communities within the context of high diversity.
Students started their trip in Manú, a field station immersed in a rainforest and connected to the Turrialba Volcano. From there, students went to the integrated farm El Progreso and saw alternatives to implement sustainable agriculture. The rest of the field trips included visits to Poás National Park, Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River, and a visit to the organic coffee farm of El Toledo here in Atenas.
This week we are off to the field to get engaged in our research component. Professors Edgardo Arévalo (tropical ecologist) and Achim Häger (manager of natural resources) will be stationed in San Gerardo de Monteverde, a beautiful research station overlooking the Arenal Volcano, where they will guide students in their independent research project on tropical ecology and carbon sequestration. In my case, I will take a group of students to analyze the hummingbird interactions around feeders in different parts of Monteverde, looking at patterns of dependence on feeders, competitive interactions, and patterns of pollen flow, from which the students will develop their own independent projects.
In addition, along with the students we will examine the effectiveness of the sustainable tourism certification in hotels around the Monteverde area. This last part of the program will be busy and very intense, and we are looking forward to find out what we all will be exploring and discovering about the interlink between tropical diversity, resource management, and sustainable tourism visitation.
[post_title] => Welcome to Summer One
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest.
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[post_date] => 2012-11-28 12:28:30
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[post_content] => The end of the fall semester is drawing near. At this point in time, the SFS program in Costa Rica is functioning as an extended family. Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica. Last week, students and staff helped out cooking and organizing the Thanksgiving dinner. As usual, it was a complete success, not only in regards to the food, which was plentiful and yummy, but also in terms of the meaning of this holiday, which was about getting together, sharing, and being thankful for all the things we receive.
On Monday, four groups are departing to different points in Costa Rica to start the field part of Directed Research: Dr. Sergio Molina will continue his research on human capitals around Irazú Volcano National Park; Dr. Edgardo Arévalo will explore bird bioacoustics around the highway passing in front of Carara National Park; Dr. Achim Häger will measure carbon sequestration in a forest fragment in Atenas; whereas my group will go to Monteverde to explore hummingbird aerodynamics at three locations at different elevations.
It sure has been an intensive and very productive semester. It ends with the generation of research, the presentation of results, and their dispersion to the different clients and stakeholders. I can't wait to be in the field measuring and mist-netting hummingbirds in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.
[post_title] => Home, Friends, and Family in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip provides an almost severe introduction to one of the most pressing issues in the tropics: the interface between biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. During day one, our students stepped for the very first time in the tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, and examined some of the reasons for the existence of such high levels of species diversity and species aggregation. Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, functioning in that manner for a long time, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent. Costa Rica emerged from the ocean bottom as a system of volcanic islands resulting from the collision of the Cocos Plate on the Caribbean Plate about 3 million years ago. It was not until the end of the Pleistocene Glaciation (10 thousand years ago) when conditions got warmer and the country was invaded by the flora and fauna of the Amazon, acquiring its characteristic neotropical taste.
Braulio Carrillo National Park is one of the most diverse places in the planet. This park protects an elevational gradient from La Selva Biological Station (30 meters above sea level [masl]) to the summit of Barva Volcano at almost 3,000 masl. Such gradient shelters 50% of the plant diversity of Costa Rica.
Our second day continued at El Progreso Agro-ecological farm, where our students examined the sustainability of agro-ecosystems as an alternative to combine biodiversity protection with agricultural production. They enjoyed the freshwater from the liana Uncaria tomentosa (Cat Claw), a relative of coffee, which is also used for its medicinal value (positive effects on the immune system and important antioxidant properties).
We also enjoyed fresh honey from stingless bees of the genus Trigona. These bees have been cultivated by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards. The honey is very liquidy and is used mostly for medicinal purposes. Trigonas are also important pollinator of understory forest species, as well as of many crops.
Honey and pollen from Trigonas was the dessert of a wonderful lunch at El Progreso, where we also had vegetables freshly harvested from the farm. In addition, we got to know some promising tropical crops, such as Malanga (Xantosomasp). Malanga's rhizome is very starchy, and once cleaned, it can be cut into chips, which are very tasty.
Our host, Nuria Chavez, explained different techniques of organic agriculture, including compost made by earthworms, as well as collecting efficient microorganisms from the leaf litter of the tropical forest as the first step to make liquid fertilizer. Our students got to make the next annual batch of Efficient Microorganisms for the farm. We ended the day hugging a giant Ceiba tree, the sacred tree of the Maya. The next morning, we visited a banana plantation owned by Dole and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. It was a field trip to remember.
[post_title] => Where the Rainforest Meets Tropical Agro-ecosystems and Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has maintained a collaboration agreement with the National System of Protected Areas (SINAC) since 2005. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is extended every few years, and in March 2013, it was extended for the third time. Maintaining a collaboration agreement with an institution of the complexity of SINAC is not a trivial task, and requires a very serious commitment from our Center to allocate resources and address research questions to support the protection of biodiversity, improve the management of protected areas, and identify alternatives to foster good relationships between protected areas and local communities.
SINAC is composed of 11 conservation areas created in 1998, which organize the country into a conservation and natural resource management system that is unique in the world. These protected areas face serious challenges to preserve a representative and functional portion of our ecosystems, and are continuously confronted with lack of resources. Protected areas need the support of all of us, from local communities, municipalities, NGOs, the central government, research institutions and universities. We all need to collaborate to increase the knowledge on biodiversity management and biodiversity protection within protected areas.
Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Guayabo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, Poás, Irazú, and Cahuita, just to name a few. The Center has provided baseline information on the levels of biological diversity, ecosystem services, anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity (road noise and increased visitation), as well as monitoring visitor satisfaction, infrastructure needs, and quantifying the profile of local communities to improve the level of services provided to visitors. This agreement represents an excellent tool for identifying the research needs of protected areas, and in response, generate information where it is most urgently needed, while increasing the efficiency of data collection and the transfer of this information to the parks.
The national parks and protected areas of Costa Rica represent a unique resource in which rests the current and future quality of life of the country. We should give it the importance that it deserves, and include more stakeholders and academic institutions in the process. Few other activities are more dynamic and multidisciplinary than the management of protected areas, and as such represents a vital activity that requires the integrated effort of all sectors of Costa Rican society. We must revive the old enthusiasm with which national parks were established in the 80's, and keep a sustained effort to understand and protect our national parks while involving local communities in the process. Only then can we ensure the consolidation of protected areas and their integration in the economic life of the country.
[post_title] => Center for Sustainable Development Studies Extends Research Partnership
[post_excerpt] => Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, and Poás, just to name a few.
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[post_content] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park. This protected area is the flagship of Guanacaste National Park, one of the most emblematic parks of Costa Rica. Santa Rosa protects a plethora of tropical habitats, from mangroves and savannas to tropical dry forests, which represent the most endangered terrestrial tropical ecosystem, and one of the first to almost disappear in its totality during the Spanish colonization.
Santa Rosa was first established for reasons other than its current biological importance. The area was an old cattle ranch dating back from the 1700s. It was the site of a very famous battle on March 20th, 1856 against the filibusters of William Walker, an American adventurer and believer in manifest destiny. The Costa Rican army defeated Walker and moved the campaign into Nicaragua. The old house on the ranch has survived time and an arsonist's fire in the '90s. It is now restored for future generations… and so is the surrounding dry forest.
Tropical dry forest restoration began in the early '80s, when the idea of saving a significant and functional tract of this ecosystem was merely a dream. A few visionaries, among them humble park rangers and administrators, guided by Daniel Janzen, started the enterprise of understanding the regeneration of this rare ecosystem. There are not that many places with representative patches of mature, primary dry forests. Most forests were consumed by fire to open up space for cattle ranching, used for timber harvesting, or just indiscriminately burned to give more space for agriculture.
For generations, local communities forgot their connection to the forest. It is not until recently that bio-literacy has become strong, with education playing a large role in helping to reestablish the tropical dry forest. A lot of the techniques that now are in place to restore dry habitats, and that now form part of current mainstream knowledge, were developed in Santa Rosa. Forest restoration depends on fire suppression, controlled cattle exclusion, and the natural flow of seeds between pastures and forest patches. The connection with the mountain tops became critical, and many tracts of forests were purchased and connected to the new expanding park, named after the province where it is located: Guanacaste National Park. Local communities were instructed on the benefits of conservation, and many now cater to local and international tourists. Guanacaste has become a major driver of the Costa Rican emerging ecotourism industry, and is now the prime example of successful restoration efforts in the tropics.
However, not everything is a happy story. The evolution of Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks is still unfolding. Many challenges lay ahead, from fire control to illegal hunting, the expansion of hotels and urban areas on the edge of the park, increased visitation, conflicts with local communities and reluctance to expand the limits of the national park.
Santa Rosa was a camping trip to remember, especially the Naranjo Beach sector with its breathtaking sunsets. We all enjoyed the field trip, and it is my hope that many generations of students, researchers and the public in general will continue enjoying, exploring, and knowing wild places such as Santa Rosa.
[post_title] => Immersion in the Dry Forests of Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip was very intense and fast-paced. We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations. We had the chance to take our traditional photo at the base of a giant Ceiba tree with some of our students.
During the hike, we discussed some of the hypotheses proposed to explain the high level of species diversity in the rainforest, and saw in action the close nutrient cycling that takes place there, reflected in the almost immediate decomposition of organic matter. Nutrients are reincorporated back to the living organic matter from the decomposing leaf litter producing something we call “leaf skeletons." After Braulio, we spent one night in Manú, which is particularly interesting for birds, and we got to see several flocks of Chesnut-mandibled Toucans as well as of Collared Aracaris and Keel-billed Toucans.
We ended our trip at El Progreso (an integrated farm), planting and harvesting, and generally chipping in with various farm projects; different SFS groups have visited the farm and have contributed by planting over 250 tree seedlings in the last two years. The farm is better than carbon-neutral, having a positive net effect by sequestering carbon. In addition, it maintains a heterogeneous mosaic of gardens, pastures and forests in different stages of regeneration. Most of what we had for our yummy lunch that day was produced at the farm, and included exotic produce for our students.
We end our trip at the base of a Ceiba tree discussing the reality of farming in the tropics, food security, organic agriculture, and our role as consumers. El Progreso always presents a real and very compelling case of the challenges of doing agriculture next door to the tropical rainforest.
[post_title] => From the Rainforest to Your Breakfast Table
[post_excerpt] => We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations.
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[post_content] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide a powerful introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. We haven’t changed its structure for a while, and don’t intend to do so, since it is a meaningful field trip and is very effective at illustrating the clash between conservation and economic gain. We returned to Braulio Carrillo National Park and immersed the students in the overwhelming species diversity and complexity of rainforests. Expressions like “awesome” and “that’s amazing” were common during the orientation hike. I have been doing this hike for many years now, not to mention that I frequently visit Braulio Carrillo for research purposes, and I am always finding something new. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of a rich tapestry of species interactions that maintain such a complex system in place, even in the face of global warming.
We continued our trek to El Progreso Agroecological Farm, and examined the sustainability of agroecosystems and farm integration as an alternative to combine conservation with agricultural production. The Alpízar Chaves family, who owns the farm, has been a constant source of inspiration, as well as of technical knowledge, for the SFS Center. Last summer, our support staff came here for a three day workshop to learn about composting and alternative ways to fight pathogens, as well as to elaborate of a mixture of efficient soil microorganisms. Our host, Nuria Chaves, also visited our Center for Sustainable Development a couple of months ago to tour the Center and provide feedback on our farming practices. Our relationship with El Progreso has been very beneficial for our Center, and every time we go there our students have the chance to observe an authentic example of a small productive unit thriving in the midst of monocrop plantations and factory farms. They prove that there are sustainable alternatives that work, and that sustainability is a way of life, more than a source of income. This time, the batch of efficient microorganisms the students prepared will be used at the Center.
On the last day of our field trip, we visited a conventional banana plantation and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. Bananas are crucial for the Costa Rican economy, but have a tremendous impact on the lowland rainforest ecosystems, as well as on human communities. Production practices have improved due to the pressure of international consumers as well as certification programs, and in Costa Rica workers are protected by the socialized health system. However, conventional farms go against the sustainability of food production in local communities, and still represent an easy way out to generate income using foreign resources to establish and run the farm, despite being critical for the local communities. This will be one of many subjects for discussion in the next few days.
[post_title] => Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture & Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide an introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms.
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[post_content] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification. Since the certification was first obtained in the fall of 2011, the Center has maintained a continuous process of improving farm practices, as well as training staff and students in different aspects of the certification. The certification represents a significant commitment from the Center to support sustainable practices of mango and orange production, and to use these practices within the unique educational model of SFS.
The holistic certification looks at mango and orange production, as well as the overall impact of the Center on local communities and in the integration of the academic, administrative, support staff, and students in the certification process. The certification has provided the protocols necessary to improve management of many farm processes, has implemented a record keeping system, and tracks our energy and water consumption. This expands the learning experience of our students, provides an example of the challenges of executing sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management in the tropics.
Agriculture plays a large role in sustainable development, especially in Costa Rica where agriculture accounts for about 6.5% of the GDP and 14% of the occupational labor force. Small-scale, sustainable farming methods can help Costa Rica achieve its goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. The SFS Center is quickly becoming a model for other mango and orange farmers in Atenas, showing that alternative practices, congruent with biodiversity protection, are possible.
The certification is divided into different programs, including ecosystem, soil, and wildlife conservation, water protection, fair treatment and good working conditions for our employees, positive community relationships, and integrated waste management, among others. The certification becomes progressively stricter, and next year it will be even more challenging.
"Of course it would be far 'easier' to spray agrochemicals on them without taking a second look, but then we would lose the opportunity to actually practice sustainable farming on our own finca, not to talk about consequences for the environment or human health," says Dr. Achim Häger, Resident Lecturer in Principles of Natural Resources Management.
As result of the certification process, the Center has generated sufficient data to start the analysis of energy and water consumption, identifying goals for reducing its carbon footprint. It is something completely different to learn about certification programs from textbooks, versus implementing one in which the staff and students are active members.
"Our hope for our students," adds intern Rosy Cohane-Mann, "is that they will leave SFS with the means and motivation to be the agents of change in our agricultural systems and, as global citizens, make positive contributions to environmental sustainability."
[post_title] => SFS Center in Costa Rica is a Model of Sustainable Agriculture
[post_excerpt] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification.
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[post_content] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park where we immerse the group in the astounding biodiversity of the tropics. We want students to be amazed by the richness and diversity of plant and animal species, the complexity of biological relationships, and the beauty of the rainforest. On the second day, we visit the integrated farm El Progreso, where students see the combination of agriculture and farm production with rainforest conservation accomplished by a very courageous and inventive family with limited economic resources. Students see an authentic case of sustainable development in action. Then, on the third day, we see the machinery of factory farms reflected in the production of conventional bananas.
It is a contrasting trip. There are many things that I like about this first field experience. I can justify it from the academic point of view using multiple arguments, especially because it makes a strong impact on the students and illustrates many of the most pressing issues that determine the survival of wildlife in our world: the constant struggle between producing healthy, sustainable crops, while coexisting with our native ecosystems and generating a rewarding way to make a living. It is a balancing act. Perhaps because of this, the itinerary has not changed much in the last few years.
El Progreso is run by the Alpízar family, Nuria and her husband, Carlos, and their four boys. They produce milk and cheese, dedicating a significant portion of their farm to cattle ranching. Manure goes into compost using earthworms, and the compost goes into the garden and different crops scattered throughout the farm. We helped out planting local varieties of yams and cassava. The farm also protects a large tract of forest, obtaining from it environmental services, such as water, biological control agents, and pollinators. This farm is carbon positive, and SFS students have been planting native trees since we started visiting El Progreso back in 2007.
From El Progreso we learned the technique to sequester efficient microorganisms from the forest floor, which are turned into a liquid mix that fertilizes degraded soils, stimulates plant growth, and serves as a disinfectant for farm animals.
The garden gets visited by tapirs, the largest herbivore still thriving in the new world tropics. Tapirs cause some damaged in the farm's garden, eating tasty roots, such as cassava and malanga. In response, Nuria changes the arrangement of the crops, makes it more complex and harder for tapirs to find their favorite snacks. She can coexist with the local fauna, including the tapir.
Nuria's final thoughts for the group (and for everyone) were summarized as follows: when you do something you love and believe in, your job becomes so satisfying that is not a job anymore. It is possible to produce your own food in harmony with nature. You can follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsDOiMVqFU) to learn more about El Progreso, challenge your Spanish, and find hope and inspiration.
[post_title] => Integrated, Sustainable Farm Management In Balance with the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.
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[post_content] => We started the fall semester program with lots of enthusiasm and good energy. 32 students arrived eager to learn about the challenges of balancing conservation with economic gain in a country immersed in high levels of species diversity and facing major economic and political changes. For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest. Thus, our first field trip (gira) makes a long-lasting impression, and that is why we strive to make it compelling.
Leaving the Center for three days, we first went to the rainforest of Tirimbina Biological Reserve in La Virgen de Sarapiquí on the Caribbean Slope, where we did our first orientation walk in the rain. Tirimbina has impressive rainforests situated along the margins of the Río Puerto Viejo. This area has a long tradition of biological research done by famous scientists as well as environmental activists. In addition to keeping a busy research agenda, Tirimbina has a very positive impact in La Virgen, educating the local population about the benefits of the rainforest.
From Tirimbina we went to El Progreso and let the students experience the challenges of small-scale tropical agriculture at this integrated farm. Students harvested vegetables, and helped El Progreso make its annual batch of efficient microorganisms. After hard work and an extensive farm tour, we all had a delicious lunch cooked mostly with fresh vegetables harvested from the farm.
We ended our trip on Saturday with a visit to the Dole Banana plantation. Students had the opportunity to compare small-scale agriculture with a big-scale farm that has a significant environmental impact, but at the same time provides much-needed jobs in an area that otherwise would be socially depressed. These are the challenges (and sometimes contradictions) of conservation, and we know students were craving more discussion, more opportunities to ask questions, and more time in the forests and in the farms. It is impossible to accommodate all expectations in 3 days, but the positive aspect is that we learned a lot and left the field with a desire to expand our knowledge and experiences. Hopefully these desires will become concrete actions, either now or in the near future, as our students go on to become actors of positive social and environmental change in their own professional lives.
Students listening to a presentation at the Dole PlantationStudents enjoying lunch in the field Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo leading an early morning animal workshop Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo holding a hummingbird during an early morning animal workshopStudent Juliana Cullen helping to harvest plantains at El Progreso organic farmPhoto Credit: Quinn Bergeon
[post_title] => First Field Trip Into the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm from different palms, especially from the species Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae).
This palm is abundant in the rainforests of tropical America from Belize to Bolivia, from sea level to 1150m. In Costa Rica, Euterpe is subject to illegal extraction due to thequality and flavor of its heart of palm. Poachers cut down the soft palm stem and remove the top part, which consist of the apical meristem and the rolled, developing new leaves. The removed tissueis very soft, can be eaten raw, and tastes like artichokes. Theheart of palm of Euterpe tastes like homemade butter, justifying its local name (palmito mantequilla, or butter palm). The extraction of the palm heart results in the death of the individual. The development of programs for conservation and sustainable management of the species requires basic knowledge of the population structure, growth rates, and allometric relationships of this palm species.
Palm heart seized from poachers in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica.Euterpe precatoria shows high density in disturbed and secondary forests compared with pristine, primary forests. Forests where poachers cut Euterpe resemble naturally disturbed forests, and thus, have higher density of this palm. Poachers go after the largest and tallest individuals, which are usually the reproductives, to maximize the amount of extracted heart of palm. In extraction bouts lasting 2-3 days, they can harvest up to 300 adults. The removal of adults releases juveniles and seedlings from competition with larger palms, favoring their growth, increasing Euterpe’s density at extracted sites. This decreases forest diversity and delays the natural regeneration of extracted sites.
Monitoring seedling growth of E. precatoria by SFS students
The extraction of reproductive individuals eventually affects population viability and genetic structure, affecting the ability of this palm to maintain genetically viable population, capable of adapting to environmental changes. Euterpe is able to show fine local adaptation, but this capacity will be undermined under heavy extraction regimes.
Euterpe grows very slowly in primary forests and deep shade, fares better under intermediate light, and increases growth and seedling density with disturbance and high light, either natural or anthropogenic. Agroforestry systems could function for harvesting palm heart, thereby reducing illegal harvesting from protected areas. In an agroforestry system in Guápiles, we observed that palms grown in full sun (2.83 m, SD = 1.17) doubled in height relative to palms growing under shade (1.15 m, SD = 0.48), and increased stem height at a rate of 92 cm/year, whereas shade palms increased 32 cm/year. Although Euterpe grows faster under sun, the species´ capacity to cope with commercial harvesting is still very limited. Extraction should be done at low intensities for recreational purposes and for maintaining local traditions.
Illegal extraction will continue. We just recently learned of a new extraction event in Braulio Carrillo National Park, which we will explore in the next few weeks. Illegal extraction peaks during the Holy Week or Easter, since palm heart traditionally replaces meat during this religious celebration.
After years of studying the growth of this palm in the natural forest and under agroforestry conditions, it is clear that more education is necessary to deter poachers from continuing destructive practices. Palms provide a variety of non-timber forest products to local farmers, with palm heart being one of them. They also provide keystone resources for wildlife and are responsible for maintaining much of the stability of food webs in the tropics. Studying the basic population biology of this species and its growth pattern is critical to orient conservation, protection and management policies.
References
Avalos, G. 2007. Changes in size preference of illegally extracted heart of palm from Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. Economic Botany 61 (1): 96-98.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2009. Illegal Palm Heart (Geonomaedulis) Harvest in Costa Rican National Parks: Patterns of Consumption and Extraction. Economic Botany 63(2): 179-189.
Avalos, G. and M. Fernández. 2010. Allometry and stilt root structure of the Neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) across sites and successional stages. American Journal of Botany 97(3): 1-8.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2012. Notes on the Ethnobotany of Costa Rica´s palms. Palms 56(4): 190-201.
Avalos, G., M. Fernández-Otárola & J.T. Engeln. 2013. Successional stage, fragmentation, and exposure to extraction influence the population structure of Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae). Revista de Biología Tropical 61(3): 1415-1424.
Fernández-Otárola, M. & G. Avalos. 2014. Demographic variation across successional stages and their effects on the population dynamics of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria. American Journal of Botany 101 (6): 1023-1028.
Avalos, G. 2015. Growth of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria Mart. in an agroforestry system in Costa Rica. Ecotropica (in rev).
[post_title] => Ecological Consequences of Illegal Heart of Palm Consumption
[post_excerpt] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm.
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[post_content] => This summer, the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica started collaborating with Dr. Erin Lindquist of Meredith College, one of the coordinators of the EREN project (Ecological Research as Education Network). We established the first forest plots of 20x20m in the tropical rainforest of the Manú Center in Guápiles, Costa Rica. The objective of the EREN project is to monitor forest growth across the U.S., Canada, and several other places in tropical areas. The data will be made available to students and researchers participating in the project with the goal of doing comparative analyses of tree growth, biomass accumulation, forest structure, species diversity, and overall growth responses to global warming. The project includes undergraduate students and their advisors doing research in forest sites closer to their home institutions. EREN is a solid method to add data to databases on forest growth across wide geographic areas, as well as contribute to our understanding of forest responses to global warming, while including undergraduate students and their advisors in a research network that generates valuable scientific information.
Our Summer Session I students worked under the guidance of Dr. Edgardo Arévalo (Resident Lecturer in Tropical Ecology & Sustainable Development) and Dr. Mariano Soley (Interim Lecturer in Natural Resource Management). The plots were established in a forest fragment of 12 Ha under primary forest conditions. All trees rooted within the plots were tagged and their diameter at breast height (1.3 m above the ground) was measured. Many species were identified in the field, but the vast majority required the collection of samples for later identification. More data will be added as these plots get re-measured in the next few years. During this exercise, students experienced the difficulties of collecting data in the rainforest, not only by moving around in a complex environment (aka bush-whacking), but by dealing with difficult decisions (what to do in the case of measuring the diameter of a tree branching below 1.3m above the ground), or how to reach samples that were several meters above the ground (using binoculars, or an extension pole with a cutter), and in general, how to work as a team so many trees could be measured in a few hours.
View of the rainforest of Manú in Guápiles, Costa Rica, where the first EREN plots were established. The smoking volcano in the back is Turrialba Volcano.
The Center is planning to establish more plots within the forest fragments of the National Technical University in Atenas (UTN). We recently signed a collaborative agreement with UTN, and the forest growth monitoring study represents an ideal manner to commence our relationship. The analysis of the Manú data, as well as of the UTN data, will provide professors and students with valuable information to compare tree growth, carbon sequestration, and biomass accumulation, as well as to analyze how climatic differences affect tree species composition and growth patterns. The value of this project is reflected in the analysis of local data, but once the information enters the EREN database, the Center will be able to ask questions across wide geographic areas, including different latitudes. We expect the extension of the EREN plots to Costa Rica and to The School for Field Studies to be productive and a fulfilling learning experience for our students, faculty, and staff!
We did all this in the middle of our first field trip, in which we visited the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park and Manú, and toured El Progreso Farm, where our students planted cassava, learned farming techniques (i.e. how to make compost), and made a new batch of efficient microorganisms for the farm. Efficient microorganisms are obtained from the forest leaf litter and are concentrated in an organic soup mixed with molasses and semolina under anaerobic conditions. This fertilizer is enriched with a high concentration of beneficial microorganisms that speed up the decomposition of organic matter and the release of crucial nutrients for plants. By dispersing this material in the garden the farm increases food production obtaining healthy crops.
SFS experiences are by no means boring. They are intense, since we are always on the move, learning and doing new things.
[post_title] => SFS & Ecological Research as Education Network
[post_excerpt] => This summer, the SFS Center in Costa Rica started collaborating with the Ecological Research as Education Network project.
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[post_content] => The small country of Costa Rica has a long tradition of achieving ambitious environmental goals. The last report of the "State of the Nation" indicates that forest cover in Costa Rica increased to 52% in 2014, which is a major landmark. Despite that forest cover increased, most of the forests are disturbed, fragmented, and isolated. Forest cover is growing because many areas were left abandoned after intense processes of agriculture and cattle ranching. National Parks deal with a high degree of isolation between protected areas due to the lack of continuity in forest coverage between conservation areas, which compromises the long-term viability of tropical species, the functionality of ecosystems, and the capacity of protected areas to provide high-quality environmental services.
To secure the functioning of regenerating forests, conservation efforts must focus on the management and restoration of fragmented areas. One strategy to do this is to support natural regeneration and complement it with direct reforestation and enrichment of forest fragments using native species. To achieve this goal, we need access to plenty of seedlings of native trees. This step is not so simple. Reforesting with native species requires collecting seeds at the right time (when the fruit is just ripe, not immature or old), and this involves the monitoring of species with very low abundance and low reproductive output, which are dispersed over large areas. It also involves planting the seeds under the right conditions, and waiting until the seedling is big enough, and more importantly, transferring the seedling to a suitable destination in the field where the chances of survival will be higher. Many government offices in charge of propagating native trees face major challenges producing seedlings. Being understaffed and underfunded, these offices have difficulty keeping nurseries functioning, not to mention providing tree seedlings native to a specific region. Therefore, it is almost impossible to reforest forest fragments with species native to a region: the right kind of seedlings are simply too hard to come by.
The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects in our host community of Atenas. We have planted hundreds of seedlings of native trees in Atenas, which can withstand the harsh conditions of the long dry season in places like community reserves, maintaining aqueducts, local schools, and local forests. Recently, the Center joined forces with Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve to extend these initiatives to the Caribbean Slope of Costa Rica and integrate small farmers into reforestation. This implies finding key collaborators with a strong conservation sense who are interested in reforesting forest fragments to shelter endangered species to increase connectance in a fragmented landscape.
Reforestation is not easy. Surprisingly enough, most people lack interest because reforestation involves hard work and commitment, dedicating a piece of land to conservation. If we add the lack of suitable seedlings native to an area, it is easy to understand the absence of enthusiasm. However, we need to start by generating the seedlings. The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica produces hundreds of seedlings every year with the goal of planting these seedlings in the appropriate habitats where their conservation and ecological impacts will be highest. Despite the low interest in reforestation, we need to persist in this effort and explore new avenues to stimulate local community members to continue reforesting.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now." - Chinese proverb
Dozens of Cedrela salvadorensis seedlings waiting to be planted in 2016 in the nursery of the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica.
[post_title] => Reforestation Projects in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => The Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects.
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[post_content] => The spring 2016 semester at the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has begun. We are "alive" again, energized with an enthusiastic group of 24 students from a variety of U.S. universities. In no other time the need for new ideas and strategies of resource use has been more urgent than now. 2015 was record high in terms of global temperatures boosted by a super El Niño. Very likely, 2016 will not be any different.
This is no longer an issue we see in newspapers about far away countries impacted by climatic events. Climate change is here to stay, and is happening fast. Our planet is facing multiple challenges, from emerging diseases heightened by global warming, to the usual problems of habitat destruction, pollution, inefficient agriculture, biodiversity loss, water shortages, and poverty. Developing sustainable alternatives of relating to the land, of being productive and maintaining fulfilling lives with less resources, is the ultimate goal in a planet stressed by human impacts on nature.
Implementing sustainable development could be the only viable solution in the short-term, and this is not a cliché or an unrealistic goal. In the end, the development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world. This requires us to speak different languages, communicate with people from different fields, transcend cultural and geographic boundaries, and understand our global problems from a new perspective. We cannot expect the world to change if we keep repeating the same mistakes. We expect that our program will give students the necessary exposure to global issues and create a dent in the way that we all use resources, think about solutions, and influence political decisions that have global consequences. Welcome back students!
→ Sustainable Development Studies Semester Program in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Sustainable Development: New Ideas Needed
[post_excerpt] => The development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip in Summer I makes a compelling introduction to the complexity of issues surrounding the conservation of tropical biodiversity, its interplay with agriculture and with alternative ways of managing natural resources.
We went to one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope, where lowland and highland elements combine to create a high concentration of species diversity. It is in Braulio Carrillo where the effects of altitudinal gradients influencing the distribution of biodiversity (in a country where 70% of the terrain is mountainous) are more evident. From Braulio we moved to the Manú Center, where students went on a night hike and did their first exercise quantifying plant diversity in the rainforest.
From Manú, we went to El Progreso, an integrated farm, where students learned to extract efficient microorganisms from the forest leaf litter, later to be used to improve composting, the decomposition of organic matter, and the overall vegetable production back at the SFS Center in Atenas. At the end of the farm tour, the owner Nuria Chaves, compared her farm with our planet saying that we live in a global farm with very limited resources.
The comparison of our planet with a managed farm could not have been better. We have the option of managing this farm with the explicit purpose of making money, exploit it, and get rich in the short term, spending along the way our scarce resources. We also have the alternative of obtaining other benefits; in addition to producing food, the farm could become an instrument for learning new ways to balance economic gain with nature. Economic gain should not be our only motivation.
We have the same options today at the global level with the Paris agreements and the ever more critical and obvious need to reduce our footprint on the planet, sharing the benefits of biodiversity, and finding new ways adapt to climate change. While we spent little time at El Progreso, we left with the realization that this global farm is our home. We should take care of it and leave it in better shape as an invaluable legacy to our children.
[post_title] => Our Global Farm
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 students visit one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope.
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[post_content] => Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the human footprint on natural resources has been deepening. This is reflected not only in massive species extinctions but also in species declines that will eventually affect ecosystem services which human life depends upon. Within a few hundred years, the paleontologists of the future will look at the fossil record and notice a sharp decline in species diversity coinciding with widespread human dispersion and increased population size and resource consumption. It is no wonder that this particular geological epoch has been called the Anthropocene, to honor our species and its significant anthropogenic impact on the planetary systems most relevant to life.
In an ecological time frame, the Anthropocene is hard to notice since our knowledge of biological diversity in terms of species numbers is very limited, and many species (the vast majority) do not have a scientific name or have not been discovered by science so that their disappearance goes unnoticed. Extinction generates opportunities for generalist species to increase in abundance. This is one of the clearest signs of the simplification of ecosystem processes. The number of endangered species is increasing due to the combined effects of habitat loss, land use changes, decrease in population size, and species replacement by more generalist, human-adapted species. However, human adaptation and learning are also significant. Our species went through many bottlenecks before, where survival was not guaranteed, and without almost any technology. Could technology save us this time? We require a change in paradigm. This is why dispersing the word about sustainable development could be the crucial answer to balancing our basic needs with the capacity of the environment to sustain human life in the long term.
Although Costa Rica has experienced periods of massive deforestation, it has also presented unique responses to promote ecosystem conservation, such as setting aside a quarter of its land into national parks, implementing the program for payment of environmental services, and generating a significant share of its energy from sustainable sources. This country serves as a small laboratory to see what alternatives have the opportunity to solve our most immediate and urgent problems. Education on sustainable development is one of the answers and should become one of the priorities in the near future. Transforming a job market characterized by short-term profit, introducing the idea of reducing environmental impacts, as well as shifting economic activities towards those that are more inclined towards sustainability, promoting and supporting clean energy, implementing changes today so that tomorrow will be more sustainable for future generations must be the key components of a global transformation agenda.
The School for Field Studies' philosophy, with academic programs based on educating for sustainability, integrating communities into sustainable practices, and implementing transforming experiences for our students, provides an opportunity to train the new generation of environmental leaders. International study-abroad shows us that we, as humans, with all our cultural and ethnic diversity, have a great capacity to transform the changing and challenging conditions of the Anthropocene.
When I see our staff and students' commitment to sustainability, I could not feel more optimistic about our ability and imagination to meet the challenges of the future. The training of environmental leaders and the insertion of people with strong environmental commitment into many fields of science and industry is part of the solution to move towards a more sustainable life.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. La Ventana lookout point, in the direction of Peñas Blancas ValleyOur Spring 2017 students experiencing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
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[post_content] => On September 15th, SFS Costa Rica students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
In Costa Rica, the parades are unique in the sense that they are not military displays of force; rather, they are carried out by local schools, and the celebration places emphasis on children. From major cities to small towns, everyone celebrates the independence. Thus, our students went to town to observe the parades, exchange experiences with the locals, and have lunch in many of the places open for the occasion. The whole town of Atenas participates--people sell food in the parks, have BBQs, and in general spend time with family and friends.
Students also took advantage of the opportunity to read in between the lines and see how Independence Day is celebrated in comparison with the celebration in the US. In Costa Rica small schools organize marching bands, folk dances, and floats with messages ranging from biodiversity preservation, peace, international understanding to the appreciation of Costa Rican values and ways to make a living, like maintaining a sustainable relationship with nature through agriculture and forestry. It is always quite a wonderful cultural experience.
→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Celebrating Costa Rica's Independence
[post_excerpt] => On September 15th, our students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
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[post_content] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
The easiest way to attract them (and by the way, to get amazing pictures) is through the use of hummingbird feeders. An increasing number of hummingbird enthusiasts maintain sugar-water hummingbird feeders on a permanent basis.
The underlying reasons for establishing feeders range from pure curiosity to see these remarkable birds at a close range to the general belief that feeders benefit the hummingbirds. Feeders satisfy the human thrill of attracting birds that are often difficult to observe in high numbers under natural conditions.
Although this practice is widespread, little is known of the consequences of the continuous use of commercial feeders on the biology of hummingbirds or for the reproductive success of their associated plants.
After studying hummingbird pollination systems for several years in the highlands of Costa Rica (at Cerro de La Muerte, which literally means “The Mountain of Death”) we determined that the use of artificial sugar-water feeders influences the quantity and composition of pollen loads of highland hummers.The pollen load consists of the types of different pollen a hummingbird could carry (and thus, how many plant species the hummingbird has visited). This is easily measured. The tricky part is to capture the hummingbird, which we do with mist nets. These are very fine nets that allow us to capture a hummingbird without harming the bird.
Using a piece of Scotch tape rubbed against the throat, nape, and crown of the bird, we collected pollen samples in this manner, put the tape on a microscope slide, and later identified the pollen using a microscope. By looking at the structure and size of pollen grains, we could easily match pollen with the plant species from which it came from.
At Cerro, we studied four species of hummingbirds: the Volcano (Selasphorus flammula), Fierythroated (Panterpe insignis), Magnificent (Eugenes fulgens) and Green Violet-eared (Colibrithalassinus). The most aggressive and territorial species at the site, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, dominated the feeders during the dry season. During the wet season, feeder usage was more evenly distributed across species, with the exception of the Volcano Hummingbird, which was kicked to the last place in the dominance hierarchy.
Pollen loads of hummingbirds captured near feeders were low in abundance (more than 50% out of 183 hummingbirds had zero or little pollen grains), and were low in species richness (96% of the hummingbirds had pollen from only one plant species). Pollen loads increased during the dry season coinciding with peaks in flower production, although the majority of captured hummingbirds carried no pollen. This shows that sugar-water feeders congregate hummingbirds drawing them away from flowers.
The competitive and antagonistic pattern observed between feeders and flowers shows that natural pollination systems are being significantly altered by the use of feeders. Supplementing hummingbirds with food seems likely to interfere with pollination networks already stressed by many anthropogenic effects, including global warming.
If you have a hummingbird feeder at home, please don´t use it on a permanent basis. It is fine to watch these birds at close range, but please, don´t make them addicts to cheap food. Plant a hummingbird garden, or even better, go out bird watching.
[post_title] => What's the Impact of Hummingbird Feeders?
[post_excerpt] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
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[post_content] =>
We kicked off the Spring Semester 2010 with a very exciting first field tripthat immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity in Braulio Carrillo National Park. There, we did orientation hikes, and talked about tropical ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, mechanisms responsible for the generation of high species richness, and the impact of global warming on tropical ecosystems.
We then moved on to the integrated El Progreso farm on the second day, where we made batches of efficient microorganisms for the farm use. Along the way, our students learned the technique of collecting microorganisms from the forest litter, then mixed them with semolina and molasses starting an anaerobic process that will reproduce and concentrate these organisms in a mixture that could be diluted several times to become a very powerful disinfectant and fertilizer. This is one of the techniques we transferred from El Progreso to our Center´s farm where it has worked successfully.
We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
[post_title] => Costa Rica's Tropical Ecosystems, Hands-On
[post_excerpt] => We kicked off the semester with a very exciting field trip that immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity.
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[post_content] => Dr. Avalos will be submitting this observation as a scientific note for publication.
One of the most evident and immediate consequences of global warming is the rapid shift in distribution ranges of plant and animal species. There is recent highland habitat colonization by species usually found in lowland environments. The recent arrival of the Keel-billed Toucan to Monteverde in Costa Rica is one of many examples. Bats are also experiencing elevation changes in their distribution, and are moving up.
The consequences of such changes in the abundance and distribution of plants and animals are unknown, although we may predict local extinctions in the short term, especially in species with small distribution ranges and very specialized habitat requirements. We also expect that species that depend on transient resources such as flower nectar will be some of the first ones to be impacted by global warming. Mountain areas serve as a refuge for lowland species, as they remain relatively cooler in comparison to lowland habitats during times of climate change.
Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to these changes due to their high metabolic requirements for food resources, especially nectar. Hummingbirds have a considerable capacity to adapt almost instantaneously to changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of nectar. Some species consume several times their body weight in nectar, and also rely on small insects to complement their diet (thus the old joke, “You eat like a hummingbird,” is not really a compliment; it means that you eat a lot!) It is common to see hummingbirds stealing insects from spider webs. They need the protein, but their fuel comes from sugar.
During Directed Research last April, I had the chance to observe the Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) feeding on flowers of Giant Thistle Cirsium subcoriaceum at Cerro de la Muerte, at 2,900m of elevation on the Caribbean side of the continental divide of Costa Rica. The Long-billed Hermit is a characteristic lowland rainforest species, and within Costa Rica, it is typically found in the humid lowlands of the Caribbean and South Pacific slope from sea level up to 1,200 m (thus, Cerro was twice as high). This is your classic tropical hummingbird, and as such, it has been the subject of studies on bird pollination and bird-plant co-evolution in the tropics. It uses a feeding strategy called “trap-lining”, which consists in following a route of flowers, rarely returning to the same flower patch in one day.
As a group, hermit hummingbirds have curved beaks and less flamboyant plumage relative to their non-hermit relatives (which usually have more metallic colors and short, straight beaks), and are sluggish and sometimes lazy, since they do not defend flower resources (non-hermits are more aggressive, usually defend a good patch of flowers, and are capable of incredible flying maneuvers). Hermits build their nests hanging from the tip of palm leaves (see photograph), usually laying two eggs. As the chicks increase in size, their beaks also increase in length. Female hummingbirds feed them with a nectar soup sprinkled with insect body parts. Male hummingbirds do not help rearing the young. The Long-billed Hermit is a typical trap-liner, ranging from central Mexico and Central America, to the tropical rainforest of northwestern Colombia, western Venezuela, western Ecuador and Peru, and Amazonian Bolivia and Brazil.
What is a lowland rainforest species doing at Cerro de La Muerte?
Cerro is dominated by oak forests and páramo ecosystems. Temperatures range from 25°-0°C, and may approach -5oC before dawn and 28oC at midday during the dry season. The dry season lasts from November-April, and the wet season reaches a peak during September-October. At the end of the dry season there is a blooming peak for most hummingbird-pollinated plants. The Caribbean side of Cerro de la Muerte has closed, continuous forests, buffered by Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park and Rio Macho Forest Reserve. The maintenance of continuous biological corridors between the highlands and the lowlands will be critical in the near future for the conservation of lowland species. Although trap-lining hummingbirds have been traditionally considered incapable of thriving in the highlands (mainly because of high energy requirements associated with withstanding low temperatures), temperature increases in the lowlands (combined with habitat loss) may push some species out of their normal ranges into the highlands, where they could benefit from transient peaks in nectar resources.
This is one sign of how what we do is linked in many subtle ways to the natural world. Our consumption patterns and the way we relate to the land is becoming the most important selective pressure on biodiversity.
[post_title] => Lowland Hummingbirds Are Moving Up… Is Global Warming the Culprit?
[post_excerpt] => Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to changes.
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[post_content] => This first summer session, our Center received 21 students from a variety of universities and places around the United States. Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest, as well as alternatives to generate economic income while balancing the conservation needs of local communities within the context of high diversity.
Students started their trip in Manú, a field station immersed in a rainforest and connected to the Turrialba Volcano. From there, students went to the integrated farm El Progreso and saw alternatives to implement sustainable agriculture. The rest of the field trips included visits to Poás National Park, Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River, and a visit to the organic coffee farm of El Toledo here in Atenas.
This week we are off to the field to get engaged in our research component. Professors Edgardo Arévalo (tropical ecologist) and Achim Häger (manager of natural resources) will be stationed in San Gerardo de Monteverde, a beautiful research station overlooking the Arenal Volcano, where they will guide students in their independent research project on tropical ecology and carbon sequestration. In my case, I will take a group of students to analyze the hummingbird interactions around feeders in different parts of Monteverde, looking at patterns of dependence on feeders, competitive interactions, and patterns of pollen flow, from which the students will develop their own independent projects.
In addition, along with the students we will examine the effectiveness of the sustainable tourism certification in hotels around the Monteverde area. This last part of the program will be busy and very intense, and we are looking forward to find out what we all will be exploring and discovering about the interlink between tropical diversity, resource management, and sustainable tourism visitation.
[post_title] => Welcome to Summer One
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest.
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[post_date] => 2012-11-28 12:28:30
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[post_content] => The end of the fall semester is drawing near. At this point in time, the SFS program in Costa Rica is functioning as an extended family. Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica. Last week, students and staff helped out cooking and organizing the Thanksgiving dinner. As usual, it was a complete success, not only in regards to the food, which was plentiful and yummy, but also in terms of the meaning of this holiday, which was about getting together, sharing, and being thankful for all the things we receive.
On Monday, four groups are departing to different points in Costa Rica to start the field part of Directed Research: Dr. Sergio Molina will continue his research on human capitals around Irazú Volcano National Park; Dr. Edgardo Arévalo will explore bird bioacoustics around the highway passing in front of Carara National Park; Dr. Achim Häger will measure carbon sequestration in a forest fragment in Atenas; whereas my group will go to Monteverde to explore hummingbird aerodynamics at three locations at different elevations.
It sure has been an intensive and very productive semester. It ends with the generation of research, the presentation of results, and their dispersion to the different clients and stakeholders. I can't wait to be in the field measuring and mist-netting hummingbirds in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.
[post_title] => Home, Friends, and Family in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip provides an almost severe introduction to one of the most pressing issues in the tropics: the interface between biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. During day one, our students stepped for the very first time in the tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, and examined some of the reasons for the existence of such high levels of species diversity and species aggregation. Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, functioning in that manner for a long time, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent. Costa Rica emerged from the ocean bottom as a system of volcanic islands resulting from the collision of the Cocos Plate on the Caribbean Plate about 3 million years ago. It was not until the end of the Pleistocene Glaciation (10 thousand years ago) when conditions got warmer and the country was invaded by the flora and fauna of the Amazon, acquiring its characteristic neotropical taste.
Braulio Carrillo National Park is one of the most diverse places in the planet. This park protects an elevational gradient from La Selva Biological Station (30 meters above sea level [masl]) to the summit of Barva Volcano at almost 3,000 masl. Such gradient shelters 50% of the plant diversity of Costa Rica.
Our second day continued at El Progreso Agro-ecological farm, where our students examined the sustainability of agro-ecosystems as an alternative to combine biodiversity protection with agricultural production. They enjoyed the freshwater from the liana Uncaria tomentosa (Cat Claw), a relative of coffee, which is also used for its medicinal value (positive effects on the immune system and important antioxidant properties).
We also enjoyed fresh honey from stingless bees of the genus Trigona. These bees have been cultivated by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards. The honey is very liquidy and is used mostly for medicinal purposes. Trigonas are also important pollinator of understory forest species, as well as of many crops.
Honey and pollen from Trigonas was the dessert of a wonderful lunch at El Progreso, where we also had vegetables freshly harvested from the farm. In addition, we got to know some promising tropical crops, such as Malanga (Xantosomasp). Malanga's rhizome is very starchy, and once cleaned, it can be cut into chips, which are very tasty.
Our host, Nuria Chavez, explained different techniques of organic agriculture, including compost made by earthworms, as well as collecting efficient microorganisms from the leaf litter of the tropical forest as the first step to make liquid fertilizer. Our students got to make the next annual batch of Efficient Microorganisms for the farm. We ended the day hugging a giant Ceiba tree, the sacred tree of the Maya. The next morning, we visited a banana plantation owned by Dole and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. It was a field trip to remember.
[post_title] => Where the Rainforest Meets Tropical Agro-ecosystems and Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has maintained a collaboration agreement with the National System of Protected Areas (SINAC) since 2005. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is extended every few years, and in March 2013, it was extended for the third time. Maintaining a collaboration agreement with an institution of the complexity of SINAC is not a trivial task, and requires a very serious commitment from our Center to allocate resources and address research questions to support the protection of biodiversity, improve the management of protected areas, and identify alternatives to foster good relationships between protected areas and local communities.
SINAC is composed of 11 conservation areas created in 1998, which organize the country into a conservation and natural resource management system that is unique in the world. These protected areas face serious challenges to preserve a representative and functional portion of our ecosystems, and are continuously confronted with lack of resources. Protected areas need the support of all of us, from local communities, municipalities, NGOs, the central government, research institutions and universities. We all need to collaborate to increase the knowledge on biodiversity management and biodiversity protection within protected areas.
Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Guayabo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, Poás, Irazú, and Cahuita, just to name a few. The Center has provided baseline information on the levels of biological diversity, ecosystem services, anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity (road noise and increased visitation), as well as monitoring visitor satisfaction, infrastructure needs, and quantifying the profile of local communities to improve the level of services provided to visitors. This agreement represents an excellent tool for identifying the research needs of protected areas, and in response, generate information where it is most urgently needed, while increasing the efficiency of data collection and the transfer of this information to the parks.
The national parks and protected areas of Costa Rica represent a unique resource in which rests the current and future quality of life of the country. We should give it the importance that it deserves, and include more stakeholders and academic institutions in the process. Few other activities are more dynamic and multidisciplinary than the management of protected areas, and as such represents a vital activity that requires the integrated effort of all sectors of Costa Rican society. We must revive the old enthusiasm with which national parks were established in the 80's, and keep a sustained effort to understand and protect our national parks while involving local communities in the process. Only then can we ensure the consolidation of protected areas and their integration in the economic life of the country.
[post_title] => Center for Sustainable Development Studies Extends Research Partnership
[post_excerpt] => Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, and Poás, just to name a few.
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[post_content] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park. This protected area is the flagship of Guanacaste National Park, one of the most emblematic parks of Costa Rica. Santa Rosa protects a plethora of tropical habitats, from mangroves and savannas to tropical dry forests, which represent the most endangered terrestrial tropical ecosystem, and one of the first to almost disappear in its totality during the Spanish colonization.
Santa Rosa was first established for reasons other than its current biological importance. The area was an old cattle ranch dating back from the 1700s. It was the site of a very famous battle on March 20th, 1856 against the filibusters of William Walker, an American adventurer and believer in manifest destiny. The Costa Rican army defeated Walker and moved the campaign into Nicaragua. The old house on the ranch has survived time and an arsonist's fire in the '90s. It is now restored for future generations… and so is the surrounding dry forest.
Tropical dry forest restoration began in the early '80s, when the idea of saving a significant and functional tract of this ecosystem was merely a dream. A few visionaries, among them humble park rangers and administrators, guided by Daniel Janzen, started the enterprise of understanding the regeneration of this rare ecosystem. There are not that many places with representative patches of mature, primary dry forests. Most forests were consumed by fire to open up space for cattle ranching, used for timber harvesting, or just indiscriminately burned to give more space for agriculture.
For generations, local communities forgot their connection to the forest. It is not until recently that bio-literacy has become strong, with education playing a large role in helping to reestablish the tropical dry forest. A lot of the techniques that now are in place to restore dry habitats, and that now form part of current mainstream knowledge, were developed in Santa Rosa. Forest restoration depends on fire suppression, controlled cattle exclusion, and the natural flow of seeds between pastures and forest patches. The connection with the mountain tops became critical, and many tracts of forests were purchased and connected to the new expanding park, named after the province where it is located: Guanacaste National Park. Local communities were instructed on the benefits of conservation, and many now cater to local and international tourists. Guanacaste has become a major driver of the Costa Rican emerging ecotourism industry, and is now the prime example of successful restoration efforts in the tropics.
However, not everything is a happy story. The evolution of Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks is still unfolding. Many challenges lay ahead, from fire control to illegal hunting, the expansion of hotels and urban areas on the edge of the park, increased visitation, conflicts with local communities and reluctance to expand the limits of the national park.
Santa Rosa was a camping trip to remember, especially the Naranjo Beach sector with its breathtaking sunsets. We all enjoyed the field trip, and it is my hope that many generations of students, researchers and the public in general will continue enjoying, exploring, and knowing wild places such as Santa Rosa.
[post_title] => Immersion in the Dry Forests of Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip was very intense and fast-paced. We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations. We had the chance to take our traditional photo at the base of a giant Ceiba tree with some of our students.
During the hike, we discussed some of the hypotheses proposed to explain the high level of species diversity in the rainforest, and saw in action the close nutrient cycling that takes place there, reflected in the almost immediate decomposition of organic matter. Nutrients are reincorporated back to the living organic matter from the decomposing leaf litter producing something we call “leaf skeletons." After Braulio, we spent one night in Manú, which is particularly interesting for birds, and we got to see several flocks of Chesnut-mandibled Toucans as well as of Collared Aracaris and Keel-billed Toucans.
We ended our trip at El Progreso (an integrated farm), planting and harvesting, and generally chipping in with various farm projects; different SFS groups have visited the farm and have contributed by planting over 250 tree seedlings in the last two years. The farm is better than carbon-neutral, having a positive net effect by sequestering carbon. In addition, it maintains a heterogeneous mosaic of gardens, pastures and forests in different stages of regeneration. Most of what we had for our yummy lunch that day was produced at the farm, and included exotic produce for our students.
We end our trip at the base of a Ceiba tree discussing the reality of farming in the tropics, food security, organic agriculture, and our role as consumers. El Progreso always presents a real and very compelling case of the challenges of doing agriculture next door to the tropical rainforest.
[post_title] => From the Rainforest to Your Breakfast Table
[post_excerpt] => We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations.
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[post_content] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide a powerful introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. We haven’t changed its structure for a while, and don’t intend to do so, since it is a meaningful field trip and is very effective at illustrating the clash between conservation and economic gain. We returned to Braulio Carrillo National Park and immersed the students in the overwhelming species diversity and complexity of rainforests. Expressions like “awesome” and “that’s amazing” were common during the orientation hike. I have been doing this hike for many years now, not to mention that I frequently visit Braulio Carrillo for research purposes, and I am always finding something new. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of a rich tapestry of species interactions that maintain such a complex system in place, even in the face of global warming.
We continued our trek to El Progreso Agroecological Farm, and examined the sustainability of agroecosystems and farm integration as an alternative to combine conservation with agricultural production. The Alpízar Chaves family, who owns the farm, has been a constant source of inspiration, as well as of technical knowledge, for the SFS Center. Last summer, our support staff came here for a three day workshop to learn about composting and alternative ways to fight pathogens, as well as to elaborate of a mixture of efficient soil microorganisms. Our host, Nuria Chaves, also visited our Center for Sustainable Development a couple of months ago to tour the Center and provide feedback on our farming practices. Our relationship with El Progreso has been very beneficial for our Center, and every time we go there our students have the chance to observe an authentic example of a small productive unit thriving in the midst of monocrop plantations and factory farms. They prove that there are sustainable alternatives that work, and that sustainability is a way of life, more than a source of income. This time, the batch of efficient microorganisms the students prepared will be used at the Center.
On the last day of our field trip, we visited a conventional banana plantation and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. Bananas are crucial for the Costa Rican economy, but have a tremendous impact on the lowland rainforest ecosystems, as well as on human communities. Production practices have improved due to the pressure of international consumers as well as certification programs, and in Costa Rica workers are protected by the socialized health system. However, conventional farms go against the sustainability of food production in local communities, and still represent an easy way out to generate income using foreign resources to establish and run the farm, despite being critical for the local communities. This will be one of many subjects for discussion in the next few days.
[post_title] => Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture & Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide an introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms.
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[post_content] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification. Since the certification was first obtained in the fall of 2011, the Center has maintained a continuous process of improving farm practices, as well as training staff and students in different aspects of the certification. The certification represents a significant commitment from the Center to support sustainable practices of mango and orange production, and to use these practices within the unique educational model of SFS.
The holistic certification looks at mango and orange production, as well as the overall impact of the Center on local communities and in the integration of the academic, administrative, support staff, and students in the certification process. The certification has provided the protocols necessary to improve management of many farm processes, has implemented a record keeping system, and tracks our energy and water consumption. This expands the learning experience of our students, provides an example of the challenges of executing sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management in the tropics.
Agriculture plays a large role in sustainable development, especially in Costa Rica where agriculture accounts for about 6.5% of the GDP and 14% of the occupational labor force. Small-scale, sustainable farming methods can help Costa Rica achieve its goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. The SFS Center is quickly becoming a model for other mango and orange farmers in Atenas, showing that alternative practices, congruent with biodiversity protection, are possible.
The certification is divided into different programs, including ecosystem, soil, and wildlife conservation, water protection, fair treatment and good working conditions for our employees, positive community relationships, and integrated waste management, among others. The certification becomes progressively stricter, and next year it will be even more challenging.
"Of course it would be far 'easier' to spray agrochemicals on them without taking a second look, but then we would lose the opportunity to actually practice sustainable farming on our own finca, not to talk about consequences for the environment or human health," says Dr. Achim Häger, Resident Lecturer in Principles of Natural Resources Management.
As result of the certification process, the Center has generated sufficient data to start the analysis of energy and water consumption, identifying goals for reducing its carbon footprint. It is something completely different to learn about certification programs from textbooks, versus implementing one in which the staff and students are active members.
"Our hope for our students," adds intern Rosy Cohane-Mann, "is that they will leave SFS with the means and motivation to be the agents of change in our agricultural systems and, as global citizens, make positive contributions to environmental sustainability."
[post_title] => SFS Center in Costa Rica is a Model of Sustainable Agriculture
[post_excerpt] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification.
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[post_content] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park where we immerse the group in the astounding biodiversity of the tropics. We want students to be amazed by the richness and diversity of plant and animal species, the complexity of biological relationships, and the beauty of the rainforest. On the second day, we visit the integrated farm El Progreso, where students see the combination of agriculture and farm production with rainforest conservation accomplished by a very courageous and inventive family with limited economic resources. Students see an authentic case of sustainable development in action. Then, on the third day, we see the machinery of factory farms reflected in the production of conventional bananas.
It is a contrasting trip. There are many things that I like about this first field experience. I can justify it from the academic point of view using multiple arguments, especially because it makes a strong impact on the students and illustrates many of the most pressing issues that determine the survival of wildlife in our world: the constant struggle between producing healthy, sustainable crops, while coexisting with our native ecosystems and generating a rewarding way to make a living. It is a balancing act. Perhaps because of this, the itinerary has not changed much in the last few years.
El Progreso is run by the Alpízar family, Nuria and her husband, Carlos, and their four boys. They produce milk and cheese, dedicating a significant portion of their farm to cattle ranching. Manure goes into compost using earthworms, and the compost goes into the garden and different crops scattered throughout the farm. We helped out planting local varieties of yams and cassava. The farm also protects a large tract of forest, obtaining from it environmental services, such as water, biological control agents, and pollinators. This farm is carbon positive, and SFS students have been planting native trees since we started visiting El Progreso back in 2007.
From El Progreso we learned the technique to sequester efficient microorganisms from the forest floor, which are turned into a liquid mix that fertilizes degraded soils, stimulates plant growth, and serves as a disinfectant for farm animals.
The garden gets visited by tapirs, the largest herbivore still thriving in the new world tropics. Tapirs cause some damaged in the farm's garden, eating tasty roots, such as cassava and malanga. In response, Nuria changes the arrangement of the crops, makes it more complex and harder for tapirs to find their favorite snacks. She can coexist with the local fauna, including the tapir.
Nuria's final thoughts for the group (and for everyone) were summarized as follows: when you do something you love and believe in, your job becomes so satisfying that is not a job anymore. It is possible to produce your own food in harmony with nature. You can follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsDOiMVqFU) to learn more about El Progreso, challenge your Spanish, and find hope and inspiration.
[post_title] => Integrated, Sustainable Farm Management In Balance with the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.
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[post_content] => We started the fall semester program with lots of enthusiasm and good energy. 32 students arrived eager to learn about the challenges of balancing conservation with economic gain in a country immersed in high levels of species diversity and facing major economic and political changes. For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest. Thus, our first field trip (gira) makes a long-lasting impression, and that is why we strive to make it compelling.
Leaving the Center for three days, we first went to the rainforest of Tirimbina Biological Reserve in La Virgen de Sarapiquí on the Caribbean Slope, where we did our first orientation walk in the rain. Tirimbina has impressive rainforests situated along the margins of the Río Puerto Viejo. This area has a long tradition of biological research done by famous scientists as well as environmental activists. In addition to keeping a busy research agenda, Tirimbina has a very positive impact in La Virgen, educating the local population about the benefits of the rainforest.
From Tirimbina we went to El Progreso and let the students experience the challenges of small-scale tropical agriculture at this integrated farm. Students harvested vegetables, and helped El Progreso make its annual batch of efficient microorganisms. After hard work and an extensive farm tour, we all had a delicious lunch cooked mostly with fresh vegetables harvested from the farm.
We ended our trip on Saturday with a visit to the Dole Banana plantation. Students had the opportunity to compare small-scale agriculture with a big-scale farm that has a significant environmental impact, but at the same time provides much-needed jobs in an area that otherwise would be socially depressed. These are the challenges (and sometimes contradictions) of conservation, and we know students were craving more discussion, more opportunities to ask questions, and more time in the forests and in the farms. It is impossible to accommodate all expectations in 3 days, but the positive aspect is that we learned a lot and left the field with a desire to expand our knowledge and experiences. Hopefully these desires will become concrete actions, either now or in the near future, as our students go on to become actors of positive social and environmental change in their own professional lives.
Students listening to a presentation at the Dole PlantationStudents enjoying lunch in the field Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo leading an early morning animal workshop Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo holding a hummingbird during an early morning animal workshopStudent Juliana Cullen helping to harvest plantains at El Progreso organic farmPhoto Credit: Quinn Bergeon
[post_title] => First Field Trip Into the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm from different palms, especially from the species Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae).
This palm is abundant in the rainforests of tropical America from Belize to Bolivia, from sea level to 1150m. In Costa Rica, Euterpe is subject to illegal extraction due to thequality and flavor of its heart of palm. Poachers cut down the soft palm stem and remove the top part, which consist of the apical meristem and the rolled, developing new leaves. The removed tissueis very soft, can be eaten raw, and tastes like artichokes. Theheart of palm of Euterpe tastes like homemade butter, justifying its local name (palmito mantequilla, or butter palm). The extraction of the palm heart results in the death of the individual. The development of programs for conservation and sustainable management of the species requires basic knowledge of the population structure, growth rates, and allometric relationships of this palm species.
Palm heart seized from poachers in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica.Euterpe precatoria shows high density in disturbed and secondary forests compared with pristine, primary forests. Forests where poachers cut Euterpe resemble naturally disturbed forests, and thus, have higher density of this palm. Poachers go after the largest and tallest individuals, which are usually the reproductives, to maximize the amount of extracted heart of palm. In extraction bouts lasting 2-3 days, they can harvest up to 300 adults. The removal of adults releases juveniles and seedlings from competition with larger palms, favoring their growth, increasing Euterpe’s density at extracted sites. This decreases forest diversity and delays the natural regeneration of extracted sites.
Monitoring seedling growth of E. precatoria by SFS students
The extraction of reproductive individuals eventually affects population viability and genetic structure, affecting the ability of this palm to maintain genetically viable population, capable of adapting to environmental changes. Euterpe is able to show fine local adaptation, but this capacity will be undermined under heavy extraction regimes.
Euterpe grows very slowly in primary forests and deep shade, fares better under intermediate light, and increases growth and seedling density with disturbance and high light, either natural or anthropogenic. Agroforestry systems could function for harvesting palm heart, thereby reducing illegal harvesting from protected areas. In an agroforestry system in Guápiles, we observed that palms grown in full sun (2.83 m, SD = 1.17) doubled in height relative to palms growing under shade (1.15 m, SD = 0.48), and increased stem height at a rate of 92 cm/year, whereas shade palms increased 32 cm/year. Although Euterpe grows faster under sun, the species´ capacity to cope with commercial harvesting is still very limited. Extraction should be done at low intensities for recreational purposes and for maintaining local traditions.
Illegal extraction will continue. We just recently learned of a new extraction event in Braulio Carrillo National Park, which we will explore in the next few weeks. Illegal extraction peaks during the Holy Week or Easter, since palm heart traditionally replaces meat during this religious celebration.
After years of studying the growth of this palm in the natural forest and under agroforestry conditions, it is clear that more education is necessary to deter poachers from continuing destructive practices. Palms provide a variety of non-timber forest products to local farmers, with palm heart being one of them. They also provide keystone resources for wildlife and are responsible for maintaining much of the stability of food webs in the tropics. Studying the basic population biology of this species and its growth pattern is critical to orient conservation, protection and management policies.
References
Avalos, G. 2007. Changes in size preference of illegally extracted heart of palm from Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. Economic Botany 61 (1): 96-98.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2009. Illegal Palm Heart (Geonomaedulis) Harvest in Costa Rican National Parks: Patterns of Consumption and Extraction. Economic Botany 63(2): 179-189.
Avalos, G. and M. Fernández. 2010. Allometry and stilt root structure of the Neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) across sites and successional stages. American Journal of Botany 97(3): 1-8.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2012. Notes on the Ethnobotany of Costa Rica´s palms. Palms 56(4): 190-201.
Avalos, G., M. Fernández-Otárola & J.T. Engeln. 2013. Successional stage, fragmentation, and exposure to extraction influence the population structure of Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae). Revista de Biología Tropical 61(3): 1415-1424.
Fernández-Otárola, M. & G. Avalos. 2014. Demographic variation across successional stages and their effects on the population dynamics of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria. American Journal of Botany 101 (6): 1023-1028.
Avalos, G. 2015. Growth of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria Mart. in an agroforestry system in Costa Rica. Ecotropica (in rev).
[post_title] => Ecological Consequences of Illegal Heart of Palm Consumption
[post_excerpt] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm.
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[post_content] => This summer, the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica started collaborating with Dr. Erin Lindquist of Meredith College, one of the coordinators of the EREN project (Ecological Research as Education Network). We established the first forest plots of 20x20m in the tropical rainforest of the Manú Center in Guápiles, Costa Rica. The objective of the EREN project is to monitor forest growth across the U.S., Canada, and several other places in tropical areas. The data will be made available to students and researchers participating in the project with the goal of doing comparative analyses of tree growth, biomass accumulation, forest structure, species diversity, and overall growth responses to global warming. The project includes undergraduate students and their advisors doing research in forest sites closer to their home institutions. EREN is a solid method to add data to databases on forest growth across wide geographic areas, as well as contribute to our understanding of forest responses to global warming, while including undergraduate students and their advisors in a research network that generates valuable scientific information.
Our Summer Session I students worked under the guidance of Dr. Edgardo Arévalo (Resident Lecturer in Tropical Ecology & Sustainable Development) and Dr. Mariano Soley (Interim Lecturer in Natural Resource Management). The plots were established in a forest fragment of 12 Ha under primary forest conditions. All trees rooted within the plots were tagged and their diameter at breast height (1.3 m above the ground) was measured. Many species were identified in the field, but the vast majority required the collection of samples for later identification. More data will be added as these plots get re-measured in the next few years. During this exercise, students experienced the difficulties of collecting data in the rainforest, not only by moving around in a complex environment (aka bush-whacking), but by dealing with difficult decisions (what to do in the case of measuring the diameter of a tree branching below 1.3m above the ground), or how to reach samples that were several meters above the ground (using binoculars, or an extension pole with a cutter), and in general, how to work as a team so many trees could be measured in a few hours.
View of the rainforest of Manú in Guápiles, Costa Rica, where the first EREN plots were established. The smoking volcano in the back is Turrialba Volcano.
The Center is planning to establish more plots within the forest fragments of the National Technical University in Atenas (UTN). We recently signed a collaborative agreement with UTN, and the forest growth monitoring study represents an ideal manner to commence our relationship. The analysis of the Manú data, as well as of the UTN data, will provide professors and students with valuable information to compare tree growth, carbon sequestration, and biomass accumulation, as well as to analyze how climatic differences affect tree species composition and growth patterns. The value of this project is reflected in the analysis of local data, but once the information enters the EREN database, the Center will be able to ask questions across wide geographic areas, including different latitudes. We expect the extension of the EREN plots to Costa Rica and to The School for Field Studies to be productive and a fulfilling learning experience for our students, faculty, and staff!
We did all this in the middle of our first field trip, in which we visited the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park and Manú, and toured El Progreso Farm, where our students planted cassava, learned farming techniques (i.e. how to make compost), and made a new batch of efficient microorganisms for the farm. Efficient microorganisms are obtained from the forest leaf litter and are concentrated in an organic soup mixed with molasses and semolina under anaerobic conditions. This fertilizer is enriched with a high concentration of beneficial microorganisms that speed up the decomposition of organic matter and the release of crucial nutrients for plants. By dispersing this material in the garden the farm increases food production obtaining healthy crops.
SFS experiences are by no means boring. They are intense, since we are always on the move, learning and doing new things.
[post_title] => SFS & Ecological Research as Education Network
[post_excerpt] => This summer, the SFS Center in Costa Rica started collaborating with the Ecological Research as Education Network project.
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[post_content] => The small country of Costa Rica has a long tradition of achieving ambitious environmental goals. The last report of the "State of the Nation" indicates that forest cover in Costa Rica increased to 52% in 2014, which is a major landmark. Despite that forest cover increased, most of the forests are disturbed, fragmented, and isolated. Forest cover is growing because many areas were left abandoned after intense processes of agriculture and cattle ranching. National Parks deal with a high degree of isolation between protected areas due to the lack of continuity in forest coverage between conservation areas, which compromises the long-term viability of tropical species, the functionality of ecosystems, and the capacity of protected areas to provide high-quality environmental services.
To secure the functioning of regenerating forests, conservation efforts must focus on the management and restoration of fragmented areas. One strategy to do this is to support natural regeneration and complement it with direct reforestation and enrichment of forest fragments using native species. To achieve this goal, we need access to plenty of seedlings of native trees. This step is not so simple. Reforesting with native species requires collecting seeds at the right time (when the fruit is just ripe, not immature or old), and this involves the monitoring of species with very low abundance and low reproductive output, which are dispersed over large areas. It also involves planting the seeds under the right conditions, and waiting until the seedling is big enough, and more importantly, transferring the seedling to a suitable destination in the field where the chances of survival will be higher. Many government offices in charge of propagating native trees face major challenges producing seedlings. Being understaffed and underfunded, these offices have difficulty keeping nurseries functioning, not to mention providing tree seedlings native to a specific region. Therefore, it is almost impossible to reforest forest fragments with species native to a region: the right kind of seedlings are simply too hard to come by.
The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects in our host community of Atenas. We have planted hundreds of seedlings of native trees in Atenas, which can withstand the harsh conditions of the long dry season in places like community reserves, maintaining aqueducts, local schools, and local forests. Recently, the Center joined forces with Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve to extend these initiatives to the Caribbean Slope of Costa Rica and integrate small farmers into reforestation. This implies finding key collaborators with a strong conservation sense who are interested in reforesting forest fragments to shelter endangered species to increase connectance in a fragmented landscape.
Reforestation is not easy. Surprisingly enough, most people lack interest because reforestation involves hard work and commitment, dedicating a piece of land to conservation. If we add the lack of suitable seedlings native to an area, it is easy to understand the absence of enthusiasm. However, we need to start by generating the seedlings. The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica produces hundreds of seedlings every year with the goal of planting these seedlings in the appropriate habitats where their conservation and ecological impacts will be highest. Despite the low interest in reforestation, we need to persist in this effort and explore new avenues to stimulate local community members to continue reforesting.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now." - Chinese proverb
Dozens of Cedrela salvadorensis seedlings waiting to be planted in 2016 in the nursery of the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica.
[post_title] => Reforestation Projects in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => The Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects.
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[post_content] => The spring 2016 semester at the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has begun. We are "alive" again, energized with an enthusiastic group of 24 students from a variety of U.S. universities. In no other time the need for new ideas and strategies of resource use has been more urgent than now. 2015 was record high in terms of global temperatures boosted by a super El Niño. Very likely, 2016 will not be any different.
This is no longer an issue we see in newspapers about far away countries impacted by climatic events. Climate change is here to stay, and is happening fast. Our planet is facing multiple challenges, from emerging diseases heightened by global warming, to the usual problems of habitat destruction, pollution, inefficient agriculture, biodiversity loss, water shortages, and poverty. Developing sustainable alternatives of relating to the land, of being productive and maintaining fulfilling lives with less resources, is the ultimate goal in a planet stressed by human impacts on nature.
Implementing sustainable development could be the only viable solution in the short-term, and this is not a cliché or an unrealistic goal. In the end, the development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world. This requires us to speak different languages, communicate with people from different fields, transcend cultural and geographic boundaries, and understand our global problems from a new perspective. We cannot expect the world to change if we keep repeating the same mistakes. We expect that our program will give students the necessary exposure to global issues and create a dent in the way that we all use resources, think about solutions, and influence political decisions that have global consequences. Welcome back students!
→ Sustainable Development Studies Semester Program in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Sustainable Development: New Ideas Needed
[post_excerpt] => The development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip in Summer I makes a compelling introduction to the complexity of issues surrounding the conservation of tropical biodiversity, its interplay with agriculture and with alternative ways of managing natural resources.
We went to one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope, where lowland and highland elements combine to create a high concentration of species diversity. It is in Braulio Carrillo where the effects of altitudinal gradients influencing the distribution of biodiversity (in a country where 70% of the terrain is mountainous) are more evident. From Braulio we moved to the Manú Center, where students went on a night hike and did their first exercise quantifying plant diversity in the rainforest.
From Manú, we went to El Progreso, an integrated farm, where students learned to extract efficient microorganisms from the forest leaf litter, later to be used to improve composting, the decomposition of organic matter, and the overall vegetable production back at the SFS Center in Atenas. At the end of the farm tour, the owner Nuria Chaves, compared her farm with our planet saying that we live in a global farm with very limited resources.
The comparison of our planet with a managed farm could not have been better. We have the option of managing this farm with the explicit purpose of making money, exploit it, and get rich in the short term, spending along the way our scarce resources. We also have the alternative of obtaining other benefits; in addition to producing food, the farm could become an instrument for learning new ways to balance economic gain with nature. Economic gain should not be our only motivation.
We have the same options today at the global level with the Paris agreements and the ever more critical and obvious need to reduce our footprint on the planet, sharing the benefits of biodiversity, and finding new ways adapt to climate change. While we spent little time at El Progreso, we left with the realization that this global farm is our home. We should take care of it and leave it in better shape as an invaluable legacy to our children.
[post_title] => Our Global Farm
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 students visit one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope.
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[post_content] => Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the human footprint on natural resources has been deepening. This is reflected not only in massive species extinctions but also in species declines that will eventually affect ecosystem services which human life depends upon. Within a few hundred years, the paleontologists of the future will look at the fossil record and notice a sharp decline in species diversity coinciding with widespread human dispersion and increased population size and resource consumption. It is no wonder that this particular geological epoch has been called the Anthropocene, to honor our species and its significant anthropogenic impact on the planetary systems most relevant to life.
In an ecological time frame, the Anthropocene is hard to notice since our knowledge of biological diversity in terms of species numbers is very limited, and many species (the vast majority) do not have a scientific name or have not been discovered by science so that their disappearance goes unnoticed. Extinction generates opportunities for generalist species to increase in abundance. This is one of the clearest signs of the simplification of ecosystem processes. The number of endangered species is increasing due to the combined effects of habitat loss, land use changes, decrease in population size, and species replacement by more generalist, human-adapted species. However, human adaptation and learning are also significant. Our species went through many bottlenecks before, where survival was not guaranteed, and without almost any technology. Could technology save us this time? We require a change in paradigm. This is why dispersing the word about sustainable development could be the crucial answer to balancing our basic needs with the capacity of the environment to sustain human life in the long term.
Although Costa Rica has experienced periods of massive deforestation, it has also presented unique responses to promote ecosystem conservation, such as setting aside a quarter of its land into national parks, implementing the program for payment of environmental services, and generating a significant share of its energy from sustainable sources. This country serves as a small laboratory to see what alternatives have the opportunity to solve our most immediate and urgent problems. Education on sustainable development is one of the answers and should become one of the priorities in the near future. Transforming a job market characterized by short-term profit, introducing the idea of reducing environmental impacts, as well as shifting economic activities towards those that are more inclined towards sustainability, promoting and supporting clean energy, implementing changes today so that tomorrow will be more sustainable for future generations must be the key components of a global transformation agenda.
The School for Field Studies' philosophy, with academic programs based on educating for sustainability, integrating communities into sustainable practices, and implementing transforming experiences for our students, provides an opportunity to train the new generation of environmental leaders. International study-abroad shows us that we, as humans, with all our cultural and ethnic diversity, have a great capacity to transform the changing and challenging conditions of the Anthropocene.
When I see our staff and students' commitment to sustainability, I could not feel more optimistic about our ability and imagination to meet the challenges of the future. The training of environmental leaders and the insertion of people with strong environmental commitment into many fields of science and industry is part of the solution to move towards a more sustainable life.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. La Ventana lookout point, in the direction of Peñas Blancas ValleyOur Spring 2017 students experiencing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
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[post_content] => On September 15th, SFS Costa Rica students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
In Costa Rica, the parades are unique in the sense that they are not military displays of force; rather, they are carried out by local schools, and the celebration places emphasis on children. From major cities to small towns, everyone celebrates the independence. Thus, our students went to town to observe the parades, exchange experiences with the locals, and have lunch in many of the places open for the occasion. The whole town of Atenas participates--people sell food in the parks, have BBQs, and in general spend time with family and friends.
Students also took advantage of the opportunity to read in between the lines and see how Independence Day is celebrated in comparison with the celebration in the US. In Costa Rica small schools organize marching bands, folk dances, and floats with messages ranging from biodiversity preservation, peace, international understanding to the appreciation of Costa Rican values and ways to make a living, like maintaining a sustainable relationship with nature through agriculture and forestry. It is always quite a wonderful cultural experience.
→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Celebrating Costa Rica's Independence
[post_excerpt] => On September 15th, our students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
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[post_content] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
The easiest way to attract them (and by the way, to get amazing pictures) is through the use of hummingbird feeders. An increasing number of hummingbird enthusiasts maintain sugar-water hummingbird feeders on a permanent basis.
The underlying reasons for establishing feeders range from pure curiosity to see these remarkable birds at a close range to the general belief that feeders benefit the hummingbirds. Feeders satisfy the human thrill of attracting birds that are often difficult to observe in high numbers under natural conditions.
Although this practice is widespread, little is known of the consequences of the continuous use of commercial feeders on the biology of hummingbirds or for the reproductive success of their associated plants.
After studying hummingbird pollination systems for several years in the highlands of Costa Rica (at Cerro de La Muerte, which literally means “The Mountain of Death”) we determined that the use of artificial sugar-water feeders influences the quantity and composition of pollen loads of highland hummers.The pollen load consists of the types of different pollen a hummingbird could carry (and thus, how many plant species the hummingbird has visited). This is easily measured. The tricky part is to capture the hummingbird, which we do with mist nets. These are very fine nets that allow us to capture a hummingbird without harming the bird.
Using a piece of Scotch tape rubbed against the throat, nape, and crown of the bird, we collected pollen samples in this manner, put the tape on a microscope slide, and later identified the pollen using a microscope. By looking at the structure and size of pollen grains, we could easily match pollen with the plant species from which it came from.
At Cerro, we studied four species of hummingbirds: the Volcano (Selasphorus flammula), Fierythroated (Panterpe insignis), Magnificent (Eugenes fulgens) and Green Violet-eared (Colibrithalassinus). The most aggressive and territorial species at the site, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, dominated the feeders during the dry season. During the wet season, feeder usage was more evenly distributed across species, with the exception of the Volcano Hummingbird, which was kicked to the last place in the dominance hierarchy.
Pollen loads of hummingbirds captured near feeders were low in abundance (more than 50% out of 183 hummingbirds had zero or little pollen grains), and were low in species richness (96% of the hummingbirds had pollen from only one plant species). Pollen loads increased during the dry season coinciding with peaks in flower production, although the majority of captured hummingbirds carried no pollen. This shows that sugar-water feeders congregate hummingbirds drawing them away from flowers.
The competitive and antagonistic pattern observed between feeders and flowers shows that natural pollination systems are being significantly altered by the use of feeders. Supplementing hummingbirds with food seems likely to interfere with pollination networks already stressed by many anthropogenic effects, including global warming.
If you have a hummingbird feeder at home, please don´t use it on a permanent basis. It is fine to watch these birds at close range, but please, don´t make them addicts to cheap food. Plant a hummingbird garden, or even better, go out bird watching.
[post_title] => What's the Impact of Hummingbird Feeders?
[post_excerpt] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
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We kicked off the Spring Semester 2010 with a very exciting first field tripthat immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity in Braulio Carrillo National Park. There, we did orientation hikes, and talked about tropical ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, mechanisms responsible for the generation of high species richness, and the impact of global warming on tropical ecosystems.
We then moved on to the integrated El Progreso farm on the second day, where we made batches of efficient microorganisms for the farm use. Along the way, our students learned the technique of collecting microorganisms from the forest litter, then mixed them with semolina and molasses starting an anaerobic process that will reproduce and concentrate these organisms in a mixture that could be diluted several times to become a very powerful disinfectant and fertilizer. This is one of the techniques we transferred from El Progreso to our Center´s farm where it has worked successfully.
We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
[post_title] => Costa Rica's Tropical Ecosystems, Hands-On
[post_excerpt] => We kicked off the semester with a very exciting field trip that immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity.
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[post_content] => Dr. Avalos will be submitting this observation as a scientific note for publication.
One of the most evident and immediate consequences of global warming is the rapid shift in distribution ranges of plant and animal species. There is recent highland habitat colonization by species usually found in lowland environments. The recent arrival of the Keel-billed Toucan to Monteverde in Costa Rica is one of many examples. Bats are also experiencing elevation changes in their distribution, and are moving up.
The consequences of such changes in the abundance and distribution of plants and animals are unknown, although we may predict local extinctions in the short term, especially in species with small distribution ranges and very specialized habitat requirements. We also expect that species that depend on transient resources such as flower nectar will be some of the first ones to be impacted by global warming. Mountain areas serve as a refuge for lowland species, as they remain relatively cooler in comparison to lowland habitats during times of climate change.
Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to these changes due to their high metabolic requirements for food resources, especially nectar. Hummingbirds have a considerable capacity to adapt almost instantaneously to changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of nectar. Some species consume several times their body weight in nectar, and also rely on small insects to complement their diet (thus the old joke, “You eat like a hummingbird,” is not really a compliment; it means that you eat a lot!) It is common to see hummingbirds stealing insects from spider webs. They need the protein, but their fuel comes from sugar.
During Directed Research last April, I had the chance to observe the Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) feeding on flowers of Giant Thistle Cirsium subcoriaceum at Cerro de la Muerte, at 2,900m of elevation on the Caribbean side of the continental divide of Costa Rica. The Long-billed Hermit is a characteristic lowland rainforest species, and within Costa Rica, it is typically found in the humid lowlands of the Caribbean and South Pacific slope from sea level up to 1,200 m (thus, Cerro was twice as high). This is your classic tropical hummingbird, and as such, it has been the subject of studies on bird pollination and bird-plant co-evolution in the tropics. It uses a feeding strategy called “trap-lining”, which consists in following a route of flowers, rarely returning to the same flower patch in one day.
As a group, hermit hummingbirds have curved beaks and less flamboyant plumage relative to their non-hermit relatives (which usually have more metallic colors and short, straight beaks), and are sluggish and sometimes lazy, since they do not defend flower resources (non-hermits are more aggressive, usually defend a good patch of flowers, and are capable of incredible flying maneuvers). Hermits build their nests hanging from the tip of palm leaves (see photograph), usually laying two eggs. As the chicks increase in size, their beaks also increase in length. Female hummingbirds feed them with a nectar soup sprinkled with insect body parts. Male hummingbirds do not help rearing the young. The Long-billed Hermit is a typical trap-liner, ranging from central Mexico and Central America, to the tropical rainforest of northwestern Colombia, western Venezuela, western Ecuador and Peru, and Amazonian Bolivia and Brazil.
What is a lowland rainforest species doing at Cerro de La Muerte?
Cerro is dominated by oak forests and páramo ecosystems. Temperatures range from 25°-0°C, and may approach -5oC before dawn and 28oC at midday during the dry season. The dry season lasts from November-April, and the wet season reaches a peak during September-October. At the end of the dry season there is a blooming peak for most hummingbird-pollinated plants. The Caribbean side of Cerro de la Muerte has closed, continuous forests, buffered by Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park and Rio Macho Forest Reserve. The maintenance of continuous biological corridors between the highlands and the lowlands will be critical in the near future for the conservation of lowland species. Although trap-lining hummingbirds have been traditionally considered incapable of thriving in the highlands (mainly because of high energy requirements associated with withstanding low temperatures), temperature increases in the lowlands (combined with habitat loss) may push some species out of their normal ranges into the highlands, where they could benefit from transient peaks in nectar resources.
This is one sign of how what we do is linked in many subtle ways to the natural world. Our consumption patterns and the way we relate to the land is becoming the most important selective pressure on biodiversity.
[post_title] => Lowland Hummingbirds Are Moving Up… Is Global Warming the Culprit?
[post_excerpt] => Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to changes.
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[post_content] => This first summer session, our Center received 21 students from a variety of universities and places around the United States. Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest, as well as alternatives to generate economic income while balancing the conservation needs of local communities within the context of high diversity.
Students started their trip in Manú, a field station immersed in a rainforest and connected to the Turrialba Volcano. From there, students went to the integrated farm El Progreso and saw alternatives to implement sustainable agriculture. The rest of the field trips included visits to Poás National Park, Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River, and a visit to the organic coffee farm of El Toledo here in Atenas.
This week we are off to the field to get engaged in our research component. Professors Edgardo Arévalo (tropical ecologist) and Achim Häger (manager of natural resources) will be stationed in San Gerardo de Monteverde, a beautiful research station overlooking the Arenal Volcano, where they will guide students in their independent research project on tropical ecology and carbon sequestration. In my case, I will take a group of students to analyze the hummingbird interactions around feeders in different parts of Monteverde, looking at patterns of dependence on feeders, competitive interactions, and patterns of pollen flow, from which the students will develop their own independent projects.
In addition, along with the students we will examine the effectiveness of the sustainable tourism certification in hotels around the Monteverde area. This last part of the program will be busy and very intense, and we are looking forward to find out what we all will be exploring and discovering about the interlink between tropical diversity, resource management, and sustainable tourism visitation.
[post_title] => Welcome to Summer One
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The end of the fall semester is drawing near. At this point in time, the SFS program in Costa Rica is functioning as an extended family. Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica. Last week, students and staff helped out cooking and organizing the Thanksgiving dinner. As usual, it was a complete success, not only in regards to the food, which was plentiful and yummy, but also in terms of the meaning of this holiday, which was about getting together, sharing, and being thankful for all the things we receive.
On Monday, four groups are departing to different points in Costa Rica to start the field part of Directed Research: Dr. Sergio Molina will continue his research on human capitals around Irazú Volcano National Park; Dr. Edgardo Arévalo will explore bird bioacoustics around the highway passing in front of Carara National Park; Dr. Achim Häger will measure carbon sequestration in a forest fragment in Atenas; whereas my group will go to Monteverde to explore hummingbird aerodynamics at three locations at different elevations.
It sure has been an intensive and very productive semester. It ends with the generation of research, the presentation of results, and their dispersion to the different clients and stakeholders. I can't wait to be in the field measuring and mist-netting hummingbirds in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.
[post_title] => Home, Friends, and Family in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip provides an almost severe introduction to one of the most pressing issues in the tropics: the interface between biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. During day one, our students stepped for the very first time in the tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, and examined some of the reasons for the existence of such high levels of species diversity and species aggregation. Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, functioning in that manner for a long time, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent. Costa Rica emerged from the ocean bottom as a system of volcanic islands resulting from the collision of the Cocos Plate on the Caribbean Plate about 3 million years ago. It was not until the end of the Pleistocene Glaciation (10 thousand years ago) when conditions got warmer and the country was invaded by the flora and fauna of the Amazon, acquiring its characteristic neotropical taste.
Braulio Carrillo National Park is one of the most diverse places in the planet. This park protects an elevational gradient from La Selva Biological Station (30 meters above sea level [masl]) to the summit of Barva Volcano at almost 3,000 masl. Such gradient shelters 50% of the plant diversity of Costa Rica.
Our second day continued at El Progreso Agro-ecological farm, where our students examined the sustainability of agro-ecosystems as an alternative to combine biodiversity protection with agricultural production. They enjoyed the freshwater from the liana Uncaria tomentosa (Cat Claw), a relative of coffee, which is also used for its medicinal value (positive effects on the immune system and important antioxidant properties).
We also enjoyed fresh honey from stingless bees of the genus Trigona. These bees have been cultivated by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards. The honey is very liquidy and is used mostly for medicinal purposes. Trigonas are also important pollinator of understory forest species, as well as of many crops.
Honey and pollen from Trigonas was the dessert of a wonderful lunch at El Progreso, where we also had vegetables freshly harvested from the farm. In addition, we got to know some promising tropical crops, such as Malanga (Xantosomasp). Malanga's rhizome is very starchy, and once cleaned, it can be cut into chips, which are very tasty.
Our host, Nuria Chavez, explained different techniques of organic agriculture, including compost made by earthworms, as well as collecting efficient microorganisms from the leaf litter of the tropical forest as the first step to make liquid fertilizer. Our students got to make the next annual batch of Efficient Microorganisms for the farm. We ended the day hugging a giant Ceiba tree, the sacred tree of the Maya. The next morning, we visited a banana plantation owned by Dole and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. It was a field trip to remember.
[post_title] => Where the Rainforest Meets Tropical Agro-ecosystems and Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has maintained a collaboration agreement with the National System of Protected Areas (SINAC) since 2005. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is extended every few years, and in March 2013, it was extended for the third time. Maintaining a collaboration agreement with an institution of the complexity of SINAC is not a trivial task, and requires a very serious commitment from our Center to allocate resources and address research questions to support the protection of biodiversity, improve the management of protected areas, and identify alternatives to foster good relationships between protected areas and local communities.
SINAC is composed of 11 conservation areas created in 1998, which organize the country into a conservation and natural resource management system that is unique in the world. These protected areas face serious challenges to preserve a representative and functional portion of our ecosystems, and are continuously confronted with lack of resources. Protected areas need the support of all of us, from local communities, municipalities, NGOs, the central government, research institutions and universities. We all need to collaborate to increase the knowledge on biodiversity management and biodiversity protection within protected areas.
Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Guayabo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, Poás, Irazú, and Cahuita, just to name a few. The Center has provided baseline information on the levels of biological diversity, ecosystem services, anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity (road noise and increased visitation), as well as monitoring visitor satisfaction, infrastructure needs, and quantifying the profile of local communities to improve the level of services provided to visitors. This agreement represents an excellent tool for identifying the research needs of protected areas, and in response, generate information where it is most urgently needed, while increasing the efficiency of data collection and the transfer of this information to the parks.
The national parks and protected areas of Costa Rica represent a unique resource in which rests the current and future quality of life of the country. We should give it the importance that it deserves, and include more stakeholders and academic institutions in the process. Few other activities are more dynamic and multidisciplinary than the management of protected areas, and as such represents a vital activity that requires the integrated effort of all sectors of Costa Rican society. We must revive the old enthusiasm with which national parks were established in the 80's, and keep a sustained effort to understand and protect our national parks while involving local communities in the process. Only then can we ensure the consolidation of protected areas and their integration in the economic life of the country.
[post_title] => Center for Sustainable Development Studies Extends Research Partnership
[post_excerpt] => Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, and Poás, just to name a few.
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[post_content] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park. This protected area is the flagship of Guanacaste National Park, one of the most emblematic parks of Costa Rica. Santa Rosa protects a plethora of tropical habitats, from mangroves and savannas to tropical dry forests, which represent the most endangered terrestrial tropical ecosystem, and one of the first to almost disappear in its totality during the Spanish colonization.
Santa Rosa was first established for reasons other than its current biological importance. The area was an old cattle ranch dating back from the 1700s. It was the site of a very famous battle on March 20th, 1856 against the filibusters of William Walker, an American adventurer and believer in manifest destiny. The Costa Rican army defeated Walker and moved the campaign into Nicaragua. The old house on the ranch has survived time and an arsonist's fire in the '90s. It is now restored for future generations… and so is the surrounding dry forest.
Tropical dry forest restoration began in the early '80s, when the idea of saving a significant and functional tract of this ecosystem was merely a dream. A few visionaries, among them humble park rangers and administrators, guided by Daniel Janzen, started the enterprise of understanding the regeneration of this rare ecosystem. There are not that many places with representative patches of mature, primary dry forests. Most forests were consumed by fire to open up space for cattle ranching, used for timber harvesting, or just indiscriminately burned to give more space for agriculture.
For generations, local communities forgot their connection to the forest. It is not until recently that bio-literacy has become strong, with education playing a large role in helping to reestablish the tropical dry forest. A lot of the techniques that now are in place to restore dry habitats, and that now form part of current mainstream knowledge, were developed in Santa Rosa. Forest restoration depends on fire suppression, controlled cattle exclusion, and the natural flow of seeds between pastures and forest patches. The connection with the mountain tops became critical, and many tracts of forests were purchased and connected to the new expanding park, named after the province where it is located: Guanacaste National Park. Local communities were instructed on the benefits of conservation, and many now cater to local and international tourists. Guanacaste has become a major driver of the Costa Rican emerging ecotourism industry, and is now the prime example of successful restoration efforts in the tropics.
However, not everything is a happy story. The evolution of Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks is still unfolding. Many challenges lay ahead, from fire control to illegal hunting, the expansion of hotels and urban areas on the edge of the park, increased visitation, conflicts with local communities and reluctance to expand the limits of the national park.
Santa Rosa was a camping trip to remember, especially the Naranjo Beach sector with its breathtaking sunsets. We all enjoyed the field trip, and it is my hope that many generations of students, researchers and the public in general will continue enjoying, exploring, and knowing wild places such as Santa Rosa.
[post_title] => Immersion in the Dry Forests of Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip was very intense and fast-paced. We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations. We had the chance to take our traditional photo at the base of a giant Ceiba tree with some of our students.
During the hike, we discussed some of the hypotheses proposed to explain the high level of species diversity in the rainforest, and saw in action the close nutrient cycling that takes place there, reflected in the almost immediate decomposition of organic matter. Nutrients are reincorporated back to the living organic matter from the decomposing leaf litter producing something we call “leaf skeletons." After Braulio, we spent one night in Manú, which is particularly interesting for birds, and we got to see several flocks of Chesnut-mandibled Toucans as well as of Collared Aracaris and Keel-billed Toucans.
We ended our trip at El Progreso (an integrated farm), planting and harvesting, and generally chipping in with various farm projects; different SFS groups have visited the farm and have contributed by planting over 250 tree seedlings in the last two years. The farm is better than carbon-neutral, having a positive net effect by sequestering carbon. In addition, it maintains a heterogeneous mosaic of gardens, pastures and forests in different stages of regeneration. Most of what we had for our yummy lunch that day was produced at the farm, and included exotic produce for our students.
We end our trip at the base of a Ceiba tree discussing the reality of farming in the tropics, food security, organic agriculture, and our role as consumers. El Progreso always presents a real and very compelling case of the challenges of doing agriculture next door to the tropical rainforest.
[post_title] => From the Rainforest to Your Breakfast Table
[post_excerpt] => We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations.
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[post_content] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide a powerful introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. We haven’t changed its structure for a while, and don’t intend to do so, since it is a meaningful field trip and is very effective at illustrating the clash between conservation and economic gain. We returned to Braulio Carrillo National Park and immersed the students in the overwhelming species diversity and complexity of rainforests. Expressions like “awesome” and “that’s amazing” were common during the orientation hike. I have been doing this hike for many years now, not to mention that I frequently visit Braulio Carrillo for research purposes, and I am always finding something new. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of a rich tapestry of species interactions that maintain such a complex system in place, even in the face of global warming.
We continued our trek to El Progreso Agroecological Farm, and examined the sustainability of agroecosystems and farm integration as an alternative to combine conservation with agricultural production. The Alpízar Chaves family, who owns the farm, has been a constant source of inspiration, as well as of technical knowledge, for the SFS Center. Last summer, our support staff came here for a three day workshop to learn about composting and alternative ways to fight pathogens, as well as to elaborate of a mixture of efficient soil microorganisms. Our host, Nuria Chaves, also visited our Center for Sustainable Development a couple of months ago to tour the Center and provide feedback on our farming practices. Our relationship with El Progreso has been very beneficial for our Center, and every time we go there our students have the chance to observe an authentic example of a small productive unit thriving in the midst of monocrop plantations and factory farms. They prove that there are sustainable alternatives that work, and that sustainability is a way of life, more than a source of income. This time, the batch of efficient microorganisms the students prepared will be used at the Center.
On the last day of our field trip, we visited a conventional banana plantation and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. Bananas are crucial for the Costa Rican economy, but have a tremendous impact on the lowland rainforest ecosystems, as well as on human communities. Production practices have improved due to the pressure of international consumers as well as certification programs, and in Costa Rica workers are protected by the socialized health system. However, conventional farms go against the sustainability of food production in local communities, and still represent an easy way out to generate income using foreign resources to establish and run the farm, despite being critical for the local communities. This will be one of many subjects for discussion in the next few days.
[post_title] => Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture & Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide an introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms.
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[post_content] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification. Since the certification was first obtained in the fall of 2011, the Center has maintained a continuous process of improving farm practices, as well as training staff and students in different aspects of the certification. The certification represents a significant commitment from the Center to support sustainable practices of mango and orange production, and to use these practices within the unique educational model of SFS.
The holistic certification looks at mango and orange production, as well as the overall impact of the Center on local communities and in the integration of the academic, administrative, support staff, and students in the certification process. The certification has provided the protocols necessary to improve management of many farm processes, has implemented a record keeping system, and tracks our energy and water consumption. This expands the learning experience of our students, provides an example of the challenges of executing sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management in the tropics.
Agriculture plays a large role in sustainable development, especially in Costa Rica where agriculture accounts for about 6.5% of the GDP and 14% of the occupational labor force. Small-scale, sustainable farming methods can help Costa Rica achieve its goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. The SFS Center is quickly becoming a model for other mango and orange farmers in Atenas, showing that alternative practices, congruent with biodiversity protection, are possible.
The certification is divided into different programs, including ecosystem, soil, and wildlife conservation, water protection, fair treatment and good working conditions for our employees, positive community relationships, and integrated waste management, among others. The certification becomes progressively stricter, and next year it will be even more challenging.
"Of course it would be far 'easier' to spray agrochemicals on them without taking a second look, but then we would lose the opportunity to actually practice sustainable farming on our own finca, not to talk about consequences for the environment or human health," says Dr. Achim Häger, Resident Lecturer in Principles of Natural Resources Management.
As result of the certification process, the Center has generated sufficient data to start the analysis of energy and water consumption, identifying goals for reducing its carbon footprint. It is something completely different to learn about certification programs from textbooks, versus implementing one in which the staff and students are active members.
"Our hope for our students," adds intern Rosy Cohane-Mann, "is that they will leave SFS with the means and motivation to be the agents of change in our agricultural systems and, as global citizens, make positive contributions to environmental sustainability."
[post_title] => SFS Center in Costa Rica is a Model of Sustainable Agriculture
[post_excerpt] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification.
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[post_content] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park where we immerse the group in the astounding biodiversity of the tropics. We want students to be amazed by the richness and diversity of plant and animal species, the complexity of biological relationships, and the beauty of the rainforest. On the second day, we visit the integrated farm El Progreso, where students see the combination of agriculture and farm production with rainforest conservation accomplished by a very courageous and inventive family with limited economic resources. Students see an authentic case of sustainable development in action. Then, on the third day, we see the machinery of factory farms reflected in the production of conventional bananas.
It is a contrasting trip. There are many things that I like about this first field experience. I can justify it from the academic point of view using multiple arguments, especially because it makes a strong impact on the students and illustrates many of the most pressing issues that determine the survival of wildlife in our world: the constant struggle between producing healthy, sustainable crops, while coexisting with our native ecosystems and generating a rewarding way to make a living. It is a balancing act. Perhaps because of this, the itinerary has not changed much in the last few years.
El Progreso is run by the Alpízar family, Nuria and her husband, Carlos, and their four boys. They produce milk and cheese, dedicating a significant portion of their farm to cattle ranching. Manure goes into compost using earthworms, and the compost goes into the garden and different crops scattered throughout the farm. We helped out planting local varieties of yams and cassava. The farm also protects a large tract of forest, obtaining from it environmental services, such as water, biological control agents, and pollinators. This farm is carbon positive, and SFS students have been planting native trees since we started visiting El Progreso back in 2007.
From El Progreso we learned the technique to sequester efficient microorganisms from the forest floor, which are turned into a liquid mix that fertilizes degraded soils, stimulates plant growth, and serves as a disinfectant for farm animals.
The garden gets visited by tapirs, the largest herbivore still thriving in the new world tropics. Tapirs cause some damaged in the farm's garden, eating tasty roots, such as cassava and malanga. In response, Nuria changes the arrangement of the crops, makes it more complex and harder for tapirs to find their favorite snacks. She can coexist with the local fauna, including the tapir.
Nuria's final thoughts for the group (and for everyone) were summarized as follows: when you do something you love and believe in, your job becomes so satisfying that is not a job anymore. It is possible to produce your own food in harmony with nature. You can follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsDOiMVqFU) to learn more about El Progreso, challenge your Spanish, and find hope and inspiration.
[post_title] => Integrated, Sustainable Farm Management In Balance with the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.
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[post_content] => We started the fall semester program with lots of enthusiasm and good energy. 32 students arrived eager to learn about the challenges of balancing conservation with economic gain in a country immersed in high levels of species diversity and facing major economic and political changes. For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest. Thus, our first field trip (gira) makes a long-lasting impression, and that is why we strive to make it compelling.
Leaving the Center for three days, we first went to the rainforest of Tirimbina Biological Reserve in La Virgen de Sarapiquí on the Caribbean Slope, where we did our first orientation walk in the rain. Tirimbina has impressive rainforests situated along the margins of the Río Puerto Viejo. This area has a long tradition of biological research done by famous scientists as well as environmental activists. In addition to keeping a busy research agenda, Tirimbina has a very positive impact in La Virgen, educating the local population about the benefits of the rainforest.
From Tirimbina we went to El Progreso and let the students experience the challenges of small-scale tropical agriculture at this integrated farm. Students harvested vegetables, and helped El Progreso make its annual batch of efficient microorganisms. After hard work and an extensive farm tour, we all had a delicious lunch cooked mostly with fresh vegetables harvested from the farm.
We ended our trip on Saturday with a visit to the Dole Banana plantation. Students had the opportunity to compare small-scale agriculture with a big-scale farm that has a significant environmental impact, but at the same time provides much-needed jobs in an area that otherwise would be socially depressed. These are the challenges (and sometimes contradictions) of conservation, and we know students were craving more discussion, more opportunities to ask questions, and more time in the forests and in the farms. It is impossible to accommodate all expectations in 3 days, but the positive aspect is that we learned a lot and left the field with a desire to expand our knowledge and experiences. Hopefully these desires will become concrete actions, either now or in the near future, as our students go on to become actors of positive social and environmental change in their own professional lives.
Students listening to a presentation at the Dole PlantationStudents enjoying lunch in the field Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo leading an early morning animal workshop Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo holding a hummingbird during an early morning animal workshopStudent Juliana Cullen helping to harvest plantains at El Progreso organic farmPhoto Credit: Quinn Bergeon
[post_title] => First Field Trip Into the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm from different palms, especially from the species Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae).
This palm is abundant in the rainforests of tropical America from Belize to Bolivia, from sea level to 1150m. In Costa Rica, Euterpe is subject to illegal extraction due to thequality and flavor of its heart of palm. Poachers cut down the soft palm stem and remove the top part, which consist of the apical meristem and the rolled, developing new leaves. The removed tissueis very soft, can be eaten raw, and tastes like artichokes. Theheart of palm of Euterpe tastes like homemade butter, justifying its local name (palmito mantequilla, or butter palm). The extraction of the palm heart results in the death of the individual. The development of programs for conservation and sustainable management of the species requires basic knowledge of the population structure, growth rates, and allometric relationships of this palm species.
Palm heart seized from poachers in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica.Euterpe precatoria shows high density in disturbed and secondary forests compared with pristine, primary forests. Forests where poachers cut Euterpe resemble naturally disturbed forests, and thus, have higher density of this palm. Poachers go after the largest and tallest individuals, which are usually the reproductives, to maximize the amount of extracted heart of palm. In extraction bouts lasting 2-3 days, they can harvest up to 300 adults. The removal of adults releases juveniles and seedlings from competition with larger palms, favoring their growth, increasing Euterpe’s density at extracted sites. This decreases forest diversity and delays the natural regeneration of extracted sites.
Monitoring seedling growth of E. precatoria by SFS students
The extraction of reproductive individuals eventually affects population viability and genetic structure, affecting the ability of this palm to maintain genetically viable population, capable of adapting to environmental changes. Euterpe is able to show fine local adaptation, but this capacity will be undermined under heavy extraction regimes.
Euterpe grows very slowly in primary forests and deep shade, fares better under intermediate light, and increases growth and seedling density with disturbance and high light, either natural or anthropogenic. Agroforestry systems could function for harvesting palm heart, thereby reducing illegal harvesting from protected areas. In an agroforestry system in Guápiles, we observed that palms grown in full sun (2.83 m, SD = 1.17) doubled in height relative to palms growing under shade (1.15 m, SD = 0.48), and increased stem height at a rate of 92 cm/year, whereas shade palms increased 32 cm/year. Although Euterpe grows faster under sun, the species´ capacity to cope with commercial harvesting is still very limited. Extraction should be done at low intensities for recreational purposes and for maintaining local traditions.
Illegal extraction will continue. We just recently learned of a new extraction event in Braulio Carrillo National Park, which we will explore in the next few weeks. Illegal extraction peaks during the Holy Week or Easter, since palm heart traditionally replaces meat during this religious celebration.
After years of studying the growth of this palm in the natural forest and under agroforestry conditions, it is clear that more education is necessary to deter poachers from continuing destructive practices. Palms provide a variety of non-timber forest products to local farmers, with palm heart being one of them. They also provide keystone resources for wildlife and are responsible for maintaining much of the stability of food webs in the tropics. Studying the basic population biology of this species and its growth pattern is critical to orient conservation, protection and management policies.
References
Avalos, G. 2007. Changes in size preference of illegally extracted heart of palm from Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. Economic Botany 61 (1): 96-98.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2009. Illegal Palm Heart (Geonomaedulis) Harvest in Costa Rican National Parks: Patterns of Consumption and Extraction. Economic Botany 63(2): 179-189.
Avalos, G. and M. Fernández. 2010. Allometry and stilt root structure of the Neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) across sites and successional stages. American Journal of Botany 97(3): 1-8.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2012. Notes on the Ethnobotany of Costa Rica´s palms. Palms 56(4): 190-201.
Avalos, G., M. Fernández-Otárola & J.T. Engeln. 2013. Successional stage, fragmentation, and exposure to extraction influence the population structure of Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae). Revista de Biología Tropical 61(3): 1415-1424.
Fernández-Otárola, M. & G. Avalos. 2014. Demographic variation across successional stages and their effects on the population dynamics of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria. American Journal of Botany 101 (6): 1023-1028.
Avalos, G. 2015. Growth of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria Mart. in an agroforestry system in Costa Rica. Ecotropica (in rev).
[post_title] => Ecological Consequences of Illegal Heart of Palm Consumption
[post_excerpt] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm.
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[post_content] => This summer, the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica started collaborating with Dr. Erin Lindquist of Meredith College, one of the coordinators of the EREN project (Ecological Research as Education Network). We established the first forest plots of 20x20m in the tropical rainforest of the Manú Center in Guápiles, Costa Rica. The objective of the EREN project is to monitor forest growth across the U.S., Canada, and several other places in tropical areas. The data will be made available to students and researchers participating in the project with the goal of doing comparative analyses of tree growth, biomass accumulation, forest structure, species diversity, and overall growth responses to global warming. The project includes undergraduate students and their advisors doing research in forest sites closer to their home institutions. EREN is a solid method to add data to databases on forest growth across wide geographic areas, as well as contribute to our understanding of forest responses to global warming, while including undergraduate students and their advisors in a research network that generates valuable scientific information.
Our Summer Session I students worked under the guidance of Dr. Edgardo Arévalo (Resident Lecturer in Tropical Ecology & Sustainable Development) and Dr. Mariano Soley (Interim Lecturer in Natural Resource Management). The plots were established in a forest fragment of 12 Ha under primary forest conditions. All trees rooted within the plots were tagged and their diameter at breast height (1.3 m above the ground) was measured. Many species were identified in the field, but the vast majority required the collection of samples for later identification. More data will be added as these plots get re-measured in the next few years. During this exercise, students experienced the difficulties of collecting data in the rainforest, not only by moving around in a complex environment (aka bush-whacking), but by dealing with difficult decisions (what to do in the case of measuring the diameter of a tree branching below 1.3m above the ground), or how to reach samples that were several meters above the ground (using binoculars, or an extension pole with a cutter), and in general, how to work as a team so many trees could be measured in a few hours.
View of the rainforest of Manú in Guápiles, Costa Rica, where the first EREN plots were established. The smoking volcano in the back is Turrialba Volcano.
The Center is planning to establish more plots within the forest fragments of the National Technical University in Atenas (UTN). We recently signed a collaborative agreement with UTN, and the forest growth monitoring study represents an ideal manner to commence our relationship. The analysis of the Manú data, as well as of the UTN data, will provide professors and students with valuable information to compare tree growth, carbon sequestration, and biomass accumulation, as well as to analyze how climatic differences affect tree species composition and growth patterns. The value of this project is reflected in the analysis of local data, but once the information enters the EREN database, the Center will be able to ask questions across wide geographic areas, including different latitudes. We expect the extension of the EREN plots to Costa Rica and to The School for Field Studies to be productive and a fulfilling learning experience for our students, faculty, and staff!
We did all this in the middle of our first field trip, in which we visited the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park and Manú, and toured El Progreso Farm, where our students planted cassava, learned farming techniques (i.e. how to make compost), and made a new batch of efficient microorganisms for the farm. Efficient microorganisms are obtained from the forest leaf litter and are concentrated in an organic soup mixed with molasses and semolina under anaerobic conditions. This fertilizer is enriched with a high concentration of beneficial microorganisms that speed up the decomposition of organic matter and the release of crucial nutrients for plants. By dispersing this material in the garden the farm increases food production obtaining healthy crops.
SFS experiences are by no means boring. They are intense, since we are always on the move, learning and doing new things.
[post_title] => SFS & Ecological Research as Education Network
[post_excerpt] => This summer, the SFS Center in Costa Rica started collaborating with the Ecological Research as Education Network project.
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[post_content] => The small country of Costa Rica has a long tradition of achieving ambitious environmental goals. The last report of the "State of the Nation" indicates that forest cover in Costa Rica increased to 52% in 2014, which is a major landmark. Despite that forest cover increased, most of the forests are disturbed, fragmented, and isolated. Forest cover is growing because many areas were left abandoned after intense processes of agriculture and cattle ranching. National Parks deal with a high degree of isolation between protected areas due to the lack of continuity in forest coverage between conservation areas, which compromises the long-term viability of tropical species, the functionality of ecosystems, and the capacity of protected areas to provide high-quality environmental services.
To secure the functioning of regenerating forests, conservation efforts must focus on the management and restoration of fragmented areas. One strategy to do this is to support natural regeneration and complement it with direct reforestation and enrichment of forest fragments using native species. To achieve this goal, we need access to plenty of seedlings of native trees. This step is not so simple. Reforesting with native species requires collecting seeds at the right time (when the fruit is just ripe, not immature or old), and this involves the monitoring of species with very low abundance and low reproductive output, which are dispersed over large areas. It also involves planting the seeds under the right conditions, and waiting until the seedling is big enough, and more importantly, transferring the seedling to a suitable destination in the field where the chances of survival will be higher. Many government offices in charge of propagating native trees face major challenges producing seedlings. Being understaffed and underfunded, these offices have difficulty keeping nurseries functioning, not to mention providing tree seedlings native to a specific region. Therefore, it is almost impossible to reforest forest fragments with species native to a region: the right kind of seedlings are simply too hard to come by.
The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects in our host community of Atenas. We have planted hundreds of seedlings of native trees in Atenas, which can withstand the harsh conditions of the long dry season in places like community reserves, maintaining aqueducts, local schools, and local forests. Recently, the Center joined forces with Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve to extend these initiatives to the Caribbean Slope of Costa Rica and integrate small farmers into reforestation. This implies finding key collaborators with a strong conservation sense who are interested in reforesting forest fragments to shelter endangered species to increase connectance in a fragmented landscape.
Reforestation is not easy. Surprisingly enough, most people lack interest because reforestation involves hard work and commitment, dedicating a piece of land to conservation. If we add the lack of suitable seedlings native to an area, it is easy to understand the absence of enthusiasm. However, we need to start by generating the seedlings. The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica produces hundreds of seedlings every year with the goal of planting these seedlings in the appropriate habitats where their conservation and ecological impacts will be highest. Despite the low interest in reforestation, we need to persist in this effort and explore new avenues to stimulate local community members to continue reforesting.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now." - Chinese proverb
Dozens of Cedrela salvadorensis seedlings waiting to be planted in 2016 in the nursery of the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica.
[post_title] => Reforestation Projects in Costa Rica
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[post_content] => The spring 2016 semester at the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has begun. We are "alive" again, energized with an enthusiastic group of 24 students from a variety of U.S. universities. In no other time the need for new ideas and strategies of resource use has been more urgent than now. 2015 was record high in terms of global temperatures boosted by a super El Niño. Very likely, 2016 will not be any different.
This is no longer an issue we see in newspapers about far away countries impacted by climatic events. Climate change is here to stay, and is happening fast. Our planet is facing multiple challenges, from emerging diseases heightened by global warming, to the usual problems of habitat destruction, pollution, inefficient agriculture, biodiversity loss, water shortages, and poverty. Developing sustainable alternatives of relating to the land, of being productive and maintaining fulfilling lives with less resources, is the ultimate goal in a planet stressed by human impacts on nature.
Implementing sustainable development could be the only viable solution in the short-term, and this is not a cliché or an unrealistic goal. In the end, the development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world. This requires us to speak different languages, communicate with people from different fields, transcend cultural and geographic boundaries, and understand our global problems from a new perspective. We cannot expect the world to change if we keep repeating the same mistakes. We expect that our program will give students the necessary exposure to global issues and create a dent in the way that we all use resources, think about solutions, and influence political decisions that have global consequences. Welcome back students!
→ Sustainable Development Studies Semester Program in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Sustainable Development: New Ideas Needed
[post_excerpt] => The development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip in Summer I makes a compelling introduction to the complexity of issues surrounding the conservation of tropical biodiversity, its interplay with agriculture and with alternative ways of managing natural resources.
We went to one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope, where lowland and highland elements combine to create a high concentration of species diversity. It is in Braulio Carrillo where the effects of altitudinal gradients influencing the distribution of biodiversity (in a country where 70% of the terrain is mountainous) are more evident. From Braulio we moved to the Manú Center, where students went on a night hike and did their first exercise quantifying plant diversity in the rainforest.
From Manú, we went to El Progreso, an integrated farm, where students learned to extract efficient microorganisms from the forest leaf litter, later to be used to improve composting, the decomposition of organic matter, and the overall vegetable production back at the SFS Center in Atenas. At the end of the farm tour, the owner Nuria Chaves, compared her farm with our planet saying that we live in a global farm with very limited resources.
The comparison of our planet with a managed farm could not have been better. We have the option of managing this farm with the explicit purpose of making money, exploit it, and get rich in the short term, spending along the way our scarce resources. We also have the alternative of obtaining other benefits; in addition to producing food, the farm could become an instrument for learning new ways to balance economic gain with nature. Economic gain should not be our only motivation.
We have the same options today at the global level with the Paris agreements and the ever more critical and obvious need to reduce our footprint on the planet, sharing the benefits of biodiversity, and finding new ways adapt to climate change. While we spent little time at El Progreso, we left with the realization that this global farm is our home. We should take care of it and leave it in better shape as an invaluable legacy to our children.
[post_title] => Our Global Farm
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 students visit one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope.
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[post_content] => Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the human footprint on natural resources has been deepening. This is reflected not only in massive species extinctions but also in species declines that will eventually affect ecosystem services which human life depends upon. Within a few hundred years, the paleontologists of the future will look at the fossil record and notice a sharp decline in species diversity coinciding with widespread human dispersion and increased population size and resource consumption. It is no wonder that this particular geological epoch has been called the Anthropocene, to honor our species and its significant anthropogenic impact on the planetary systems most relevant to life.
In an ecological time frame, the Anthropocene is hard to notice since our knowledge of biological diversity in terms of species numbers is very limited, and many species (the vast majority) do not have a scientific name or have not been discovered by science so that their disappearance goes unnoticed. Extinction generates opportunities for generalist species to increase in abundance. This is one of the clearest signs of the simplification of ecosystem processes. The number of endangered species is increasing due to the combined effects of habitat loss, land use changes, decrease in population size, and species replacement by more generalist, human-adapted species. However, human adaptation and learning are also significant. Our species went through many bottlenecks before, where survival was not guaranteed, and without almost any technology. Could technology save us this time? We require a change in paradigm. This is why dispersing the word about sustainable development could be the crucial answer to balancing our basic needs with the capacity of the environment to sustain human life in the long term.
Although Costa Rica has experienced periods of massive deforestation, it has also presented unique responses to promote ecosystem conservation, such as setting aside a quarter of its land into national parks, implementing the program for payment of environmental services, and generating a significant share of its energy from sustainable sources. This country serves as a small laboratory to see what alternatives have the opportunity to solve our most immediate and urgent problems. Education on sustainable development is one of the answers and should become one of the priorities in the near future. Transforming a job market characterized by short-term profit, introducing the idea of reducing environmental impacts, as well as shifting economic activities towards those that are more inclined towards sustainability, promoting and supporting clean energy, implementing changes today so that tomorrow will be more sustainable for future generations must be the key components of a global transformation agenda.
The School for Field Studies' philosophy, with academic programs based on educating for sustainability, integrating communities into sustainable practices, and implementing transforming experiences for our students, provides an opportunity to train the new generation of environmental leaders. International study-abroad shows us that we, as humans, with all our cultural and ethnic diversity, have a great capacity to transform the changing and challenging conditions of the Anthropocene.
When I see our staff and students' commitment to sustainability, I could not feel more optimistic about our ability and imagination to meet the challenges of the future. The training of environmental leaders and the insertion of people with strong environmental commitment into many fields of science and industry is part of the solution to move towards a more sustainable life.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. La Ventana lookout point, in the direction of Peñas Blancas ValleyOur Spring 2017 students experiencing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
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[post_date] => 2016-09-19 13:25:06
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[post_content] => On September 15th, SFS Costa Rica students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
In Costa Rica, the parades are unique in the sense that they are not military displays of force; rather, they are carried out by local schools, and the celebration places emphasis on children. From major cities to small towns, everyone celebrates the independence. Thus, our students went to town to observe the parades, exchange experiences with the locals, and have lunch in many of the places open for the occasion. The whole town of Atenas participates--people sell food in the parks, have BBQs, and in general spend time with family and friends.
Students also took advantage of the opportunity to read in between the lines and see how Independence Day is celebrated in comparison with the celebration in the US. In Costa Rica small schools organize marching bands, folk dances, and floats with messages ranging from biodiversity preservation, peace, international understanding to the appreciation of Costa Rican values and ways to make a living, like maintaining a sustainable relationship with nature through agriculture and forestry. It is always quite a wonderful cultural experience.
→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Celebrating Costa Rica's Independence
[post_excerpt] => On September 15th, our students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
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[post_content] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
The easiest way to attract them (and by the way, to get amazing pictures) is through the use of hummingbird feeders. An increasing number of hummingbird enthusiasts maintain sugar-water hummingbird feeders on a permanent basis.
The underlying reasons for establishing feeders range from pure curiosity to see these remarkable birds at a close range to the general belief that feeders benefit the hummingbirds. Feeders satisfy the human thrill of attracting birds that are often difficult to observe in high numbers under natural conditions.
Although this practice is widespread, little is known of the consequences of the continuous use of commercial feeders on the biology of hummingbirds or for the reproductive success of their associated plants.
After studying hummingbird pollination systems for several years in the highlands of Costa Rica (at Cerro de La Muerte, which literally means “The Mountain of Death”) we determined that the use of artificial sugar-water feeders influences the quantity and composition of pollen loads of highland hummers.The pollen load consists of the types of different pollen a hummingbird could carry (and thus, how many plant species the hummingbird has visited). This is easily measured. The tricky part is to capture the hummingbird, which we do with mist nets. These are very fine nets that allow us to capture a hummingbird without harming the bird.
Using a piece of Scotch tape rubbed against the throat, nape, and crown of the bird, we collected pollen samples in this manner, put the tape on a microscope slide, and later identified the pollen using a microscope. By looking at the structure and size of pollen grains, we could easily match pollen with the plant species from which it came from.
At Cerro, we studied four species of hummingbirds: the Volcano (Selasphorus flammula), Fierythroated (Panterpe insignis), Magnificent (Eugenes fulgens) and Green Violet-eared (Colibrithalassinus). The most aggressive and territorial species at the site, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, dominated the feeders during the dry season. During the wet season, feeder usage was more evenly distributed across species, with the exception of the Volcano Hummingbird, which was kicked to the last place in the dominance hierarchy.
Pollen loads of hummingbirds captured near feeders were low in abundance (more than 50% out of 183 hummingbirds had zero or little pollen grains), and were low in species richness (96% of the hummingbirds had pollen from only one plant species). Pollen loads increased during the dry season coinciding with peaks in flower production, although the majority of captured hummingbirds carried no pollen. This shows that sugar-water feeders congregate hummingbirds drawing them away from flowers.
The competitive and antagonistic pattern observed between feeders and flowers shows that natural pollination systems are being significantly altered by the use of feeders. Supplementing hummingbirds with food seems likely to interfere with pollination networks already stressed by many anthropogenic effects, including global warming.
If you have a hummingbird feeder at home, please don´t use it on a permanent basis. It is fine to watch these birds at close range, but please, don´t make them addicts to cheap food. Plant a hummingbird garden, or even better, go out bird watching.
[post_title] => What's the Impact of Hummingbird Feeders?
[post_excerpt] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
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[post_content] =>
We kicked off the Spring Semester 2010 with a very exciting first field tripthat immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity in Braulio Carrillo National Park. There, we did orientation hikes, and talked about tropical ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, mechanisms responsible for the generation of high species richness, and the impact of global warming on tropical ecosystems.
We then moved on to the integrated El Progreso farm on the second day, where we made batches of efficient microorganisms for the farm use. Along the way, our students learned the technique of collecting microorganisms from the forest litter, then mixed them with semolina and molasses starting an anaerobic process that will reproduce and concentrate these organisms in a mixture that could be diluted several times to become a very powerful disinfectant and fertilizer. This is one of the techniques we transferred from El Progreso to our Center´s farm where it has worked successfully.
We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
[post_title] => Costa Rica's Tropical Ecosystems, Hands-On
[post_excerpt] => We kicked off the semester with a very exciting field trip that immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity.
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[post_content] => Dr. Avalos will be submitting this observation as a scientific note for publication.
One of the most evident and immediate consequences of global warming is the rapid shift in distribution ranges of plant and animal species. There is recent highland habitat colonization by species usually found in lowland environments. The recent arrival of the Keel-billed Toucan to Monteverde in Costa Rica is one of many examples. Bats are also experiencing elevation changes in their distribution, and are moving up.
The consequences of such changes in the abundance and distribution of plants and animals are unknown, although we may predict local extinctions in the short term, especially in species with small distribution ranges and very specialized habitat requirements. We also expect that species that depend on transient resources such as flower nectar will be some of the first ones to be impacted by global warming. Mountain areas serve as a refuge for lowland species, as they remain relatively cooler in comparison to lowland habitats during times of climate change.
Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to these changes due to their high metabolic requirements for food resources, especially nectar. Hummingbirds have a considerable capacity to adapt almost instantaneously to changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of nectar. Some species consume several times their body weight in nectar, and also rely on small insects to complement their diet (thus the old joke, “You eat like a hummingbird,” is not really a compliment; it means that you eat a lot!) It is common to see hummingbirds stealing insects from spider webs. They need the protein, but their fuel comes from sugar.
During Directed Research last April, I had the chance to observe the Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) feeding on flowers of Giant Thistle Cirsium subcoriaceum at Cerro de la Muerte, at 2,900m of elevation on the Caribbean side of the continental divide of Costa Rica. The Long-billed Hermit is a characteristic lowland rainforest species, and within Costa Rica, it is typically found in the humid lowlands of the Caribbean and South Pacific slope from sea level up to 1,200 m (thus, Cerro was twice as high). This is your classic tropical hummingbird, and as such, it has been the subject of studies on bird pollination and bird-plant co-evolution in the tropics. It uses a feeding strategy called “trap-lining”, which consists in following a route of flowers, rarely returning to the same flower patch in one day.
As a group, hermit hummingbirds have curved beaks and less flamboyant plumage relative to their non-hermit relatives (which usually have more metallic colors and short, straight beaks), and are sluggish and sometimes lazy, since they do not defend flower resources (non-hermits are more aggressive, usually defend a good patch of flowers, and are capable of incredible flying maneuvers). Hermits build their nests hanging from the tip of palm leaves (see photograph), usually laying two eggs. As the chicks increase in size, their beaks also increase in length. Female hummingbirds feed them with a nectar soup sprinkled with insect body parts. Male hummingbirds do not help rearing the young. The Long-billed Hermit is a typical trap-liner, ranging from central Mexico and Central America, to the tropical rainforest of northwestern Colombia, western Venezuela, western Ecuador and Peru, and Amazonian Bolivia and Brazil.
What is a lowland rainforest species doing at Cerro de La Muerte?
Cerro is dominated by oak forests and páramo ecosystems. Temperatures range from 25°-0°C, and may approach -5oC before dawn and 28oC at midday during the dry season. The dry season lasts from November-April, and the wet season reaches a peak during September-October. At the end of the dry season there is a blooming peak for most hummingbird-pollinated plants. The Caribbean side of Cerro de la Muerte has closed, continuous forests, buffered by Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park and Rio Macho Forest Reserve. The maintenance of continuous biological corridors between the highlands and the lowlands will be critical in the near future for the conservation of lowland species. Although trap-lining hummingbirds have been traditionally considered incapable of thriving in the highlands (mainly because of high energy requirements associated with withstanding low temperatures), temperature increases in the lowlands (combined with habitat loss) may push some species out of their normal ranges into the highlands, where they could benefit from transient peaks in nectar resources.
This is one sign of how what we do is linked in many subtle ways to the natural world. Our consumption patterns and the way we relate to the land is becoming the most important selective pressure on biodiversity.
[post_title] => Lowland Hummingbirds Are Moving Up… Is Global Warming the Culprit?
[post_excerpt] => Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to changes.
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[post_content] => This first summer session, our Center received 21 students from a variety of universities and places around the United States. Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest, as well as alternatives to generate economic income while balancing the conservation needs of local communities within the context of high diversity.
Students started their trip in Manú, a field station immersed in a rainforest and connected to the Turrialba Volcano. From there, students went to the integrated farm El Progreso and saw alternatives to implement sustainable agriculture. The rest of the field trips included visits to Poás National Park, Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River, and a visit to the organic coffee farm of El Toledo here in Atenas.
This week we are off to the field to get engaged in our research component. Professors Edgardo Arévalo (tropical ecologist) and Achim Häger (manager of natural resources) will be stationed in San Gerardo de Monteverde, a beautiful research station overlooking the Arenal Volcano, where they will guide students in their independent research project on tropical ecology and carbon sequestration. In my case, I will take a group of students to analyze the hummingbird interactions around feeders in different parts of Monteverde, looking at patterns of dependence on feeders, competitive interactions, and patterns of pollen flow, from which the students will develop their own independent projects.
In addition, along with the students we will examine the effectiveness of the sustainable tourism certification in hotels around the Monteverde area. This last part of the program will be busy and very intense, and we are looking forward to find out what we all will be exploring and discovering about the interlink between tropical diversity, resource management, and sustainable tourism visitation.
[post_title] => Welcome to Summer One
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The end of the fall semester is drawing near. At this point in time, the SFS program in Costa Rica is functioning as an extended family. Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica. Last week, students and staff helped out cooking and organizing the Thanksgiving dinner. As usual, it was a complete success, not only in regards to the food, which was plentiful and yummy, but also in terms of the meaning of this holiday, which was about getting together, sharing, and being thankful for all the things we receive.
On Monday, four groups are departing to different points in Costa Rica to start the field part of Directed Research: Dr. Sergio Molina will continue his research on human capitals around Irazú Volcano National Park; Dr. Edgardo Arévalo will explore bird bioacoustics around the highway passing in front of Carara National Park; Dr. Achim Häger will measure carbon sequestration in a forest fragment in Atenas; whereas my group will go to Monteverde to explore hummingbird aerodynamics at three locations at different elevations.
It sure has been an intensive and very productive semester. It ends with the generation of research, the presentation of results, and their dispersion to the different clients and stakeholders. I can't wait to be in the field measuring and mist-netting hummingbirds in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.
[post_title] => Home, Friends, and Family in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip provides an almost severe introduction to one of the most pressing issues in the tropics: the interface between biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. During day one, our students stepped for the very first time in the tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, and examined some of the reasons for the existence of such high levels of species diversity and species aggregation. Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, functioning in that manner for a long time, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent. Costa Rica emerged from the ocean bottom as a system of volcanic islands resulting from the collision of the Cocos Plate on the Caribbean Plate about 3 million years ago. It was not until the end of the Pleistocene Glaciation (10 thousand years ago) when conditions got warmer and the country was invaded by the flora and fauna of the Amazon, acquiring its characteristic neotropical taste.
Braulio Carrillo National Park is one of the most diverse places in the planet. This park protects an elevational gradient from La Selva Biological Station (30 meters above sea level [masl]) to the summit of Barva Volcano at almost 3,000 masl. Such gradient shelters 50% of the plant diversity of Costa Rica.
Our second day continued at El Progreso Agro-ecological farm, where our students examined the sustainability of agro-ecosystems as an alternative to combine biodiversity protection with agricultural production. They enjoyed the freshwater from the liana Uncaria tomentosa (Cat Claw), a relative of coffee, which is also used for its medicinal value (positive effects on the immune system and important antioxidant properties).
We also enjoyed fresh honey from stingless bees of the genus Trigona. These bees have been cultivated by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards. The honey is very liquidy and is used mostly for medicinal purposes. Trigonas are also important pollinator of understory forest species, as well as of many crops.
Honey and pollen from Trigonas was the dessert of a wonderful lunch at El Progreso, where we also had vegetables freshly harvested from the farm. In addition, we got to know some promising tropical crops, such as Malanga (Xantosomasp). Malanga's rhizome is very starchy, and once cleaned, it can be cut into chips, which are very tasty.
Our host, Nuria Chavez, explained different techniques of organic agriculture, including compost made by earthworms, as well as collecting efficient microorganisms from the leaf litter of the tropical forest as the first step to make liquid fertilizer. Our students got to make the next annual batch of Efficient Microorganisms for the farm. We ended the day hugging a giant Ceiba tree, the sacred tree of the Maya. The next morning, we visited a banana plantation owned by Dole and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. It was a field trip to remember.
[post_title] => Where the Rainforest Meets Tropical Agro-ecosystems and Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has maintained a collaboration agreement with the National System of Protected Areas (SINAC) since 2005. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is extended every few years, and in March 2013, it was extended for the third time. Maintaining a collaboration agreement with an institution of the complexity of SINAC is not a trivial task, and requires a very serious commitment from our Center to allocate resources and address research questions to support the protection of biodiversity, improve the management of protected areas, and identify alternatives to foster good relationships between protected areas and local communities.
SINAC is composed of 11 conservation areas created in 1998, which organize the country into a conservation and natural resource management system that is unique in the world. These protected areas face serious challenges to preserve a representative and functional portion of our ecosystems, and are continuously confronted with lack of resources. Protected areas need the support of all of us, from local communities, municipalities, NGOs, the central government, research institutions and universities. We all need to collaborate to increase the knowledge on biodiversity management and biodiversity protection within protected areas.
Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Guayabo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, Poás, Irazú, and Cahuita, just to name a few. The Center has provided baseline information on the levels of biological diversity, ecosystem services, anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity (road noise and increased visitation), as well as monitoring visitor satisfaction, infrastructure needs, and quantifying the profile of local communities to improve the level of services provided to visitors. This agreement represents an excellent tool for identifying the research needs of protected areas, and in response, generate information where it is most urgently needed, while increasing the efficiency of data collection and the transfer of this information to the parks.
The national parks and protected areas of Costa Rica represent a unique resource in which rests the current and future quality of life of the country. We should give it the importance that it deserves, and include more stakeholders and academic institutions in the process. Few other activities are more dynamic and multidisciplinary than the management of protected areas, and as such represents a vital activity that requires the integrated effort of all sectors of Costa Rican society. We must revive the old enthusiasm with which national parks were established in the 80's, and keep a sustained effort to understand and protect our national parks while involving local communities in the process. Only then can we ensure the consolidation of protected areas and their integration in the economic life of the country.
[post_title] => Center for Sustainable Development Studies Extends Research Partnership
[post_excerpt] => Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, and Poás, just to name a few.
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[post_content] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park. This protected area is the flagship of Guanacaste National Park, one of the most emblematic parks of Costa Rica. Santa Rosa protects a plethora of tropical habitats, from mangroves and savannas to tropical dry forests, which represent the most endangered terrestrial tropical ecosystem, and one of the first to almost disappear in its totality during the Spanish colonization.
Santa Rosa was first established for reasons other than its current biological importance. The area was an old cattle ranch dating back from the 1700s. It was the site of a very famous battle on March 20th, 1856 against the filibusters of William Walker, an American adventurer and believer in manifest destiny. The Costa Rican army defeated Walker and moved the campaign into Nicaragua. The old house on the ranch has survived time and an arsonist's fire in the '90s. It is now restored for future generations… and so is the surrounding dry forest.
Tropical dry forest restoration began in the early '80s, when the idea of saving a significant and functional tract of this ecosystem was merely a dream. A few visionaries, among them humble park rangers and administrators, guided by Daniel Janzen, started the enterprise of understanding the regeneration of this rare ecosystem. There are not that many places with representative patches of mature, primary dry forests. Most forests were consumed by fire to open up space for cattle ranching, used for timber harvesting, or just indiscriminately burned to give more space for agriculture.
For generations, local communities forgot their connection to the forest. It is not until recently that bio-literacy has become strong, with education playing a large role in helping to reestablish the tropical dry forest. A lot of the techniques that now are in place to restore dry habitats, and that now form part of current mainstream knowledge, were developed in Santa Rosa. Forest restoration depends on fire suppression, controlled cattle exclusion, and the natural flow of seeds between pastures and forest patches. The connection with the mountain tops became critical, and many tracts of forests were purchased and connected to the new expanding park, named after the province where it is located: Guanacaste National Park. Local communities were instructed on the benefits of conservation, and many now cater to local and international tourists. Guanacaste has become a major driver of the Costa Rican emerging ecotourism industry, and is now the prime example of successful restoration efforts in the tropics.
However, not everything is a happy story. The evolution of Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks is still unfolding. Many challenges lay ahead, from fire control to illegal hunting, the expansion of hotels and urban areas on the edge of the park, increased visitation, conflicts with local communities and reluctance to expand the limits of the national park.
Santa Rosa was a camping trip to remember, especially the Naranjo Beach sector with its breathtaking sunsets. We all enjoyed the field trip, and it is my hope that many generations of students, researchers and the public in general will continue enjoying, exploring, and knowing wild places such as Santa Rosa.
[post_title] => Immersion in the Dry Forests of Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip was very intense and fast-paced. We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations. We had the chance to take our traditional photo at the base of a giant Ceiba tree with some of our students.
During the hike, we discussed some of the hypotheses proposed to explain the high level of species diversity in the rainforest, and saw in action the close nutrient cycling that takes place there, reflected in the almost immediate decomposition of organic matter. Nutrients are reincorporated back to the living organic matter from the decomposing leaf litter producing something we call “leaf skeletons." After Braulio, we spent one night in Manú, which is particularly interesting for birds, and we got to see several flocks of Chesnut-mandibled Toucans as well as of Collared Aracaris and Keel-billed Toucans.
We ended our trip at El Progreso (an integrated farm), planting and harvesting, and generally chipping in with various farm projects; different SFS groups have visited the farm and have contributed by planting over 250 tree seedlings in the last two years. The farm is better than carbon-neutral, having a positive net effect by sequestering carbon. In addition, it maintains a heterogeneous mosaic of gardens, pastures and forests in different stages of regeneration. Most of what we had for our yummy lunch that day was produced at the farm, and included exotic produce for our students.
We end our trip at the base of a Ceiba tree discussing the reality of farming in the tropics, food security, organic agriculture, and our role as consumers. El Progreso always presents a real and very compelling case of the challenges of doing agriculture next door to the tropical rainforest.
[post_title] => From the Rainforest to Your Breakfast Table
[post_excerpt] => We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations.
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[post_content] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide a powerful introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. We haven’t changed its structure for a while, and don’t intend to do so, since it is a meaningful field trip and is very effective at illustrating the clash between conservation and economic gain. We returned to Braulio Carrillo National Park and immersed the students in the overwhelming species diversity and complexity of rainforests. Expressions like “awesome” and “that’s amazing” were common during the orientation hike. I have been doing this hike for many years now, not to mention that I frequently visit Braulio Carrillo for research purposes, and I am always finding something new. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of a rich tapestry of species interactions that maintain such a complex system in place, even in the face of global warming.
We continued our trek to El Progreso Agroecological Farm, and examined the sustainability of agroecosystems and farm integration as an alternative to combine conservation with agricultural production. The Alpízar Chaves family, who owns the farm, has been a constant source of inspiration, as well as of technical knowledge, for the SFS Center. Last summer, our support staff came here for a three day workshop to learn about composting and alternative ways to fight pathogens, as well as to elaborate of a mixture of efficient soil microorganisms. Our host, Nuria Chaves, also visited our Center for Sustainable Development a couple of months ago to tour the Center and provide feedback on our farming practices. Our relationship with El Progreso has been very beneficial for our Center, and every time we go there our students have the chance to observe an authentic example of a small productive unit thriving in the midst of monocrop plantations and factory farms. They prove that there are sustainable alternatives that work, and that sustainability is a way of life, more than a source of income. This time, the batch of efficient microorganisms the students prepared will be used at the Center.
On the last day of our field trip, we visited a conventional banana plantation and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. Bananas are crucial for the Costa Rican economy, but have a tremendous impact on the lowland rainforest ecosystems, as well as on human communities. Production practices have improved due to the pressure of international consumers as well as certification programs, and in Costa Rica workers are protected by the socialized health system. However, conventional farms go against the sustainability of food production in local communities, and still represent an easy way out to generate income using foreign resources to establish and run the farm, despite being critical for the local communities. This will be one of many subjects for discussion in the next few days.
[post_title] => Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture & Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide an introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms.
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[post_content] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification. Since the certification was first obtained in the fall of 2011, the Center has maintained a continuous process of improving farm practices, as well as training staff and students in different aspects of the certification. The certification represents a significant commitment from the Center to support sustainable practices of mango and orange production, and to use these practices within the unique educational model of SFS.
The holistic certification looks at mango and orange production, as well as the overall impact of the Center on local communities and in the integration of the academic, administrative, support staff, and students in the certification process. The certification has provided the protocols necessary to improve management of many farm processes, has implemented a record keeping system, and tracks our energy and water consumption. This expands the learning experience of our students, provides an example of the challenges of executing sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management in the tropics.
Agriculture plays a large role in sustainable development, especially in Costa Rica where agriculture accounts for about 6.5% of the GDP and 14% of the occupational labor force. Small-scale, sustainable farming methods can help Costa Rica achieve its goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. The SFS Center is quickly becoming a model for other mango and orange farmers in Atenas, showing that alternative practices, congruent with biodiversity protection, are possible.
The certification is divided into different programs, including ecosystem, soil, and wildlife conservation, water protection, fair treatment and good working conditions for our employees, positive community relationships, and integrated waste management, among others. The certification becomes progressively stricter, and next year it will be even more challenging.
"Of course it would be far 'easier' to spray agrochemicals on them without taking a second look, but then we would lose the opportunity to actually practice sustainable farming on our own finca, not to talk about consequences for the environment or human health," says Dr. Achim Häger, Resident Lecturer in Principles of Natural Resources Management.
As result of the certification process, the Center has generated sufficient data to start the analysis of energy and water consumption, identifying goals for reducing its carbon footprint. It is something completely different to learn about certification programs from textbooks, versus implementing one in which the staff and students are active members.
"Our hope for our students," adds intern Rosy Cohane-Mann, "is that they will leave SFS with the means and motivation to be the agents of change in our agricultural systems and, as global citizens, make positive contributions to environmental sustainability."
[post_title] => SFS Center in Costa Rica is a Model of Sustainable Agriculture
[post_excerpt] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification.
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[post_content] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park where we immerse the group in the astounding biodiversity of the tropics. We want students to be amazed by the richness and diversity of plant and animal species, the complexity of biological relationships, and the beauty of the rainforest. On the second day, we visit the integrated farm El Progreso, where students see the combination of agriculture and farm production with rainforest conservation accomplished by a very courageous and inventive family with limited economic resources. Students see an authentic case of sustainable development in action. Then, on the third day, we see the machinery of factory farms reflected in the production of conventional bananas.
It is a contrasting trip. There are many things that I like about this first field experience. I can justify it from the academic point of view using multiple arguments, especially because it makes a strong impact on the students and illustrates many of the most pressing issues that determine the survival of wildlife in our world: the constant struggle between producing healthy, sustainable crops, while coexisting with our native ecosystems and generating a rewarding way to make a living. It is a balancing act. Perhaps because of this, the itinerary has not changed much in the last few years.
El Progreso is run by the Alpízar family, Nuria and her husband, Carlos, and their four boys. They produce milk and cheese, dedicating a significant portion of their farm to cattle ranching. Manure goes into compost using earthworms, and the compost goes into the garden and different crops scattered throughout the farm. We helped out planting local varieties of yams and cassava. The farm also protects a large tract of forest, obtaining from it environmental services, such as water, biological control agents, and pollinators. This farm is carbon positive, and SFS students have been planting native trees since we started visiting El Progreso back in 2007.
From El Progreso we learned the technique to sequester efficient microorganisms from the forest floor, which are turned into a liquid mix that fertilizes degraded soils, stimulates plant growth, and serves as a disinfectant for farm animals.
The garden gets visited by tapirs, the largest herbivore still thriving in the new world tropics. Tapirs cause some damaged in the farm's garden, eating tasty roots, such as cassava and malanga. In response, Nuria changes the arrangement of the crops, makes it more complex and harder for tapirs to find their favorite snacks. She can coexist with the local fauna, including the tapir.
Nuria's final thoughts for the group (and for everyone) were summarized as follows: when you do something you love and believe in, your job becomes so satisfying that is not a job anymore. It is possible to produce your own food in harmony with nature. You can follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsDOiMVqFU) to learn more about El Progreso, challenge your Spanish, and find hope and inspiration.
[post_title] => Integrated, Sustainable Farm Management In Balance with the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.
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[post_content] => We started the fall semester program with lots of enthusiasm and good energy. 32 students arrived eager to learn about the challenges of balancing conservation with economic gain in a country immersed in high levels of species diversity and facing major economic and political changes. For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest. Thus, our first field trip (gira) makes a long-lasting impression, and that is why we strive to make it compelling.
Leaving the Center for three days, we first went to the rainforest of Tirimbina Biological Reserve in La Virgen de Sarapiquí on the Caribbean Slope, where we did our first orientation walk in the rain. Tirimbina has impressive rainforests situated along the margins of the Río Puerto Viejo. This area has a long tradition of biological research done by famous scientists as well as environmental activists. In addition to keeping a busy research agenda, Tirimbina has a very positive impact in La Virgen, educating the local population about the benefits of the rainforest.
From Tirimbina we went to El Progreso and let the students experience the challenges of small-scale tropical agriculture at this integrated farm. Students harvested vegetables, and helped El Progreso make its annual batch of efficient microorganisms. After hard work and an extensive farm tour, we all had a delicious lunch cooked mostly with fresh vegetables harvested from the farm.
We ended our trip on Saturday with a visit to the Dole Banana plantation. Students had the opportunity to compare small-scale agriculture with a big-scale farm that has a significant environmental impact, but at the same time provides much-needed jobs in an area that otherwise would be socially depressed. These are the challenges (and sometimes contradictions) of conservation, and we know students were craving more discussion, more opportunities to ask questions, and more time in the forests and in the farms. It is impossible to accommodate all expectations in 3 days, but the positive aspect is that we learned a lot and left the field with a desire to expand our knowledge and experiences. Hopefully these desires will become concrete actions, either now or in the near future, as our students go on to become actors of positive social and environmental change in their own professional lives.
Students listening to a presentation at the Dole PlantationStudents enjoying lunch in the field Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo leading an early morning animal workshop Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo holding a hummingbird during an early morning animal workshopStudent Juliana Cullen helping to harvest plantains at El Progreso organic farmPhoto Credit: Quinn Bergeon
[post_title] => First Field Trip Into the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm from different palms, especially from the species Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae).
This palm is abundant in the rainforests of tropical America from Belize to Bolivia, from sea level to 1150m. In Costa Rica, Euterpe is subject to illegal extraction due to thequality and flavor of its heart of palm. Poachers cut down the soft palm stem and remove the top part, which consist of the apical meristem and the rolled, developing new leaves. The removed tissueis very soft, can be eaten raw, and tastes like artichokes. Theheart of palm of Euterpe tastes like homemade butter, justifying its local name (palmito mantequilla, or butter palm). The extraction of the palm heart results in the death of the individual. The development of programs for conservation and sustainable management of the species requires basic knowledge of the population structure, growth rates, and allometric relationships of this palm species.
Palm heart seized from poachers in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica.Euterpe precatoria shows high density in disturbed and secondary forests compared with pristine, primary forests. Forests where poachers cut Euterpe resemble naturally disturbed forests, and thus, have higher density of this palm. Poachers go after the largest and tallest individuals, which are usually the reproductives, to maximize the amount of extracted heart of palm. In extraction bouts lasting 2-3 days, they can harvest up to 300 adults. The removal of adults releases juveniles and seedlings from competition with larger palms, favoring their growth, increasing Euterpe’s density at extracted sites. This decreases forest diversity and delays the natural regeneration of extracted sites.
Monitoring seedling growth of E. precatoria by SFS students
The extraction of reproductive individuals eventually affects population viability and genetic structure, affecting the ability of this palm to maintain genetically viable population, capable of adapting to environmental changes. Euterpe is able to show fine local adaptation, but this capacity will be undermined under heavy extraction regimes.
Euterpe grows very slowly in primary forests and deep shade, fares better under intermediate light, and increases growth and seedling density with disturbance and high light, either natural or anthropogenic. Agroforestry systems could function for harvesting palm heart, thereby reducing illegal harvesting from protected areas. In an agroforestry system in Guápiles, we observed that palms grown in full sun (2.83 m, SD = 1.17) doubled in height relative to palms growing under shade (1.15 m, SD = 0.48), and increased stem height at a rate of 92 cm/year, whereas shade palms increased 32 cm/year. Although Euterpe grows faster under sun, the species´ capacity to cope with commercial harvesting is still very limited. Extraction should be done at low intensities for recreational purposes and for maintaining local traditions.
Illegal extraction will continue. We just recently learned of a new extraction event in Braulio Carrillo National Park, which we will explore in the next few weeks. Illegal extraction peaks during the Holy Week or Easter, since palm heart traditionally replaces meat during this religious celebration.
After years of studying the growth of this palm in the natural forest and under agroforestry conditions, it is clear that more education is necessary to deter poachers from continuing destructive practices. Palms provide a variety of non-timber forest products to local farmers, with palm heart being one of them. They also provide keystone resources for wildlife and are responsible for maintaining much of the stability of food webs in the tropics. Studying the basic population biology of this species and its growth pattern is critical to orient conservation, protection and management policies.
References
Avalos, G. 2007. Changes in size preference of illegally extracted heart of palm from Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. Economic Botany 61 (1): 96-98.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2009. Illegal Palm Heart (Geonomaedulis) Harvest in Costa Rican National Parks: Patterns of Consumption and Extraction. Economic Botany 63(2): 179-189.
Avalos, G. and M. Fernández. 2010. Allometry and stilt root structure of the Neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) across sites and successional stages. American Journal of Botany 97(3): 1-8.
Sylvester, O. & G. Avalos. 2012. Notes on the Ethnobotany of Costa Rica´s palms. Palms 56(4): 190-201.
Avalos, G., M. Fernández-Otárola & J.T. Engeln. 2013. Successional stage, fragmentation, and exposure to extraction influence the population structure of Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae). Revista de Biología Tropical 61(3): 1415-1424.
Fernández-Otárola, M. & G. Avalos. 2014. Demographic variation across successional stages and their effects on the population dynamics of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria. American Journal of Botany 101 (6): 1023-1028.
Avalos, G. 2015. Growth of the neotropical palm Euterpe precatoria Mart. in an agroforestry system in Costa Rica. Ecotropica (in rev).
[post_title] => Ecological Consequences of Illegal Heart of Palm Consumption
[post_excerpt] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm.
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[post_content] => This summer, the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica started collaborating with Dr. Erin Lindquist of Meredith College, one of the coordinators of the EREN project (Ecological Research as Education Network). We established the first forest plots of 20x20m in the tropical rainforest of the Manú Center in Guápiles, Costa Rica. The objective of the EREN project is to monitor forest growth across the U.S., Canada, and several other places in tropical areas. The data will be made available to students and researchers participating in the project with the goal of doing comparative analyses of tree growth, biomass accumulation, forest structure, species diversity, and overall growth responses to global warming. The project includes undergraduate students and their advisors doing research in forest sites closer to their home institutions. EREN is a solid method to add data to databases on forest growth across wide geographic areas, as well as contribute to our understanding of forest responses to global warming, while including undergraduate students and their advisors in a research network that generates valuable scientific information.
Our Summer Session I students worked under the guidance of Dr. Edgardo Arévalo (Resident Lecturer in Tropical Ecology & Sustainable Development) and Dr. Mariano Soley (Interim Lecturer in Natural Resource Management). The plots were established in a forest fragment of 12 Ha under primary forest conditions. All trees rooted within the plots were tagged and their diameter at breast height (1.3 m above the ground) was measured. Many species were identified in the field, but the vast majority required the collection of samples for later identification. More data will be added as these plots get re-measured in the next few years. During this exercise, students experienced the difficulties of collecting data in the rainforest, not only by moving around in a complex environment (aka bush-whacking), but by dealing with difficult decisions (what to do in the case of measuring the diameter of a tree branching below 1.3m above the ground), or how to reach samples that were several meters above the ground (using binoculars, or an extension pole with a cutter), and in general, how to work as a team so many trees could be measured in a few hours.
View of the rainforest of Manú in Guápiles, Costa Rica, where the first EREN plots were established. The smoking volcano in the back is Turrialba Volcano.
The Center is planning to establish more plots within the forest fragments of the National Technical University in Atenas (UTN). We recently signed a collaborative agreement with UTN, and the forest growth monitoring study represents an ideal manner to commence our relationship. The analysis of the Manú data, as well as of the UTN data, will provide professors and students with valuable information to compare tree growth, carbon sequestration, and biomass accumulation, as well as to analyze how climatic differences affect tree species composition and growth patterns. The value of this project is reflected in the analysis of local data, but once the information enters the EREN database, the Center will be able to ask questions across wide geographic areas, including different latitudes. We expect the extension of the EREN plots to Costa Rica and to The School for Field Studies to be productive and a fulfilling learning experience for our students, faculty, and staff!
We did all this in the middle of our first field trip, in which we visited the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park and Manú, and toured El Progreso Farm, where our students planted cassava, learned farming techniques (i.e. how to make compost), and made a new batch of efficient microorganisms for the farm. Efficient microorganisms are obtained from the forest leaf litter and are concentrated in an organic soup mixed with molasses and semolina under anaerobic conditions. This fertilizer is enriched with a high concentration of beneficial microorganisms that speed up the decomposition of organic matter and the release of crucial nutrients for plants. By dispersing this material in the garden the farm increases food production obtaining healthy crops.
SFS experiences are by no means boring. They are intense, since we are always on the move, learning and doing new things.
[post_title] => SFS & Ecological Research as Education Network
[post_excerpt] => This summer, the SFS Center in Costa Rica started collaborating with the Ecological Research as Education Network project.
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[post_content] => The small country of Costa Rica has a long tradition of achieving ambitious environmental goals. The last report of the "State of the Nation" indicates that forest cover in Costa Rica increased to 52% in 2014, which is a major landmark. Despite that forest cover increased, most of the forests are disturbed, fragmented, and isolated. Forest cover is growing because many areas were left abandoned after intense processes of agriculture and cattle ranching. National Parks deal with a high degree of isolation between protected areas due to the lack of continuity in forest coverage between conservation areas, which compromises the long-term viability of tropical species, the functionality of ecosystems, and the capacity of protected areas to provide high-quality environmental services.
To secure the functioning of regenerating forests, conservation efforts must focus on the management and restoration of fragmented areas. One strategy to do this is to support natural regeneration and complement it with direct reforestation and enrichment of forest fragments using native species. To achieve this goal, we need access to plenty of seedlings of native trees. This step is not so simple. Reforesting with native species requires collecting seeds at the right time (when the fruit is just ripe, not immature or old), and this involves the monitoring of species with very low abundance and low reproductive output, which are dispersed over large areas. It also involves planting the seeds under the right conditions, and waiting until the seedling is big enough, and more importantly, transferring the seedling to a suitable destination in the field where the chances of survival will be higher. Many government offices in charge of propagating native trees face major challenges producing seedlings. Being understaffed and underfunded, these offices have difficulty keeping nurseries functioning, not to mention providing tree seedlings native to a specific region. Therefore, it is almost impossible to reforest forest fragments with species native to a region: the right kind of seedlings are simply too hard to come by.
The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects in our host community of Atenas. We have planted hundreds of seedlings of native trees in Atenas, which can withstand the harsh conditions of the long dry season in places like community reserves, maintaining aqueducts, local schools, and local forests. Recently, the Center joined forces with Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve to extend these initiatives to the Caribbean Slope of Costa Rica and integrate small farmers into reforestation. This implies finding key collaborators with a strong conservation sense who are interested in reforesting forest fragments to shelter endangered species to increase connectance in a fragmented landscape.
Reforestation is not easy. Surprisingly enough, most people lack interest because reforestation involves hard work and commitment, dedicating a piece of land to conservation. If we add the lack of suitable seedlings native to an area, it is easy to understand the absence of enthusiasm. However, we need to start by generating the seedlings. The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica produces hundreds of seedlings every year with the goal of planting these seedlings in the appropriate habitats where their conservation and ecological impacts will be highest. Despite the low interest in reforestation, we need to persist in this effort and explore new avenues to stimulate local community members to continue reforesting.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now." - Chinese proverb
Dozens of Cedrela salvadorensis seedlings waiting to be planted in 2016 in the nursery of the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica.
[post_title] => Reforestation Projects in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => The Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects.
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[post_content] => The spring 2016 semester at the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has begun. We are "alive" again, energized with an enthusiastic group of 24 students from a variety of U.S. universities. In no other time the need for new ideas and strategies of resource use has been more urgent than now. 2015 was record high in terms of global temperatures boosted by a super El Niño. Very likely, 2016 will not be any different.
This is no longer an issue we see in newspapers about far away countries impacted by climatic events. Climate change is here to stay, and is happening fast. Our planet is facing multiple challenges, from emerging diseases heightened by global warming, to the usual problems of habitat destruction, pollution, inefficient agriculture, biodiversity loss, water shortages, and poverty. Developing sustainable alternatives of relating to the land, of being productive and maintaining fulfilling lives with less resources, is the ultimate goal in a planet stressed by human impacts on nature.
Implementing sustainable development could be the only viable solution in the short-term, and this is not a cliché or an unrealistic goal. In the end, the development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world. This requires us to speak different languages, communicate with people from different fields, transcend cultural and geographic boundaries, and understand our global problems from a new perspective. We cannot expect the world to change if we keep repeating the same mistakes. We expect that our program will give students the necessary exposure to global issues and create a dent in the way that we all use resources, think about solutions, and influence political decisions that have global consequences. Welcome back students!
→ Sustainable Development Studies Semester Program in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Sustainable Development: New Ideas Needed
[post_excerpt] => The development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip in Summer I makes a compelling introduction to the complexity of issues surrounding the conservation of tropical biodiversity, its interplay with agriculture and with alternative ways of managing natural resources.
We went to one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope, where lowland and highland elements combine to create a high concentration of species diversity. It is in Braulio Carrillo where the effects of altitudinal gradients influencing the distribution of biodiversity (in a country where 70% of the terrain is mountainous) are more evident. From Braulio we moved to the Manú Center, where students went on a night hike and did their first exercise quantifying plant diversity in the rainforest.
From Manú, we went to El Progreso, an integrated farm, where students learned to extract efficient microorganisms from the forest leaf litter, later to be used to improve composting, the decomposition of organic matter, and the overall vegetable production back at the SFS Center in Atenas. At the end of the farm tour, the owner Nuria Chaves, compared her farm with our planet saying that we live in a global farm with very limited resources.
The comparison of our planet with a managed farm could not have been better. We have the option of managing this farm with the explicit purpose of making money, exploit it, and get rich in the short term, spending along the way our scarce resources. We also have the alternative of obtaining other benefits; in addition to producing food, the farm could become an instrument for learning new ways to balance economic gain with nature. Economic gain should not be our only motivation.
We have the same options today at the global level with the Paris agreements and the ever more critical and obvious need to reduce our footprint on the planet, sharing the benefits of biodiversity, and finding new ways adapt to climate change. While we spent little time at El Progreso, we left with the realization that this global farm is our home. We should take care of it and leave it in better shape as an invaluable legacy to our children.
[post_title] => Our Global Farm
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 students visit one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope.
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[post_date] => 2017-03-09 10:03:44
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[post_content] => Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the human footprint on natural resources has been deepening. This is reflected not only in massive species extinctions but also in species declines that will eventually affect ecosystem services which human life depends upon. Within a few hundred years, the paleontologists of the future will look at the fossil record and notice a sharp decline in species diversity coinciding with widespread human dispersion and increased population size and resource consumption. It is no wonder that this particular geological epoch has been called the Anthropocene, to honor our species and its significant anthropogenic impact on the planetary systems most relevant to life.
In an ecological time frame, the Anthropocene is hard to notice since our knowledge of biological diversity in terms of species numbers is very limited, and many species (the vast majority) do not have a scientific name or have not been discovered by science so that their disappearance goes unnoticed. Extinction generates opportunities for generalist species to increase in abundance. This is one of the clearest signs of the simplification of ecosystem processes. The number of endangered species is increasing due to the combined effects of habitat loss, land use changes, decrease in population size, and species replacement by more generalist, human-adapted species. However, human adaptation and learning are also significant. Our species went through many bottlenecks before, where survival was not guaranteed, and without almost any technology. Could technology save us this time? We require a change in paradigm. This is why dispersing the word about sustainable development could be the crucial answer to balancing our basic needs with the capacity of the environment to sustain human life in the long term.
Although Costa Rica has experienced periods of massive deforestation, it has also presented unique responses to promote ecosystem conservation, such as setting aside a quarter of its land into national parks, implementing the program for payment of environmental services, and generating a significant share of its energy from sustainable sources. This country serves as a small laboratory to see what alternatives have the opportunity to solve our most immediate and urgent problems. Education on sustainable development is one of the answers and should become one of the priorities in the near future. Transforming a job market characterized by short-term profit, introducing the idea of reducing environmental impacts, as well as shifting economic activities towards those that are more inclined towards sustainability, promoting and supporting clean energy, implementing changes today so that tomorrow will be more sustainable for future generations must be the key components of a global transformation agenda.
The School for Field Studies' philosophy, with academic programs based on educating for sustainability, integrating communities into sustainable practices, and implementing transforming experiences for our students, provides an opportunity to train the new generation of environmental leaders. International study-abroad shows us that we, as humans, with all our cultural and ethnic diversity, have a great capacity to transform the changing and challenging conditions of the Anthropocene.
When I see our staff and students' commitment to sustainability, I could not feel more optimistic about our ability and imagination to meet the challenges of the future. The training of environmental leaders and the insertion of people with strong environmental commitment into many fields of science and industry is part of the solution to move towards a more sustainable life.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. La Ventana lookout point, in the direction of Peñas Blancas ValleyOur Spring 2017 students experiencing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Transforming the Anthropocene
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Gerardo Avalos, Ph.D.
Center Director
Costa Rica's Tropical Ecosystems, Hands-On
Posted: February 8, 2012
We kicked off the Spring Semester 2010 with a very exciting first field tripthat immersed the students and staff into the realm of tropical rainforest biodiversity in Braulio Carrillo National Park. There, we did orientation hikes, and talked about tropical ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, mechanisms responsible for the generation of high species richness, and the impact of global warming on tropical ecosystems.
We then moved on to the integrated El Progreso farm on the second day, where we made batches of efficient microorganisms for the farm use. Along the way, our students learned the technique of collecting microorganisms from the forest litter, then mixed them with semolina and molasses starting an anaerobic process that will reproduce and concentrate these organisms in a mixture that could be diluted several times to become a very powerful disinfectant and fertilizer. This is one of the techniques we transferred from El Progreso to our Center´s farm where it has worked successfully.
We then discussed alternatives for sustainable agriculture in areas of high diversity, such as the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The last day was dedicated to visit one of Dole´s banana plantations. Students had a compelling case study to look at tropical diversity, alternative sustainable agriculture, and factory farms in the tropics.
In Costa Rica, the parades are unique in the sense that they are not military displays of force; rather, they are carried out by local schools, and the celebration places emphasis on children. From major cities to small towns, everyone celebrates the independence. Thus, our students went to town to observe the parades, exchange experiences with the locals, and have lunch in many of the places open for the occasion. The whole town of Atenas participates--people sell food in the parks, have BBQs, and in general spend time with family and friends.
Students also took advantage of the opportunity to read in between the lines and see how Independence Day is celebrated in comparison with the celebration in the US. In Costa Rica small schools organize marching bands, folk dances, and floats with messages ranging from biodiversity preservation, peace, international understanding to the appreciation of Costa Rican values and ways to make a living, like maintaining a sustainable relationship with nature through agriculture and forestry. It is always quite a wonderful cultural experience.
→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Celebrating Costa Rica's Independence
[post_excerpt] => On September 15th, our students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
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[post_content] => Who doesn´t like to observe hummingbirds up close and personal?
The easiest way to attract them (and by the way, to get amazing pictures) is through the use of hummingbird feeders. An increasing number of hummingbird enthusiasts maintain sugar-water hummingbird feeders on a permanent basis.
The underlying reasons for establishing feeders range from pure curiosity to see these remarkable birds at a close range to the general belief that feeders benefit the hummingbirds. Feeders satisfy the human thrill of attracting birds that are often difficult to observe in high numbers under natural conditions.
Although this practice is widespread, little is known of the consequences of the continuous use of commercial feeders on the biology of hummingbirds or for the reproductive success of their associated plants.
After studying hummingbird pollination systems for several years in the highlands of Costa Rica (at Cerro de La Muerte, which literally means “The Mountain of Death”) we determined that the use of artificial sugar-water feeders influences the quantity and composition of pollen loads of highland hummers.The pollen load consists of the types of different pollen a hummingbird could carry (and thus, how many plant species the hummingbird has visited). This is easily measured. The tricky part is to capture the hummingbird, which we do with mist nets. These are very fine nets that allow us to capture a hummingbird without harming the bird.
Using a piece of Scotch tape rubbed against the throat, nape, and crown of the bird, we collected pollen samples in this manner, put the tape on a microscope slide, and later identified the pollen using a microscope. By looking at the structure and size of pollen grains, we could easily match pollen with the plant species from which it came from.
At Cerro, we studied four species of hummingbirds: the Volcano (Selasphorus flammula), Fierythroated (Panterpe insignis), Magnificent (Eugenes fulgens) and Green Violet-eared (Colibrithalassinus). The most aggressive and territorial species at the site, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, dominated the feeders during the dry season. During the wet season, feeder usage was more evenly distributed across species, with the exception of the Volcano Hummingbird, which was kicked to the last place in the dominance hierarchy.
Pollen loads of hummingbirds captured near feeders were low in abundance (more than 50% out of 183 hummingbirds had zero or little pollen grains), and were low in species richness (96% of the hummingbirds had pollen from only one plant species). Pollen loads increased during the dry season coinciding with peaks in flower production, although the majority of captured hummingbirds carried no pollen. This shows that sugar-water feeders congregate hummingbirds drawing them away from flowers.
As a group, hermit hummingbirds have curved beaks and less flamboyant plumage relative to their non-hermit relatives (which usually have more metallic colors and short, straight beaks), and are sluggish and sometimes lazy, since they do not defend flower resources (non-hermits are more aggressive, usually defend a good patch of flowers, and are capable of incredible flying maneuvers). Hermits build their nests hanging from the tip of palm leaves (see photograph), usually laying two eggs. As the chicks increase in size, their beaks also increase in length. Female hummingbirds feed them with a nectar soup sprinkled with insect body parts. Male hummingbirds do not help rearing the young. The Long-billed Hermit is a typical trap-liner, ranging from central Mexico and Central America, to the tropical rainforest of northwestern Colombia, western Venezuela, western Ecuador and Peru, and Amazonian Bolivia and Brazil.
Cerro is dominated by oak forests and páramo ecosystems. Temperatures range from 25°-0°C, and may approach -5oC before dawn and 28oC at midday during the dry season. The dry season lasts from November-April, and the wet season reaches a peak during September-October. At the end of the dry season there is a blooming peak for most hummingbird-pollinated plants. The Caribbean side of Cerro de la Muerte has closed, continuous forests, buffered by Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park and Rio Macho Forest Reserve. The maintenance of continuous biological corridors between the highlands and the lowlands will be critical in the near future for the conservation of lowland species. Although trap-lining hummingbirds have been traditionally considered incapable of thriving in the highlands (mainly because of high energy requirements associated with withstanding low temperatures), temperature increases in the lowlands (combined with habitat loss) may push some species out of their normal ranges into the highlands, where they could benefit from transient peaks in nectar resources.
This is one sign of how what we do is linked in many subtle ways to the natural world. Our consumption patterns and the way we relate to the land is becoming the most important selective pressure on biodiversity.
[post_title] => Lowland Hummingbirds Are Moving Up… Is Global Warming the Culprit?
[post_excerpt] => Hummingbirds are among the first species to respond to changes.
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[post_content] => This first summer session, our Center received 21 students from a variety of universities and places around the United States. Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest, as well as alternatives to generate economic income while balancing the conservation needs of local communities within the context of high diversity.
Students started their trip in Manú, a field station immersed in a rainforest and connected to the Turrialba Volcano. From there, students went to the integrated farm El Progreso and saw alternatives to implement sustainable agriculture. The rest of the field trips included visits to Poás National Park, Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River, and a visit to the organic coffee farm of El Toledo here in Atenas.
This week we are off to the field to get engaged in our research component. Professors Edgardo Arévalo (tropical ecologist) and Achim Häger (manager of natural resources) will be stationed in San Gerardo de Monteverde, a beautiful research station overlooking the Arenal Volcano, where they will guide students in their independent research project on tropical ecology and carbon sequestration. In my case, I will take a group of students to analyze the hummingbird interactions around feeders in different parts of Monteverde, looking at patterns of dependence on feeders, competitive interactions, and patterns of pollen flow, from which the students will develop their own independent projects.
In addition, along with the students we will examine the effectiveness of the sustainable tourism certification in hotels around the Monteverde area. This last part of the program will be busy and very intense, and we are looking forward to find out what we all will be exploring and discovering about the interlink between tropical diversity, resource management, and sustainable tourism visitation.
[post_title] => Welcome to Summer One
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 started with a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to get to know the tropical rainforest.
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[post_date] => 2012-11-28 12:28:30
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[post_content] => The end of the fall semester is drawing near. At this point in time, the SFS program in Costa Rica is functioning as an extended family. Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica. Last week, students and staff helped out cooking and organizing the Thanksgiving dinner. As usual, it was a complete success, not only in regards to the food, which was plentiful and yummy, but also in terms of the meaning of this holiday, which was about getting together, sharing, and being thankful for all the things we receive.
On Monday, four groups are departing to different points in Costa Rica to start the field part of Directed Research: Dr. Sergio Molina will continue his research on human capitals around Irazú Volcano National Park; Dr. Edgardo Arévalo will explore bird bioacoustics around the highway passing in front of Carara National Park; Dr. Achim Häger will measure carbon sequestration in a forest fragment in Atenas; whereas my group will go to Monteverde to explore hummingbird aerodynamics at three locations at different elevations.
It sure has been an intensive and very productive semester. It ends with the generation of research, the presentation of results, and their dispersion to the different clients and stakeholders. I can't wait to be in the field measuring and mist-netting hummingbirds in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.
[post_title] => Home, Friends, and Family in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Students who left home, friends, and family about 2 months ago, found a new home, friends, and family in Costa Rica.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip provides an almost severe introduction to one of the most pressing issues in the tropics: the interface between biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. During day one, our students stepped for the very first time in the tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, and examined some of the reasons for the existence of such high levels of species diversity and species aggregation. Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, functioning in that manner for a long time, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent. Costa Rica emerged from the ocean bottom as a system of volcanic islands resulting from the collision of the Cocos Plate on the Caribbean Plate about 3 million years ago. It was not until the end of the Pleistocene Glaciation (10 thousand years ago) when conditions got warmer and the country was invaded by the flora and fauna of the Amazon, acquiring its characteristic neotropical taste.
Braulio Carrillo National Park is one of the most diverse places in the planet. This park protects an elevational gradient from La Selva Biological Station (30 meters above sea level [masl]) to the summit of Barva Volcano at almost 3,000 masl. Such gradient shelters 50% of the plant diversity of Costa Rica.
Our second day continued at El Progreso Agro-ecological farm, where our students examined the sustainability of agro-ecosystems as an alternative to combine biodiversity protection with agricultural production. They enjoyed the freshwater from the liana Uncaria tomentosa (Cat Claw), a relative of coffee, which is also used for its medicinal value (positive effects on the immune system and important antioxidant properties).
We also enjoyed fresh honey from stingless bees of the genus Trigona. These bees have been cultivated by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards. The honey is very liquidy and is used mostly for medicinal purposes. Trigonas are also important pollinator of understory forest species, as well as of many crops.
Honey and pollen from Trigonas was the dessert of a wonderful lunch at El Progreso, where we also had vegetables freshly harvested from the farm. In addition, we got to know some promising tropical crops, such as Malanga (Xantosomasp). Malanga's rhizome is very starchy, and once cleaned, it can be cut into chips, which are very tasty.
Our host, Nuria Chavez, explained different techniques of organic agriculture, including compost made by earthworms, as well as collecting efficient microorganisms from the leaf litter of the tropical forest as the first step to make liquid fertilizer. Our students got to make the next annual batch of Efficient Microorganisms for the farm. We ended the day hugging a giant Ceiba tree, the sacred tree of the Maya. The next morning, we visited a banana plantation owned by Dole and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. It was a field trip to remember.
[post_title] => Where the Rainforest Meets Tropical Agro-ecosystems and Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => Rainforests represent the heart of terrestrial diversity, although their existence in Costa Rica is fairly recent.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has maintained a collaboration agreement with the National System of Protected Areas (SINAC) since 2005. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is extended every few years, and in March 2013, it was extended for the third time. Maintaining a collaboration agreement with an institution of the complexity of SINAC is not a trivial task, and requires a very serious commitment from our Center to allocate resources and address research questions to support the protection of biodiversity, improve the management of protected areas, and identify alternatives to foster good relationships between protected areas and local communities.
SINAC is composed of 11 conservation areas created in 1998, which organize the country into a conservation and natural resource management system that is unique in the world. These protected areas face serious challenges to preserve a representative and functional portion of our ecosystems, and are continuously confronted with lack of resources. Protected areas need the support of all of us, from local communities, municipalities, NGOs, the central government, research institutions and universities. We all need to collaborate to increase the knowledge on biodiversity management and biodiversity protection within protected areas.
Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Guayabo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, Poás, Irazú, and Cahuita, just to name a few. The Center has provided baseline information on the levels of biological diversity, ecosystem services, anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity (road noise and increased visitation), as well as monitoring visitor satisfaction, infrastructure needs, and quantifying the profile of local communities to improve the level of services provided to visitors. This agreement represents an excellent tool for identifying the research needs of protected areas, and in response, generate information where it is most urgently needed, while increasing the efficiency of data collection and the transfer of this information to the parks.
The national parks and protected areas of Costa Rica represent a unique resource in which rests the current and future quality of life of the country. We should give it the importance that it deserves, and include more stakeholders and academic institutions in the process. Few other activities are more dynamic and multidisciplinary than the management of protected areas, and as such represents a vital activity that requires the integrated effort of all sectors of Costa Rican society. We must revive the old enthusiasm with which national parks were established in the 80's, and keep a sustained effort to understand and protect our national parks while involving local communities in the process. Only then can we ensure the consolidation of protected areas and their integration in the economic life of the country.
[post_title] => Center for Sustainable Development Studies Extends Research Partnership
[post_excerpt] => Our Center has a long tradition of collaboration with many national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Manuel Antonio, Carara, Santa Rosa, and Poás, just to name a few.
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[post_content] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park. This protected area is the flagship of Guanacaste National Park, one of the most emblematic parks of Costa Rica. Santa Rosa protects a plethora of tropical habitats, from mangroves and savannas to tropical dry forests, which represent the most endangered terrestrial tropical ecosystem, and one of the first to almost disappear in its totality during the Spanish colonization.
Santa Rosa was first established for reasons other than its current biological importance. The area was an old cattle ranch dating back from the 1700s. It was the site of a very famous battle on March 20th, 1856 against the filibusters of William Walker, an American adventurer and believer in manifest destiny. The Costa Rican army defeated Walker and moved the campaign into Nicaragua. The old house on the ranch has survived time and an arsonist's fire in the '90s. It is now restored for future generations… and so is the surrounding dry forest.
Tropical dry forest restoration began in the early '80s, when the idea of saving a significant and functional tract of this ecosystem was merely a dream. A few visionaries, among them humble park rangers and administrators, guided by Daniel Janzen, started the enterprise of understanding the regeneration of this rare ecosystem. There are not that many places with representative patches of mature, primary dry forests. Most forests were consumed by fire to open up space for cattle ranching, used for timber harvesting, or just indiscriminately burned to give more space for agriculture.
For generations, local communities forgot their connection to the forest. It is not until recently that bio-literacy has become strong, with education playing a large role in helping to reestablish the tropical dry forest. A lot of the techniques that now are in place to restore dry habitats, and that now form part of current mainstream knowledge, were developed in Santa Rosa. Forest restoration depends on fire suppression, controlled cattle exclusion, and the natural flow of seeds between pastures and forest patches. The connection with the mountain tops became critical, and many tracts of forests were purchased and connected to the new expanding park, named after the province where it is located: Guanacaste National Park. Local communities were instructed on the benefits of conservation, and many now cater to local and international tourists. Guanacaste has become a major driver of the Costa Rican emerging ecotourism industry, and is now the prime example of successful restoration efforts in the tropics.
However, not everything is a happy story. The evolution of Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks is still unfolding. Many challenges lay ahead, from fire control to illegal hunting, the expansion of hotels and urban areas on the edge of the park, increased visitation, conflicts with local communities and reluctance to expand the limits of the national park.
Santa Rosa was a camping trip to remember, especially the Naranjo Beach sector with its breathtaking sunsets. We all enjoyed the field trip, and it is my hope that many generations of students, researchers and the public in general will continue enjoying, exploring, and knowing wild places such as Santa Rosa.
[post_title] => Immersion in the Dry Forests of Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => Our spring semester expedition series finished with a visit to Santa Rosa National Park.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip was very intense and fast-paced. We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations. We had the chance to take our traditional photo at the base of a giant Ceiba tree with some of our students.
During the hike, we discussed some of the hypotheses proposed to explain the high level of species diversity in the rainforest, and saw in action the close nutrient cycling that takes place there, reflected in the almost immediate decomposition of organic matter. Nutrients are reincorporated back to the living organic matter from the decomposing leaf litter producing something we call “leaf skeletons." After Braulio, we spent one night in Manú, which is particularly interesting for birds, and we got to see several flocks of Chesnut-mandibled Toucans as well as of Collared Aracaris and Keel-billed Toucans.
We ended our trip at El Progreso (an integrated farm), planting and harvesting, and generally chipping in with various farm projects; different SFS groups have visited the farm and have contributed by planting over 250 tree seedlings in the last two years. The farm is better than carbon-neutral, having a positive net effect by sequestering carbon. In addition, it maintains a heterogeneous mosaic of gardens, pastures and forests in different stages of regeneration. Most of what we had for our yummy lunch that day was produced at the farm, and included exotic produce for our students.
We end our trip at the base of a Ceiba tree discussing the reality of farming in the tropics, food security, organic agriculture, and our role as consumers. El Progreso always presents a real and very compelling case of the challenges of doing agriculture next door to the tropical rainforest.
[post_title] => From the Rainforest to Your Breakfast Table
[post_excerpt] => We started the day in the rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park for a highly productive morning in terms of wildlife observations.
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[post_content] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide a powerful introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms. We haven’t changed its structure for a while, and don’t intend to do so, since it is a meaningful field trip and is very effective at illustrating the clash between conservation and economic gain. We returned to Braulio Carrillo National Park and immersed the students in the overwhelming species diversity and complexity of rainforests. Expressions like “awesome” and “that’s amazing” were common during the orientation hike. I have been doing this hike for many years now, not to mention that I frequently visit Braulio Carrillo for research purposes, and I am always finding something new. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of a rich tapestry of species interactions that maintain such a complex system in place, even in the face of global warming.
We continued our trek to El Progreso Agroecological Farm, and examined the sustainability of agroecosystems and farm integration as an alternative to combine conservation with agricultural production. The Alpízar Chaves family, who owns the farm, has been a constant source of inspiration, as well as of technical knowledge, for the SFS Center. Last summer, our support staff came here for a three day workshop to learn about composting and alternative ways to fight pathogens, as well as to elaborate of a mixture of efficient soil microorganisms. Our host, Nuria Chaves, also visited our Center for Sustainable Development a couple of months ago to tour the Center and provide feedback on our farming practices. Our relationship with El Progreso has been very beneficial for our Center, and every time we go there our students have the chance to observe an authentic example of a small productive unit thriving in the midst of monocrop plantations and factory farms. They prove that there are sustainable alternatives that work, and that sustainability is a way of life, more than a source of income. This time, the batch of efficient microorganisms the students prepared will be used at the Center.
On the last day of our field trip, we visited a conventional banana plantation and got to see the contrast between factory farming and sustainable agro-ecosystems. Bananas are crucial for the Costa Rican economy, but have a tremendous impact on the lowland rainforest ecosystems, as well as on human communities. Production practices have improved due to the pressure of international consumers as well as certification programs, and in Costa Rica workers are protected by the socialized health system. However, conventional farms go against the sustainability of food production in local communities, and still represent an easy way out to generate income using foreign resources to establish and run the farm, despite being critical for the local communities. This will be one of many subjects for discussion in the next few days.
[post_title] => Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture & Factory Farms
[post_excerpt] => The objective of our first field trip is to provide an introduction to the conflicts faced between conservation, sustainable agriculture, and factory farms.
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[post_content] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification. Since the certification was first obtained in the fall of 2011, the Center has maintained a continuous process of improving farm practices, as well as training staff and students in different aspects of the certification. The certification represents a significant commitment from the Center to support sustainable practices of mango and orange production, and to use these practices within the unique educational model of SFS.
The holistic certification looks at mango and orange production, as well as the overall impact of the Center on local communities and in the integration of the academic, administrative, support staff, and students in the certification process. The certification has provided the protocols necessary to improve management of many farm processes, has implemented a record keeping system, and tracks our energy and water consumption. This expands the learning experience of our students, provides an example of the challenges of executing sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management in the tropics.
Agriculture plays a large role in sustainable development, especially in Costa Rica where agriculture accounts for about 6.5% of the GDP and 14% of the occupational labor force. Small-scale, sustainable farming methods can help Costa Rica achieve its goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. The SFS Center is quickly becoming a model for other mango and orange farmers in Atenas, showing that alternative practices, congruent with biodiversity protection, are possible.
The certification is divided into different programs, including ecosystem, soil, and wildlife conservation, water protection, fair treatment and good working conditions for our employees, positive community relationships, and integrated waste management, among others. The certification becomes progressively stricter, and next year it will be even more challenging.
"Of course it would be far 'easier' to spray agrochemicals on them without taking a second look, but then we would lose the opportunity to actually practice sustainable farming on our own finca, not to talk about consequences for the environment or human health," says Dr. Achim Häger, Resident Lecturer in Principles of Natural Resources Management.
As result of the certification process, the Center has generated sufficient data to start the analysis of energy and water consumption, identifying goals for reducing its carbon footprint. It is something completely different to learn about certification programs from textbooks, versus implementing one in which the staff and students are active members.
"Our hope for our students," adds intern Rosy Cohane-Mann, "is that they will leave SFS with the means and motivation to be the agents of change in our agricultural systems and, as global citizens, make positive contributions to environmental sustainability."
[post_title] => SFS Center in Costa Rica is a Model of Sustainable Agriculture
[post_excerpt] => For the third year in a row, The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica passed the criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Farm certification.
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[post_content] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park where we immerse the group in the astounding biodiversity of the tropics. We want students to be amazed by the richness and diversity of plant and animal species, the complexity of biological relationships, and the beauty of the rainforest. On the second day, we visit the integrated farm El Progreso, where students see the combination of agriculture and farm production with rainforest conservation accomplished by a very courageous and inventive family with limited economic resources. Students see an authentic case of sustainable development in action. Then, on the third day, we see the machinery of factory farms reflected in the production of conventional bananas.
It is a contrasting trip. There are many things that I like about this first field experience. I can justify it from the academic point of view using multiple arguments, especially because it makes a strong impact on the students and illustrates many of the most pressing issues that determine the survival of wildlife in our world: the constant struggle between producing healthy, sustainable crops, while coexisting with our native ecosystems and generating a rewarding way to make a living. It is a balancing act. Perhaps because of this, the itinerary has not changed much in the last few years.
El Progreso is run by the Alpízar family, Nuria and her husband, Carlos, and their four boys. They produce milk and cheese, dedicating a significant portion of their farm to cattle ranching. Manure goes into compost using earthworms, and the compost goes into the garden and different crops scattered throughout the farm. We helped out planting local varieties of yams and cassava. The farm also protects a large tract of forest, obtaining from it environmental services, such as water, biological control agents, and pollinators. This farm is carbon positive, and SFS students have been planting native trees since we started visiting El Progreso back in 2007.
From El Progreso we learned the technique to sequester efficient microorganisms from the forest floor, which are turned into a liquid mix that fertilizes degraded soils, stimulates plant growth, and serves as a disinfectant for farm animals.
The garden gets visited by tapirs, the largest herbivore still thriving in the new world tropics. Tapirs cause some damaged in the farm's garden, eating tasty roots, such as cassava and malanga. In response, Nuria changes the arrangement of the crops, makes it more complex and harder for tapirs to find their favorite snacks. She can coexist with the local fauna, including the tapir.
Nuria's final thoughts for the group (and for everyone) were summarized as follows: when you do something you love and believe in, your job becomes so satisfying that is not a job anymore. It is possible to produce your own food in harmony with nature. You can follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsDOiMVqFU) to learn more about El Progreso, challenge your Spanish, and find hope and inspiration.
[post_title] => Integrated, Sustainable Farm Management In Balance with the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For our first field trip of the semester, we take students to the lush tropical forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.
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[post_content] => We started the fall semester program with lots of enthusiasm and good energy. 32 students arrived eager to learn about the challenges of balancing conservation with economic gain in a country immersed in high levels of species diversity and facing major economic and political changes. For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest. Thus, our first field trip (gira) makes a long-lasting impression, and that is why we strive to make it compelling.
Leaving the Center for three days, we first went to the rainforest of Tirimbina Biological Reserve in La Virgen de Sarapiquí on the Caribbean Slope, where we did our first orientation walk in the rain. Tirimbina has impressive rainforests situated along the margins of the Río Puerto Viejo. This area has a long tradition of biological research done by famous scientists as well as environmental activists. In addition to keeping a busy research agenda, Tirimbina has a very positive impact in La Virgen, educating the local population about the benefits of the rainforest.
From Tirimbina we went to El Progreso and let the students experience the challenges of small-scale tropical agriculture at this integrated farm. Students harvested vegetables, and helped El Progreso make its annual batch of efficient microorganisms. After hard work and an extensive farm tour, we all had a delicious lunch cooked mostly with fresh vegetables harvested from the farm.
We ended our trip on Saturday with a visit to the Dole Banana plantation. Students had the opportunity to compare small-scale agriculture with a big-scale farm that has a significant environmental impact, but at the same time provides much-needed jobs in an area that otherwise would be socially depressed. These are the challenges (and sometimes contradictions) of conservation, and we know students were craving more discussion, more opportunities to ask questions, and more time in the forests and in the farms. It is impossible to accommodate all expectations in 3 days, but the positive aspect is that we learned a lot and left the field with a desire to expand our knowledge and experiences. Hopefully these desires will become concrete actions, either now or in the near future, as our students go on to become actors of positive social and environmental change in their own professional lives.
Students listening to a presentation at the Dole Plantation
Students enjoying lunch in the field
Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo leading an early morning animal workshop
Tropical Ecology professor Edgardo Arevalo holding a hummingbird during an early morning animal workshop
Student Juliana Cullen helping to harvest plantains at El Progreso organic farm
Photo Credit: Quinn Bergeon
[post_title] => First Field Trip Into the Rainforest
[post_excerpt] => For many of our students this is their first time in a tropical rainforest.
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[post_content] => The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has done research on the ecological impacts of the extraction of heart of palm from different palms, especially from the species Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae).
This palm is abundant in the rainforests of tropical America from Belize to Bolivia, from sea level to 1150m. In Costa Rica, Euterpe is subject to illegal extraction due to thequality and flavor of its heart of palm. Poachers cut down the soft palm stem and remove the top part, which consist of the apical meristem and the rolled, developing new leaves. The removed tissueis very soft, can be eaten raw, and tastes like artichokes. Theheart of palm of Euterpe tastes like homemade butter, justifying its local name (palmito mantequilla, or butter palm). The extraction of the palm heart results in the death of the individual. The development of programs for conservation and sustainable management of the species requires basic knowledge of the population structure, growth rates, and allometric relationships of this palm species.
Palm heart seized from poachers in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica.
Euterpe precatoria shows high density in disturbed and secondary forests compared with pristine, primary forests. Forests where poachers cut Euterpe resemble naturally disturbed forests, and thus, have higher density of this palm. Poachers go after the largest and tallest individuals, which are usually the reproductives, to maximize the amount of extracted heart of palm. In extraction bouts lasting 2-3 days, they can harvest up to 300 adults. The removal of adults releases juveniles and seedlings from competition with larger palms, favoring their growth, increasing Euterpe’s density at extracted sites. This decreases forest diversity and delays the natural regeneration of extracted sites.
Monitoring seedling growth of E. precatoria by SFS students
The extraction of reproductive individuals eventually affects population viability and genetic structure, affecting the ability of this palm to maintain genetically viable population, capable of adapting to environmental changes. Euterpe is able to show fine local adaptation, but this capacity will be undermined under heavy extraction regimes.
Euterpe grows very slowly in primary forests and deep shade, fares better under intermediate light, and increases growth and seedling density with disturbance and high light, either natural or anthropogenic. Agroforestry systems could function for harvesting palm heart, thereby reducing illegal harvesting from protected areas. In an agroforestry system in Guápiles, we observed that palms grown in full sun (2.83 m, SD = 1.17) doubled in height relative to palms growing under shade (1.15 m, SD = 0.48), and increased stem height at a rate of 92 cm/year, whereas shade palms increased 32 cm/year. Although Euterpe grows faster under sun, the species´ capacity to cope with commercial harvesting is still very limited. Extraction should be done at low intensities for recreational purposes and for maintaining local traditions.
Illegal extraction will continue. We just recently learned of a new extraction event in Braulio Carrillo National Park, which we will explore in the next few weeks. Illegal extraction peaks during the Holy Week or Easter, since palm heart traditionally replaces meat during this religious celebration.
After years of studying the growth of this palm in the natural forest and under agroforestry conditions, it is clear that more education is necessary to deter poachers from continuing destructive practices. Palms provide a variety of non-timber forest products to local farmers, with palm heart being one of them. They also provide keystone resources for wildlife and are responsible for maintaining much of the stability of food webs in the tropics. Studying the basic population biology of this species and its growth pattern is critical to orient conservation, protection and management policies.
View of the rainforest of Manú in Guápiles, Costa Rica, where the first EREN plots were established. The smoking volcano in the back is Turrialba Volcano.
The Center is planning to establish more plots within the forest fragments of the National Technical University in Atenas (UTN). We recently signed a collaborative agreement with UTN, and the forest growth monitoring study represents an ideal manner to commence our relationship. The analysis of the Manú data, as well as of the UTN data, will provide professors and students with valuable information to compare tree growth, carbon sequestration, and biomass accumulation, as well as to analyze how climatic differences affect tree species composition and growth patterns. The value of this project is reflected in the analysis of local data, but once the information enters the EREN database, the Center will be able to ask questions across wide geographic areas, including different latitudes. We expect the extension of the EREN plots to Costa Rica and to The School for Field Studies to be productive and a fulfilling learning experience for our students, faculty, and staff!
We did all this in the middle of our first field trip, in which we visited the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park and Manú, and toured El Progreso Farm, where our students planted cassava, learned farming techniques (i.e. how to make compost), and made a new batch of efficient microorganisms for the farm. Efficient microorganisms are obtained from the forest leaf litter and are concentrated in an organic soup mixed with molasses and semolina under anaerobic conditions. This fertilizer is enriched with a high concentration of beneficial microorganisms that speed up the decomposition of organic matter and the release of crucial nutrients for plants. By dispersing this material in the garden the farm increases food production obtaining healthy crops.
SFS experiences are by no means boring. They are intense, since we are always on the move, learning and doing new things.
[post_title] => SFS & Ecological Research as Education Network
[post_excerpt] => This summer, the SFS Center in Costa Rica started collaborating with the Ecological Research as Education Network project.
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[post_content] => The small country of Costa Rica has a long tradition of achieving ambitious environmental goals. The last report of the "State of the Nation" indicates that forest cover in Costa Rica increased to 52% in 2014, which is a major landmark. Despite that forest cover increased, most of the forests are disturbed, fragmented, and isolated. Forest cover is growing because many areas were left abandoned after intense processes of agriculture and cattle ranching. National Parks deal with a high degree of isolation between protected areas due to the lack of continuity in forest coverage between conservation areas, which compromises the long-term viability of tropical species, the functionality of ecosystems, and the capacity of protected areas to provide high-quality environmental services.
To secure the functioning of regenerating forests, conservation efforts must focus on the management and restoration of fragmented areas. One strategy to do this is to support natural regeneration and complement it with direct reforestation and enrichment of forest fragments using native species. To achieve this goal, we need access to plenty of seedlings of native trees. This step is not so simple. Reforesting with native species requires collecting seeds at the right time (when the fruit is just ripe, not immature or old), and this involves the monitoring of species with very low abundance and low reproductive output, which are dispersed over large areas. It also involves planting the seeds under the right conditions, and waiting until the seedling is big enough, and more importantly, transferring the seedling to a suitable destination in the field where the chances of survival will be higher. Many government offices in charge of propagating native trees face major challenges producing seedlings. Being understaffed and underfunded, these offices have difficulty keeping nurseries functioning, not to mention providing tree seedlings native to a specific region. Therefore, it is almost impossible to reforest forest fragments with species native to a region: the right kind of seedlings are simply too hard to come by.
The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects in our host community of Atenas. We have planted hundreds of seedlings of native trees in Atenas, which can withstand the harsh conditions of the long dry season in places like community reserves, maintaining aqueducts, local schools, and local forests. Recently, the Center joined forces with Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve to extend these initiatives to the Caribbean Slope of Costa Rica and integrate small farmers into reforestation. This implies finding key collaborators with a strong conservation sense who are interested in reforesting forest fragments to shelter endangered species to increase connectance in a fragmented landscape.
Reforestation is not easy. Surprisingly enough, most people lack interest because reforestation involves hard work and commitment, dedicating a piece of land to conservation. If we add the lack of suitable seedlings native to an area, it is easy to understand the absence of enthusiasm. However, we need to start by generating the seedlings. The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica produces hundreds of seedlings every year with the goal of planting these seedlings in the appropriate habitats where their conservation and ecological impacts will be highest. Despite the low interest in reforestation, we need to persist in this effort and explore new avenues to stimulate local community members to continue reforesting.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now." - Chinese proverb
Dozens of Cedrela salvadorensis seedlings waiting to be planted in 2016 in the nursery of the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica.
[post_title] => Reforestation Projects in Costa Rica
[post_excerpt] => The Center for Sustainable Development Studies has a long tradition of implementing local reforestation projects.
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[post_content] => The spring 2016 semester at the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica has begun. We are "alive" again, energized with an enthusiastic group of 24 students from a variety of U.S. universities. In no other time the need for new ideas and strategies of resource use has been more urgent than now. 2015 was record high in terms of global temperatures boosted by a super El Niño. Very likely, 2016 will not be any different.
This is no longer an issue we see in newspapers about far away countries impacted by climatic events. Climate change is here to stay, and is happening fast. Our planet is facing multiple challenges, from emerging diseases heightened by global warming, to the usual problems of habitat destruction, pollution, inefficient agriculture, biodiversity loss, water shortages, and poverty. Developing sustainable alternatives of relating to the land, of being productive and maintaining fulfilling lives with less resources, is the ultimate goal in a planet stressed by human impacts on nature.
Implementing sustainable development could be the only viable solution in the short-term, and this is not a cliché or an unrealistic goal. In the end, the development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world. This requires us to speak different languages, communicate with people from different fields, transcend cultural and geographic boundaries, and understand our global problems from a new perspective. We cannot expect the world to change if we keep repeating the same mistakes. We expect that our program will give students the necessary exposure to global issues and create a dent in the way that we all use resources, think about solutions, and influence political decisions that have global consequences. Welcome back students!
→ Sustainable Development Studies Semester Program in Costa Rica
[post_title] => Sustainable Development: New Ideas Needed
[post_excerpt] => The development of new ideas to change old systems can only be achieved by getting immersed in the actual complexity of our world.
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[post_content] => Our first field trip in Summer I makes a compelling introduction to the complexity of issues surrounding the conservation of tropical biodiversity, its interplay with agriculture and with alternative ways of managing natural resources.
We went to one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope, where lowland and highland elements combine to create a high concentration of species diversity. It is in Braulio Carrillo where the effects of altitudinal gradients influencing the distribution of biodiversity (in a country where 70% of the terrain is mountainous) are more evident. From Braulio we moved to the Manú Center, where students went on a night hike and did their first exercise quantifying plant diversity in the rainforest.
From Manú, we went to El Progreso, an integrated farm, where students learned to extract efficient microorganisms from the forest leaf litter, later to be used to improve composting, the decomposition of organic matter, and the overall vegetable production back at the SFS Center in Atenas. At the end of the farm tour, the owner Nuria Chaves, compared her farm with our planet saying that we live in a global farm with very limited resources.
The comparison of our planet with a managed farm could not have been better. We have the option of managing this farm with the explicit purpose of making money, exploit it, and get rich in the short term, spending along the way our scarce resources. We also have the alternative of obtaining other benefits; in addition to producing food, the farm could become an instrument for learning new ways to balance economic gain with nature. Economic gain should not be our only motivation.
We have the same options today at the global level with the Paris agreements and the ever more critical and obvious need to reduce our footprint on the planet, sharing the benefits of biodiversity, and finding new ways adapt to climate change. While we spent little time at El Progreso, we left with the realization that this global farm is our home. We should take care of it and leave it in better shape as an invaluable legacy to our children.
[post_title] => Our Global Farm
[post_excerpt] => Summer 1 students visit one of the most diverse areas of Costa Rica, Braulio Carrillo National Park on the Caribbean slope.
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[post_content] => Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the human footprint on natural resources has been deepening. This is reflected not only in massive species extinctions but also in species declines that will eventually affect ecosystem services which human life depends upon. Within a few hundred years, the paleontologists of the future will look at the fossil record and notice a sharp decline in species diversity coinciding with widespread human dispersion and increased population size and resource consumption. It is no wonder that this particular geological epoch has been called the Anthropocene, to honor our species and its significant anthropogenic impact on the planetary systems most relevant to life.
In an ecological time frame, the Anthropocene is hard to notice since our knowledge of biological diversity in terms of species numbers is very limited, and many species (the vast majority) do not have a scientific name or have not been discovered by science so that their disappearance goes unnoticed. Extinction generates opportunities for generalist species to increase in abundance. This is one of the clearest signs of the simplification of ecosystem processes. The number of endangered species is increasing due to the combined effects of habitat loss, land use changes, decrease in population size, and species replacement by more generalist, human-adapted species. However, human adaptation and learning are also significant. Our species went through many bottlenecks before, where survival was not guaranteed, and without almost any technology. Could technology save us this time? We require a change in paradigm. This is why dispersing the word about sustainable development could be the crucial answer to balancing our basic needs with the capacity of the environment to sustain human life in the long term.
Although Costa Rica has experienced periods of massive deforestation, it has also presented unique responses to promote ecosystem conservation, such as setting aside a quarter of its land into national parks, implementing the program for payment of environmental services, and generating a significant share of its energy from sustainable sources. This country serves as a small laboratory to see what alternatives have the opportunity to solve our most immediate and urgent problems. Education on sustainable development is one of the answers and should become one of the priorities in the near future. Transforming a job market characterized by short-term profit, introducing the idea of reducing environmental impacts, as well as shifting economic activities towards those that are more inclined towards sustainability, promoting and supporting clean energy, implementing changes today so that tomorrow will be more sustainable for future generations must be the key components of a global transformation agenda.
The School for Field Studies' philosophy, with academic programs based on educating for sustainability, integrating communities into sustainable practices, and implementing transforming experiences for our students, provides an opportunity to train the new generation of environmental leaders. International study-abroad shows us that we, as humans, with all our cultural and ethnic diversity, have a great capacity to transform the changing and challenging conditions of the Anthropocene.
When I see our staff and students' commitment to sustainability, I could not feel more optimistic about our ability and imagination to meet the challenges of the future. The training of environmental leaders and the insertion of people with strong environmental commitment into many fields of science and industry is part of the solution to move towards a more sustainable life.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. La Ventana lookout point, in the direction of Peñas Blancas Valley
Our Spring 2017 students experiencing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
→ Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica
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[post_date] => 2016-09-19 13:25:06
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[post_content] => On September 15th, SFS Costa Rica students enjoyed the parades in the town of Atenas, in celebration of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica's independence.
