- Title Pages
- In Memory of Dr. Luis Diego Gómez Pignataro (1944–2009)
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Presentation
- Preface
-
Chapter 1 Costa Rica’s Ecosystems: Setting the Stage -
Chapter 2 Climate of Costa Rica -
Chapter 3 Geology, Tectonics, and Geomorphology of Costa Rica: A Natural History Approach -
Chapter 4 Soils of Costa Rica: An Agroecological Approach -
Chapter 5 The Pacific Coastal and Marine Ecosystems -
Chapter 6 The Gulf of Nicoya Estuarine Ecosystem -
Chapter 7 Isla del Coco: Coastal and Marine Ecosystems -
Chapter 8 Isla del Coco: Terrestrial Ecosystems -
Chapter 9 The Northern Pacific Lowland Seasonal Dry Forests of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula -
Chapter 10 Biodiversity Conservation History and Future in Costa Rica: The Case of Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) -
Chapter 11 The Central Pacific Seasonal Forests of Puntarenas and the Central Valley -
Chapter 12 The Southern Pacific Lowland Evergreen Moist Forest of the Osa Region -
Chapter 13 The Montane Cloud Forests of the Volcanic Cordilleras -
Chapter 14 The Montane Cloud Forests of the Cordillera de Talamanca -
Chapter 15 The Páramo Ecosystem of Costa Rica’s Highlands -
Chapter 16 The Caribbean Lowland Evergreen Moist and Wet Forests -
Chapter 17 The Caribbean Coastal and Marine Ecosystems -
Chapter 18 Rivers of Costa Rica -
Chapter 19 Lakes of Costa Rica -
Chapter 20 Bogs, Marshes, and Swamps of Costa Rica -
Chapter 21 Costa Rican Ecosystems: A Brief Summary - Acronyms
- Subject Index
- Systematic Index of Common Names
- Systematic Index of Scientific Names
The Montane Cloud Forests of the Volcanic Cordilleras
The Montane Cloud Forests of the Volcanic Cordilleras
- Chapter:
- (p.415) Chapter 13 The Montane Cloud Forests of the Volcanic Cordilleras
- Source:
- Costa Rican Ecosystems
- Author(s):
Robert O. Lawton
Marcy F. Lawton
R. Michael Lawton
James D. Daniels
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
The Cordillera de Tilarán and the Cordillera de Guanacaste create a landscape with dramatic relief, strong climatic contrasts, and extraordinary biodiversity. On the fertile volcanic soils of these Cordilleras, biodiversity in the flora and fauna, community composition, forest structure, and ecosystem function depend in large part on variation in dry season cloud moisture inputs. The authors provide a biogeographic framework emphasizing the topographically dictated climatic constraints that underlie the biological richness of northern Costa Rica’s montane forests. The critical importance of topography and elevation is demonstrated by the life zones they create, which are not strictly defined but include distinctive habitats and species. The chapter includes a description of the richness and diversity of plant and animal species, and of the various ways in which species interact, both competitively and symbiotically. More broadly, the authors give a high level overview of the function and dynamics of the region’s ecosystems, including a discussion of nutrient cycling, trophic structure, and energy flow. The chapter ends with a history of land use and conservation in the region.
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cordillera, cloud forest, montane, biodiversity, topography, Tilarán, Guanacaste
Chicago Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
- Title Pages
- In Memory of Dr. Luis Diego Gómez Pignataro (1944–2009)
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Presentation
- Preface
-
Chapter 1 Costa Rica’s Ecosystems: Setting the Stage -
Chapter 2 Climate of Costa Rica -
Chapter 3 Geology, Tectonics, and Geomorphology of Costa Rica: A Natural History Approach -
Chapter 4 Soils of Costa Rica: An Agroecological Approach -
Chapter 5 The Pacific Coastal and Marine Ecosystems -
Chapter 6 The Gulf of Nicoya Estuarine Ecosystem -
Chapter 7 Isla del Coco: Coastal and Marine Ecosystems -
Chapter 8 Isla del Coco: Terrestrial Ecosystems -
Chapter 9 The Northern Pacific Lowland Seasonal Dry Forests of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula -
Chapter 10 Biodiversity Conservation History and Future in Costa Rica: The Case of Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) -
Chapter 11 The Central Pacific Seasonal Forests of Puntarenas and the Central Valley -
Chapter 12 The Southern Pacific Lowland Evergreen Moist Forest of the Osa Region -
Chapter 13 The Montane Cloud Forests of the Volcanic Cordilleras -
Chapter 14 The Montane Cloud Forests of the Cordillera de Talamanca -
Chapter 15 The Páramo Ecosystem of Costa Rica’s Highlands -
Chapter 16 The Caribbean Lowland Evergreen Moist and Wet Forests -
Chapter 17 The Caribbean Coastal and Marine Ecosystems -
Chapter 18 Rivers of Costa Rica -
Chapter 19 Lakes of Costa Rica -
Chapter 20 Bogs, Marshes, and Swamps of Costa Rica -
Chapter 21 Costa Rican Ecosystems: A Brief Summary - Acronyms
- Subject Index
- Systematic Index of Common Names
- Systematic Index of Scientific Names
