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26-593: La Amistad International Park is equally split between Costa Rica and Panama, as part of the former La Amistad Reserves . The park protects a large part of the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range, including the highest point in Costa Rica, Cerro Chirripó . It covers 401,000 ha of tropical forest and is the largest nature reserve in Central America; together with a 15 km buffer zone, it represents

52-517: A discontinuous area of 16,300 square kilometers (6,300 sq mi) in Cordilleran mountains, including the Cordillera de Guanacaste , Cordillera de Tilarán , Cordillera Central , and Cordillera de Talamanca , from northwestern Costa Rica to western Panama, with outliers on Cerro Hoya on Panama's Azuero Peninsula . The montane forests lie above 750 to 1500 meters elevation, up to approximately 3000 meters elevation, where they transition to

78-537: A major biodiversity resource at a regional (ca 20% of the region's species diversity) and global level. This is recognized in its strategic position in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its cross-frontier position gives it unique potential to improve bioregional planning. The park's buffer zone includes coffee and beef producers and indigenous subsistence farmers. Three indigenous tribes –

104-506: A publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Costa Rica ". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 220. Talamancan montane forests The Talamancan montane forests ecoregion , in the tropical moist broadleaf forest biome , are in montane Costa Rica and western Panama in Central America . The Talamancan montane forests cover

130-439: Is a diverse understory of trees, including Rhamnus oreodendron , Drimys granadensis , Miconia schnellii , Zanthoxylum scheryi , and Ilex pallida , and species of Weinmannia , Viburnum , Vaccinium , Styrax , Symplocos , Clusia , Araliaceae , Lauraceae , Melastomataceae , and Myrsinaceae . The dwarf bamboo Chusquea talamancensis is predominant in the shrub layer, growing densely to 6 meters high. Other plants in

156-560: Is covered by rainforests. Above elevations of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) these are dominated by huge oak trees ( Quercus costaricensis ). Above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), the forests transition to enclaves of sub-páramo, a sort of shrub and dwarf bamboo Chusquea dominated scrub, above 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) this becomes Costa Rican páramo , a tropical alpine grassland. The sub-páramo and páramo vegetation are subject to regular frosts at night, temperatures above 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) can reach 0 °C (32 °F) or below,

182-401: Is located mainly in subalpine forests and thickets, located at an altitude between 3,100-3,300 m.a.s.l. and the alpine scrub and grasslands, located between 3,300-3,819 m.a.s.l. Peat bogs are wetlands located in topographic depressions, on poorly drained land and are periodically flooded. In Costa Rica they are located in the low montane and high montane altitude zones. The flora is similar to

208-508: The Naso , Bribri , and Ngöbe-Buglé – also live within the park. These indigenous groups live in small, traditional villages. Unique in Central America, La Amistad International Park displays signs of Quaternary glaciation . The repeated glaciations and topographic isolation has led to extraordinary habitat diversity within the park, favoring high rates of biodiversity and speciation . More than 10,000 flowering plants have been described within

234-466: The Initiative was to generate baseline biodiversity information for the park and a map of the biodiversity. This involved a series of seven multi-disciplinary and international expeditions to remote parts of La Amistad during which over 7,500 plant, 17,000 beetle and 380 herpetological collections were made and deposited in the national collections of Costa Rica and Panama. These expeditions also led to

260-3489: The Panamanian 225. Notable locally threatened birds in the forest are the resplendent quetzal , black guan ( Chamaepetes unicolor ), sulphur-winged parakeet , three-wattled bellbird , and bare-necked umbrellabird , which is found in both the Costa Rican and Panamanian region, and the harpy eagle , which can be found in the Panamanian region. The ecoregion corresponds to the Costa Rica and Panama highlands endemic bird area . The Talamanca hummingbird ( Eugenes spectabilis ), glow-throated hummingbird ( Selasphorus ardens ), volcano hummingbird ( Selasphorus flammula ), scintillant hummingbird ( Selasphorus scintilla ), fiery-throated hummingbird ( Panterpe insignis ), white-bellied mountaingem ( Lampornis hemileucus ), purple-throated mountaingem ( Lampornis calolaemus ), white-throated mountaingem ( Lampornis castaneoventris ), magenta-throated woodstar ( Philodice bryantae ), coppery-headed emerald ( Microchera cupreiceps ), white-tailed emerald ( Microchera chionura ), black-bellied hummingbird ( Eupherusa nigriventris ), yellow-green brushfinch ( Atlapetes luteoviridis ), black guan, buff-fronted quail-dove ( Zentrygon costaricensis ), Chiriqui quail-dove ( Zentrygon chiriquensis ), black-breasted wood quail ( Odontophorus leucolaemus ), Costa Rican pygmy owl ( Glaucidium costaricanum ), bare-shanked screech owl ( Megascops clarkii ), orange-bellied trogon ( Trogon collaris aurantiiventris ), prong-billed barbet ( Semnornis frantzii ), red-fronted parrotlet ( Touit costaricensis ), sulphur-winged parakeet ( Pyrrhura hoffmanni ), silvery-fronted tapaculo ( Scytalopus argentifrons ), streak-breasted treehunter ( Thripadectes rufobrunneus ), ruddy treerunner , ( Margarornis rubiginosus ), bare-necked umbrellabird ( Cephalopterus glabricollis ), black-capped flycatcher ( Empidonax atriceps ), dark pewee ( Contopus lugubris ), ochraceous pewee ( Contopus ochraceus ), golden-bellied flycatcher ( Myiodynastes hemichrysus ), yellow-winged vireo ( Vireo carmioli ), silvery-throated jay ( Cyanolyca argentigula ), ochraceous wren ( Troglodytes ochraceus ), timberline wren ( Thryorchilus browni ), black-faced solitaire ( Myadestes melanops ), black-billed nightingale-thrush ( Catharus gracilirostris ), sooty thrush ( Turdus nigrescens ), black-and-yellow silky-flycatcher ( Phainoptila melanoxantha ), long-tailed silky flycatcher ( Ptiliogonys caudatus ), golden-browed chlorophonia ( Chlorophonia callophrys ), sooty-capped bush tanager ( Chlorospingus pileatus ), sooty-faced finch ( Arremon crassirostris ), yellow-thighed finch ( Pselliophorus tibialis ), yellow-green finch ( Pselliophorus luteoviridis ), large-footed finch ( Pezopetes capitalis ), golden-bellied flycatcher ( Melozone leucotis ), volcano junco ( Junco vulcani ), wrenthrush ( Zeledonia coronata ), flame-throated warbler ( Oreothlypis gutturalis ), black-cheeked warbler ( Basileuterus melanogenys ), collared whitestart ( Myioborus torquatus ), black-thighed grosbeak ( Pheucticus tibialis ), blue-and-gold tanager ( Bangsia arcaei ), spangle-cheeked tanager ( Tangara dowii ), peg-billed finch ( Acanthidops bairdi ), slaty flowerpiercer ( Diglossa plumbea ), and dusky nightjar ( Antrostomus saturatus ) are endemic or near-endemic to

286-514: The discovery of 12 plant species, one dung beetle species, 15 amphibian and three reptile species new to science. Cordillera de Talamanca The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies in the southeast half of Costa Rica and the far west of Panama . Much of the range and the area around it is included in La Amistad International Park , which also is shared between the two countries. This range in

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312-517: The ecoregion's plant species and over 50% of the high mountain flora are considered endemic . Lower montane forests occur above 750 meters on the Atlantic slope and up to 1500 meters on the Pacific slope, extending up to 2300 meters elevation. The upper montane forests extend from approximately 2,300 meters up to 3,300 meters elevation. A belt of subalpine dwarf forests forms the transition between

338-484: The ecoregion. At least 7 amphibian species are endemic to the Cordillera including the splendid poison frog , Chiriquí fire salamander ( Bolitoglossa cathyledecae ), and Cordillera Talamanca salamander ( Bolitoglossa sooyorum ). The Talamancan montane forests are one of Central America's most intact ecoregions, although the oak forests in particular have been cleared for pasture and charcoal making. 62% of

364-621: The existence of the Tabasara Rain Frogs . Several national parks and reservations are located in the Talamanca mountain range, including Chirripó National Park . The Cordillera de Talamanca and La Amistad national parks have been designated by UNESCO a World Heritage Site It is also the first binational biosphere reserve . The two parks comprise 2,400 square kilometres (930 sq mi) of land and protect important ecosystems like paramo, and wetlands. The highland paramo

390-698: The grasslands and shrublands of the Costa Rican páramo on the highest peaks. The montane forests are surrounded at lower elevations by lowland forests, including the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests on the Atlantic (Caribbean) slope, the Isthmian-Pacific moist forests to the south on the Pacific slope, and the Costa Rican seasonal moist forests to the northwest. The forests are made up of evergreen trees, including many species (genera Ocotea , Persea , Nectandra , and Phoebe ) of

416-434: The high elevation moors, including also oak trees ( Quercus spp.), and Blechnum plants in association with bryophytes from the genus Sphagnum . Other common genus are Rubus , Pteridium and Comarostaphyllis . The El Empalme peat bog suffers greater pressure from agricultural activity and as altitude increases, there is an increase in floristic diversity. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

442-464: The laurel family ( Lauraceae ), and two endemic oaks , Quercus costaricensis and Quercus copeyensis . Lauraceae are the predominant canopy trees in the northern mountains, while oaks are dominant in the upper montane forests of the southerly Cordillera de Talamanca. The forests are highly biodiverse, with many species including many endemic species. The Cordillera de Talamanca is home to an estimated 90% of Costa Rica's plant species. Over 30% of

468-727: The lowest recorded temperature was −9 °C (16 °F) at the Mount Chirripó base camp (the second lowest ever recorded in Central America). The region has been extensively studied by paleolimnologists to reconstruct the changes in climate, vegetation and fire frequencies (see also Sally P Horn ). The range is of global importance as it is a centre of endemism for many plant and animal groups and as an important habitat for many large mammals ( Baird's Tapir , Puma , Jaguar ) and birds that are now threatened in much of their range. An intended hydroelectricity project threatens

494-739: The montane forests and the high-elevation páramo alpine grasslands. Laurels and oaks are the predominant canopy trees in the lower montane forests, growing up to 40 meters high. Quercus copeyensis is the most common oak, and other common canopy trees include Mollinedia viridiflora , Trichilia havanensis , Ardisia glandulosomarginata , Chrysochlamys allenii , Billia hippocastanum , Damburneya salicina , Quetzalia occidentalis , Guarea tonduzii , Alchornea latifolia , Meliosma glabrata , Miconia platyphylla , Lozania mutisiana , Ocotea austinii , and Ocotea holdridgeana . Dwarf palms, including Geonoma hoffmanniana , Chamaedorea warscewiczii , and Prestoea acuminata var. acuminata characterize

520-463: The park boundaries, including the Chiriquí fire salamander . The park contains 600 kinds of bird, including the three-wattled bellbird , resplendent quetzal , yellow-green brushfinch , and bare-necked umbrellabird . It has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of many bird species. As a consequence of the difficulty of

546-515: The park, along with 215 mammal species, roughly 250 reptiles and amphibian species, and 115 species of freshwater fish. Five species of big cats roam the park: pumas , ocelots , margay , jaguars , and jaguarundis . The park also protects critical habitat for many endangered species, such as the ornate spider monkey , the Central American tapir , and the splendid poison frog . At least seven amphibian species are entirely restricted to

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572-457: The shrub layer include the ericoid shrubs Disterigma humboldtii , Cavendishia bracteata , Macleania rupestris , and Sphyrospermum cordifolium , and the terrestrial bromeliad Werauhia williamsii . The shrub layer can include tree ferns (family Cyatheaceae ), dwarf palms, Sphaeradenia , and shrubs from the plant families Acanthaceae , Ericaceae , Rubiaceae , and Solanaceae . The tree Comarostaphylis arbutoides grows densely near

598-426: The shrub layer, with the bamboo Aulonemia viscosa and the palm-like Sphaeradenia irazuensis . Evergreen oaks , chiefly Quercus costaricensis , are the dominant species in the upper montane forests. Oaks make up 80% of the canopy trees at 2650 meters elevation in Cordillera de Talamanca. Sciodaphyllum pittieri is a common canopy tree, along with species of Magnolia and Podocarpus oleifolius . There

624-588: The south of Costa Rica stretches from southwest of San José to beyond the border with Panama and contains the highest peaks of both Costa Rica and Panama, among them Cerro Chirripó at 3,820 metres (12,530 ft), and the more accessible high peak of Cerro de la Muerte . Much of the Caribbean areas of the range are still unexplored. The range is covered by the Talamancan montane forests to elevations of approximately 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). Much of it

650-676: The terrain, the park is relatively unexplored and the only substantial scientific explorations deep into the park have been led by the Natural History Museum London, INBio and the University of Panama in the last 6 years (2003–2008). In 2006 the UK's Darwin Initiative funded a three-year collaborative project led by the Natural History Museum, London, INBio (Costa Rica) and ANAM (Panama). The aim of

676-424: The upper forest limit (approximately 3,200 meters elevation) on the Pacific slope. The Costa Rican portion harbors 136 mammal species, the Panamanian 84. Characteristic mammals include jaguar , cougar , tapir , deer , anteater , and several species of monkey. The Talamancan oryzomys ( Nephelomys devius ) is endemic to the ecoregion. Birds are also well represented. The Costa Rican portion holds 450 species,

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