FROM CHRONICLES TO MODERN TECHNOLOGIES

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS ARE RESTRICTED TO AN AREA OF LESS THAN 20% OF THE WORLD’S SURFACEYET, MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF ALL THE PLANET’S SPECIES ARE FOUND IN THE RAINFORESTS.

32,000 SQUARED MILES

871 BIRD SPECIES

600+ ANIMAL SPECIES

7,000 PLANT AND TREE SPECIES

10,000 SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERANS

114 SPECIES OF BATS

JOSE DE ACOSTA(1540-1600)FRAY BARTOLOME DE LAS CASAS(1484-1566)

FIRST CHRONICLES OF CULTURE, FLORA, FAUNA AND USES OF THE LOCALS IN THE AMERICAS

1600 – 1800VERY LITTLE OR NO ACTIVITY IN TERMS OF FIELD RESEARCH IN AREAS OTHEE THAN AGRICULTURE

THE MOST PROLIFIC PERIOD FOR FIELD SCIENCES IN HISTORY OF COSTA RICA

•EUROPEAN NATURALISTS•LIVED IN THE COUNTRY FOR MANY YEARS•ASSIMILATED TRADITIONS AND CULTURE•COMPLETE INVENTORY OF FLORA AND FAUNA

ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT (1769-1859)

ALEXANDER VON FRANTZIUS (1821-1877)

ADOLPHE TONDUZ(1862-1921)

ANDERS SANDOE OERSTED1816-1872)

KARL HOFFMANN1823-1859)

WILLIAM MORE GABB(1839-1878)

SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD (1823-1887)

MORITZ WAGNER(1813-1887)

THE COSTA RICAN NATURALISTSANASTASIO ALFARO(1865-19519

ALBERTO MANUEL BRENES(1870-1948)

RESULTS:UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMASNATIONAL HERBARIUMLICEO DE COSTA RICA

•MODERN SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES•MORE IMMEDIATE EXPOSURE •RESEARCH EFFORTS GO TOGETHER WITH CONSERVATION INITIATIVES•RESEARCH END EXPLORATION INSTITUTIONS GET INVOLVED

HENRY PITTIER(1857-1950)

•FOUNDER OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE•TEACHER •FIELD RESEARCHER•FIRST STUDIES ON LIFE ZONES

CLODOMIRO PICADO(1877-1944)

BIOLOGIST & RESEARCHERMEMBER OF PASTEUR INSTITUTEDEVELOPED SNAKE ANTI-VENOMSCO-DISCOVERER OF PENICILIN

LESLIE HOLDRIDGE(1907-1999)

•BOTANIST•CO-FOUNDER OF TCC AND OTS•DEVELOPED CURRENT SYSTEM FOR CLASIFICATION OF LIFE ZONES

ARCHE CARR(1909-1987)

•BIOLOGIST•CREATION OF TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK•IMPORTANCE OF MIGRATIONS•MULTINATIONAL EFFORTS FOR CONSERVATION

ALEXANDER SKUTCH

•AGRONOMIST & ORNITHOLOGIST•STUDIED COSTA RICAN AVIFAUNA•CO-FOUNDER OF TCC

PAUL STANDLEY(1884-1963)

•BOTANIST•WORKED WITH FLORA OF CENTRAL AMERICA•MODERN METHOD S OF DESCRIPTION AND TAXONOMY

JUVENAL VALERIO(1900-1971)

•DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL MUSEUM•PROFESSOR UNIVERSITY OF COSTA RICA•DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL HERBARIUM

RAFAEL LUCAS RODRIGUEZ(1915-1981)

BOTANISTORCHID INVENTORYPROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF COSTA RICA

CHARLES LANKESTER(1879-1969)

•BOTANIST•ORCHID INVENTORY•FILANTROPIST•CREATOR OF LANKESTER BOTANICAL GARDENS

•MORE INSTITUTION BASED•RECEIVES WIDE COVERAGE•APPLIED TECHNOLOGY•MORE ACCESS TO FUNDING•COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT•MULTINATIONAL EFFORTS

UNIVERSITY OF COSTA RICANATIONAL UNIVERSITY

TECH INSTITUTE

OVSICORI AND RSNGEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTELANKESTER BOTANICAL GARDENS

IUCNWWF

NATURE CONSERVANCY

OTSTCC

INBIOCATIE

RESEARCH PROTOCOLS & METHODOLOGYFIRST HAND EXPERIENCECONSERVATION PROGRAMSEXPOSURE TO REAL NEEDS AND REGIONAL PROBLEMSGLOBAL MENTALITYAPPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

WITNESS FIRST HAND ONGOING REASEARCH AND CONSERVATION INITIATIVES - TORTUGUERO

INTRODUCTION TO LONG-TERM RESEARCH / FOLLOW UP PROGRAMS - ARENAL

PARTICIPATION IN STRATEGIES DEVELOPED FOR FIELD RESEARCH EDUCATION & APPLIED SCIENCES - MONTEVERDE