Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
climate change and dwindling natural resources have also made it a key illustration of the
urgency of environmental protection.
The National Biodiversity Institute is a clearinghouse of information on both biodiversity
and efforts to conserve it; see www.inbio.ac.cr .
Deforestation
Sometimes, when the traffic jams up around the endless San José sprawl, it is hard to keep
in mind that this place was once covered in a lush, unending tropical forest. Tragically,
after more than a century of clearing for plantations, agriculture and logging, Costa Rica
lost about 80% of its forest cover before the government stepped in with a plan to protect
what was left. Through its many programs of forest protection and reforestation, 52% of
the country is forested once again - a stunning accomplishment.
Despite protection for two-thirds of the remaining forests, cutting trees is still a major
problem for Costa Rica, especially on private lands that are being cleared by wealthy
landowners and multinational corporations. Even within national parks, some of the more
remote areas are being logged illegally because there is not enough money for law en-
forcement.
Apart from the direct loss of tropical forests and the plants and animals that depend on
them, deforestation leads directly or indirectly to a number of other severe environmental
problems. Forests protect the soil beneath them from the ravages of tropical rainstorms.
After deforestation, much of the topsoil is washed away, lowering the productivity of the
land and silting up watersheds and downstream coral reefs.
Cleared lands are frequently planted with a variety of crops, including acres of bananas,
the production of which entails the use of pesticides as well as blue plastic bags to protect
the fruit. Both the pesticides and the plastic end up polluting the environment. Cattle
ranching has been another historical motivator for clear-cutting. It intensified during the
1970s, when Costa Rican coffee exports were waning in the global market.
Because deforestation plays a role in global warming, there is much interest in reward-
ing countries such as Costa Rica for taking the lead in protecting their forests. The USA
has forgiven millions of dollars of Costa Rica's debt in exchange for increased efforts to
preserve rainforests. The Costa Rican government itself sponsors a program that pays
landowners for each hectare of forest they set aside, and has petitioned the UN for a global
 
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