FIELD GUIDE conservation

conservation

Costa Rica suffered severe deforestation and a rapid decline in the populations of many animal species in the 20th century. The rise of ecotourism and Costa Rica’s efforts to protect its flora and fauna have led to the creation of a network of protected areas. Occupying about one-third of the country, this network includes 29 national parks, 25 wildlife refuges, 10 wetlands, and 8 biological reserves.

Habitat Loss

The main environmental threat to Costa Rica comes from deforestation fueled by agricultural and real-estate development. More than 60 species of trees are now protected. Other threats include pollution from fruit plantations, trawl nets, and uninsulated electricity cables.

Hunting and Poaching

Hunting is legal in Costa Rica except in national parks and reserves. Nonetheless, illegal hunting continues even within protected zones. Some farmers treat wild cats as pests, shooting them on sight. The illegal pet trade has contributed to the severe decline of parrots and monkeys; and turtle nests are often poached for eggs.

Endangered Species

Costa Rican law protects 166 animal species from hunting, capture, or sale. One of the most endangered is the leatherback turtle, which faces threats from fishing, egg poaching, pollution, and rampant development. Efforts to save these populations are finally bearing fruit.

Ecotourism

The popularity of ecotourism has done wonders for conservation efforts in Costa Rica. Economic incentives to protect, rather than cull, local wild- and plantlife are becoming increasingly evident. Greater ecological sensitivity has also seen Costa Ricans successfully lobby against proposed gold-mining and offshore oil-drilling projects.

Macaw-Breeding Programs

The scarlet macaw is considered a species of least concern. However, it has disappeared from many parts of Costa Rica, and its cousin, the great green macaw is now listed as endangered. Several private initiatives have been set up to reverse the dramatic decline in population, by breeding macaws for release into the wild as sustainable-size flocks, including in areas from which they have disappeared.

CITES

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an agreement that aims to regulate the trade in plant and animal products and ensure that such trade does not threaten the species’ survival. Signed in 1963, CITES protects more than 33,000 species. Costa Rican species listed as threatened or endangered include 16 bird, 13 mammal, 8 reptile, and 2 amphibian species, plus several dozen plants. CITES requests that any listed products be traded only with a permit. Unfortunately, many species are trafficked illegally.

IUCN Red List

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species assesses the extinction risk of a plant or animal. The categories are:

Extinct (EX) – No individuals known to survive.

Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Survives only in captivity or as an introduced population outside its natural range.

Critically Endangered (CE) – Extremely high risk of extinction.

Endangered (EN) – Very high risk of extinction within the foreseeable future.

Vulnerable (VU) – Significant medium-term risk of extinction.

Near Threatened (NT) – Close to qualifying for Threatened status.

Least Concern (LC) – No significant risk of extinction at present.

FIELD GUIDE conservation

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t A rescued baby sloth.

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