Biodiversity Research

What is the influence of land use on biodiversity in Costa Rica

Goal of biodiversity research

Our reserve is located in an area threatened by illegal logging, hunting, and encroaching agriculture. We study the impact of land use on biodiversity directly on site. We do this with students from around the world by collecting data in our own reserve and in surrounding plots.

By mapping the biodiversity in our research area, we get to know the rainforest better and better. With the goal of protecting it even better and sharing this knowledge with other nature organizations or stakeholders.

Draag jij ook bij: Adopteer een stukje regenwoud

Cooperation with Utrecht University

Stichting Work with Nature protects 240 hectares of rainforest in the lowlands of Costa Rica and has been researching animal diversity in it for years. Starting in 2023, we are working in collaboration with Utrecht University on a long-term study to also study the plants in the reserve. Initially, we focus only on the trees to get an idea of the structure and composition of the rainforest. Together with several professors from the University and several students from various programs worldwide, we will go into the reserve every week to contribute to this research.

Meer over de samenwerking met UU

What do we want to know?

The background of the study has everything to do with the genesis of our beautiful reserve. Humans have had a great influence on nature in our project area for centuries. Deforestation, agriculture, livestock but also rainforest regeneration have created a mosaic of different habitats. So the rainforest we protect within the boundaries of the reserve is not all one and the same nature. For example, parts of the reserve used to serve as pasture or forestry plantation, while others have been covered by ancient forest for a very long time. Thanks to the studies we conducted in recent years, we know that the entire reserve fulfills an important function as a safe habitat for numerous (special) plant and animal species.

With the new research, however, we are zooming in further and asking what influence historical land use has had on the development of the rainforest and how will this continue in the future?

How are we going to research this

In the coming years, we will divide the reserve into a large number of quadrants using GPS. Within these we will take measurements. In a first phase, we will look at the thickness of trees and their species composition in different courses. Thisdata will tell us what influence land use decades later has on tree diversity and CO2 uptake. Moreover, by re-examining the courses annually, we will see how the forest continues to develop there. In addition, we can combine the knowledge we have gained about the animals with the knowledge of trees to reveal new relationships. In a later phase we will also inventory the rest of the vegetation such as herbs, mosses, bromeliads and orchids in these quadrants to get an even more complete picture.

Research projects done on this scale and precision are scarce and of great value worldwide.

What do we want to achieve with this research?

This ambitious research plan is only possible with the professional input of researchers from Utrecht University and from other institutes. However, the help of our students and volunteers remains indispensable. The knowledge we will gain will help Foundation Adopt Rainforest to understand the value of the reserve even better and possibly make more targeted choices for future rainforest acquisition or land use recommendations in the region. In addition, our data will serve an even much broader purpose in the longer term, as regeneration and reforestation are of great importance worldwide in the fight against climate change, habitat fragmentation and species and biodiversity conservation.

Our project can serve as a show–case in the future and data can be extrapolated to large areas in the tropics so that conservationists can take effective action.

Read the news article about the start of the research here on the website of the University of Utrecht here

Do you also want to contribute to this research?
Sign up as a student or a volunteer! Click here

And would you like to contribute but cannot travel to Costa Rica right now? Let us know!

Contact