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Sixty-Seven Years of Land-Use Change in Southern Costa Rica.
Rakan A Zahawi1, Guillermo Duran2, Urs Kormann3
1Las Cruces Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Apartado 73-8257, San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica.
Plos One
|November 25, 2015
Summary
Tropical forest cover in Costa Rica has declined significantly due to habitat loss and fragmentation, threatening biodiversity. Despite some recovery, continued decline and habitat degradation pose extinction risks without proactive conservation.
Area of Science:
- Tropical ecology
- Conservation biology
- Landscape ecology
Background:
- Habitat loss and fragmentation are critical threats to tropical biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Tropical landscapes, particularly in the Neotropics, are undergoing rapid land-use changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document seven decades of land-use change in southern Costa Rica near Las Cruces Biological Station.
- To analyze the impact of these changes on forest cover, fragmentation, and habitat quality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a regional case study approach over seven decades (1947-2014).
- Analyzed changes in forest cover, fragmentation patterns, and habitat types (core vs. edge).
- Assessed landscape connectivity and documented species persistence.
Main Results:
- Significant forest loss occurred, especially between 1947-1980, with annual deforestation rates up to 3.86%.
- Current forest cover is approximately 27.9%, with a shift from contiguous forest to smaller fragments.
- High structural connectivity persists due to linear vegetation strips, but core habitat has decreased, increasing edge effects.
Conclusions:
- Continued habitat decline and degradation threaten biodiversity, potentially leading to species extirpation.
- The pattern of forest loss and fragmentation mirrors trends in other tropical regions.
- Proactive conservation measures are essential to reverse current trends and mitigate biodiversity loss.
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