Neotropical plants of Costa rica
Costa Rica is considered to possess the highest density of biodiversity of any country worldwide. It's home to over 500,000 species! While covering only one third of a percent of Earth’s landmass, which is about the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica contains four percent of species estimated to exist on the planet. Hundreds of these species are endemic to Costa Rica, meaning they only live in Costa Rica and nowhere else on earth.These endemic species include things like frogs, snakes, lizards, finches, hummingbirds, gophers, mice, cichlids, and gobies among many more.
Costa Rica’s biodiversity can be attributed to the variety of ecosystems within the country. Tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, Atlantic and Pacific coastline, cloud forests, and mangrove forests are all represented throughout the 19,730 square miles of Costa Rica’s landmass. The ecological regions are twelve climatic zones. This variation provides numerous niches which are filled by a diversity of species.
Costa Rica offers an extraordinary abundance of flora, including more than 9,000 species of "higher plants." It has many more species of ferns-about 825--than the whole of North America, including Mexico. Of heliconias (members of the banana family more familiarly known as "birds of paradise"), there are some 30 species. It is a nation of green upon green upon green.
Buttress roots (aka stilt roots or prop roots) are large roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Usually, they are found in nutrient-poor rainforest soils and do not penetrate to deeper layers. Almost all types of mangroves have these types of roots. They prevent the tree from falling over while also gathering more nutrients. They can grow up to about 9.1 metres tall and spread for 30 metres above the soil then for another 30 metres below. When the roots spread horizontally, they are able to cover a wider area for collecting nutrients. They stay near the upper soil layer because all the main nutrients are found there.
Epiphytes, otherwise known as "air plants", are categorized by their rooting behaviour - they root themselves onto other plants but, they aren't parasitic, or they do not actively harm their host. Water is collected from the run-off of other plants and trees, or is absorbed from the moisture in the air. To fullfill their nutrient requirement, epiphytes photosynthesize their own food and thrive off of decaying plant matter. Throughout all of Costa Rica's forests, epiphytes can be seen clinging to their hosts, covering trees and other ground cover. Orchids, mosses, ferns, lichens, and bromeliads are just a few of the families of epiphytes.
Costa Rica’s biodiversity can be attributed to the variety of ecosystems within the country. Tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, Atlantic and Pacific coastline, cloud forests, and mangrove forests are all represented throughout the 19,730 square miles of Costa Rica’s landmass. The ecological regions are twelve climatic zones. This variation provides numerous niches which are filled by a diversity of species.
Costa Rica offers an extraordinary abundance of flora, including more than 9,000 species of "higher plants." It has many more species of ferns-about 825--than the whole of North America, including Mexico. Of heliconias (members of the banana family more familiarly known as "birds of paradise"), there are some 30 species. It is a nation of green upon green upon green.
Buttress roots (aka stilt roots or prop roots) are large roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Usually, they are found in nutrient-poor rainforest soils and do not penetrate to deeper layers. Almost all types of mangroves have these types of roots. They prevent the tree from falling over while also gathering more nutrients. They can grow up to about 9.1 metres tall and spread for 30 metres above the soil then for another 30 metres below. When the roots spread horizontally, they are able to cover a wider area for collecting nutrients. They stay near the upper soil layer because all the main nutrients are found there.
Epiphytes, otherwise known as "air plants", are categorized by their rooting behaviour - they root themselves onto other plants but, they aren't parasitic, or they do not actively harm their host. Water is collected from the run-off of other plants and trees, or is absorbed from the moisture in the air. To fullfill their nutrient requirement, epiphytes photosynthesize their own food and thrive off of decaying plant matter. Throughout all of Costa Rica's forests, epiphytes can be seen clinging to their hosts, covering trees and other ground cover. Orchids, mosses, ferns, lichens, and bromeliads are just a few of the families of epiphytes.