-Published: Monday, December 9, 2019-
Our forests, Part III
By Victoria Torley
On the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica you’ll find another type of tropical rainforest, a lowland rainforest that meets the beach. The area, Cahuita National Park in Limón Province, is unique in Costa Rica.
The park was originally established to protect its coral reef system, but the land area, more than 2,000 acres, is as unique as well and is home to a wide variety of species. Among other attractions is a large stand of the endangered Sangrillo tree, so named because of its red sap. When the tree is cut, it appears to be bleeding.
The Sangrillo tree is called a keystone species, so named because it provides a food source for over 100 species. The tree is endangered due to the value of its wood.
The Cahuita National Park is host to some of the world’s most colorful birds and is a favorite spot for bird-watchers and photographers. Because it is a lowland area with a myriad of hiking and mountain biking trails, bird-watching has been made a bit easier. The warm, moist coastal air also allows visitors to find a large number of orchids and other plant species.
Our next area is the riparian forest, probably the most widespread – but localized - type of forest in Costa Rica. A riparian forest is simply an area near a river, stream or other body of flowing water, although there can be riparian-like forest around ponds or small lakes. Riparian forests often separate streams from agricultural areas, buffering the water that runs off from those areas and preventing erosion and the leaching of chemicals into streams.
Riparian forests are prone to flooding and so are often home to trees and plants specialized in dealing with periodic inundation. The high moisture and humidity of these forests also host land and water animals that are also adapted to the ecosystem. Birds, for example, build their nests higher in the trees than birds of the same species which nest in non-flooding areas. Costa Rica’s Rio Chirripo hosts a fine example of a riparian forest. It is located in the Tilarán mountain range.
Plant for the Week
The Equisetum hyemale, or horsetail, is a fascinating species for lake or ornamental pond. Why fascinating?
The Equisetum is the only “surviving genus of class of primitive vascular plants” that dates back 350+ million years to a period known as the mid-Devonian.
They are upright, jointed plants that are non-flowering and seedless. Instead, like ferns, they reproduce by spores. This makes them a unique addition to any wetland or pond on your property.
Imagine being able to point to the horsetail and saying that it predates dinosaurs – in fact horsetails predate most life on land! Like the tree fern, another prehistoric survivor, horsetails were food for dinosaurs. Plant your horsetails in pots – they can become invasive – in up to four feet of water (1.3 meters) in full sun or partial shade. They usually grow 3-5 feet in height but can get up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.
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For more information on this article of
request for information about gardening, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener
columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com |
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