The Biodiversity of Costa Rica: An ecological guide - Brossura

Barrientos, Zaidett; Monge-Nejera, Julien; Rojas, R.; Curry, Mary J.

Brossura

ISBN 10: 9968986704 ISBN 13: 9789968986700

Casa editrice: Tropical Nature Press, 1997

Riassunto

A veritable hand book for visitors to the New World tropics: the title refers only to "Costa Rica, but this is misleading because the nature that it describes will be found by tourists everywhere throughout Latin America. Its size and paper quality allow use in the field, to comfortable read, for example, before going to bed after a birdwatching day in the forest, or to check the real meaning of something you see in a walk by a beach. In contrast with other books, this is both scientifically serious and a pleasure to read, is written by biologist who have spent decades, not a few mo nths in the tropics, and deals with the species and phenomena that visitors are likely to see.

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Informazioni sull?autore

Costa Rican biologist Zaidett Barrientos was born in 1966. She's done work in tropical agricultural development for the Interamerican Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and served as science liaison for the Guanacaste, Costa Rica Preservation Area. Most of her work focuses on taxonomy and ecology of Central American mollusks. Presently she works as a mollusk specialist at the Costa Rican Biodiversity Institute. Julin Monge-Njera, born in 1960, is a Costa Rican ecologist and educator. He's authored 10 books and numerous scientific articles published in European and U. S. evolutionist magazines, such as those of the London's Linneus Society and the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. He's acted as science consultant for the BBC and the National Geographic Society. He works as science editor for the University of Costa Rica's Tropical Biology Review.

Estratto. © Ristampato con autorizzazione. Tutti i diritti riservati.

The Case of the Limon Sloth. The interests of tourists who visit Central America have changed so radically that their guides must keep up to match them: this is no place for sloths, particularly because new evidence suggests that, considering its size, Costa Rica is the superpower of tropica l biodiversity.

Secrets of the Dry Forest. A walk along a path through a dry tropical forest is amazing because of the great number of interrelationships among organisms... but you must know what to look for.

From Chirripo to Corcovado. Despite its area of scarcely 51 100 square kilometers, Costa Rica has twelve climatic zones that contain a great diversity of life. Each ecosystem hides wonders.

Ecology: The Magic Word? Should we save the dolphins? The study of the relationships among organisms has demonstrated the importance of conserving nature. Different ideological positions on this question have emerged.

A Warning in Color. Do you run any risk by going into the forest? It seems impossible to know which of the many beings that inhabit the forest are dangerous; however, they tell us themselves.

The Case of the Morpho. Species with flashy colors tend to group together, but those whose colors resemble their environment prefer to stay apart. However, some exceptions exist. Why?

Tricking the Enemy. Nature uses brilliant colors to show danger, or at least to make others believe that danger exists.

In the Field with the BBC. An extraordinary genus of butterflies fills the air with sounds that have two functions: defending a territory and attracting the female. Filming these musicians was almost as difficult as deciphering the secret of their sound mechanism.

Harmony among Insects and Flowers. Pollination by insects is a complex process by which evolution has produced many strange phenomena.

A Whole World Inside a Fruit. Agaonid wasps and figs have a relationship so intimate that one could not survive without the other. Like a close couple, they constantly adapt themselves to each other.

Together as Sisters.Intimately related species with similar needs can share a habitat as long as behavioral differences prevent clashes between them.

The Ecology of the Pejibaye. The pollination of the pejibaye, a neotropical fruit species, occurs by means of very small beetles in a complex reciprocity that reveals a long co-evolutionary history.

A Mystery of the Plant World. What was the first plant to colonize the land? Various opinions exist; however, one recent study gives us a clue.

Self-defense from Beach to Savanna. Plants, which are the food of many animals, have resorted to different methods of both self-defense against herbivores and successful reproduction.

A Long and Mysterious Voyage. An animal running away from a plant. Impossible? No: the migration of the Urania butterfly may result from the self-defense of its host plant.

Nectar. Butterflies feed on nectar, but it is not enough. How do they get the missing nutrients they need?

The Tenant. Nature uses disguises for purposes more serious than costume parties. Some beetles, like spies, disguise themselves to avoid discovery by their enemies.

The Slaughter of the Innocents. Who or what determines the size of a population? Scarcities of food and lack of space are the most often cited factors, but other, even more interesting factors exist in the tropical forest.

Fern-dwelling Ants. The development of special structures on ferns and the labor of the ants benefits both species.

A Fish that Lives on Land. The "simbranco eel" is a fish whose behavior, like that of many other neotropical species, remains almost unknown. However, its capacity to live on land dignifies the attentions of a battalion of scientists.

More than Frogs' Eggs. The animals of the American tropics are not as large as African elephants and giraffes. Here, as artists do, we must learn to see details and to focus our attention on small things like the reservoir of a bromeliad or the eggs of a frog.

The Jealous "Poisonous Frogs". Despite their small size, some frogs have interesting and very elaborate customs. Their reproductive process is one of the most exotic stories of the animal kingdom.

Conserving the Olive Ridley Turtle. The study of the olive ridley turtle's habits has allowed the development of a system of sustainable resource use. This sign of hope emerges as the hungry populations of countries as far apart as Nicaragua and India endanger the turtles.

An Unusual Food. Poisonous snakes are very frightening creatures. However, they also have enemies, some of whom have realized the dreams of ancient emperors: making themselves immune to venom!

An Owl in the Belfry. At night a mysterious figure patrols cemeteries. Its screams strike terror in the human heart ... but it is only an harmless owl.

Birds of the City. The size and composition of the bird population of a city park result from the ways in which we design the green areas of our cities. The presence of birds in a park or garden can result from an appropriate choice of the vegetation we plant there.

Quetzals Are Not Green. The beautiful green plumage of the quetzal, which was at one time restricted to use by the indigenous royalty, is no more than an illusion.

The Unknown Raccoon. Although the biology of the raccoon is well known in North America, in Central America it has only begun to be studied. Recently an important distinction has been made: in the tropics, life is more difficult.

Of Jaguars and Tapirs. The tapir is one of the preys of the jaguar; to survive, the tapir has developed curious forms of self-defense. Like the mythical Samson, it derives its power partly from a luxuriant pelt.

A Miner Under Our Crops. The reproductive cycle of the pocket gopher has recently been recorded, allowing us to devise a way to control this pest, which, like the European mole, can drive many gardeners to despair.

Eat and Sleep! Sleep and Eat! Simians lead a quiet life. They spend the earliest hours of the day looking for food. Noon and night are for resting.

Killing in Self-defense. Capucin monkeys are characterized by their use of tools for feeding, attacking, and defending themselves. Until recently, it was believed that such behavior was found only among Old World monkeys. Compassionate, Too! The organization and social life of spider monkeys depend on the sex of the individual monkey. For females, whether they have dependent offspring also matters.

The Diet of the Largest Simian. Humans are the largest simian in the world (except Africa). In general, the diet of Central Americans is sensibly based in the food produced in the region.

The Presidential Worm. Present-day onychophore or velvet worms are terrestrial; however, their ancestors were marine. Here is the story of the surprising "discovery" of an extant marine species, which turned out to be a fraud.

Migration and isolation footprints. The study of the chromosomes of groups of indigenous Central Americans and the comparison of their languages reveal their unwritten history.

What Did You Say? Noise is also an environmental pollutant. However, many people are not aware of noise's harmful effects and of ways to avoid it.

Bananas Killing Fish? How can a banana damage a coral reef fish? Harmful agricultural practices also affect protected coastal areas, leading to the loss of entire ecosystems.

The Motorized Zoologist.We frequently see run-over animals on the highways. To prevent this we need to determine which Central American animals are most affected, and when. You can help.

Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: Tropical Nature Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 1997
• ISBN 10: 9968986704
• ISBN 13: 9789968986700
• Rilegatura: Mass Market Paperback
• Numero edizione: 2
• Numero di pagine: 240
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile