Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve (Costa Rica)

Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve (Costa Rica)

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The Agua y Paz (Water and Peace) Biosphere Reserve in northern Costa Rica is comprised of Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, four biological corridors, and an indigenous community. It is characterized by mountain ranges, volcanoes, and plains.

Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve

The Agua y Paz (Water and Peace) Biosphere Reserve is in northern Costa Rica. Mountain ranges and plains characterize it and comprise a territory of 916,000 ha (2,263,000 acres).

In the mountainous zones are the volcanoes Miravalles, Tenorio, Arenal, Chato and Platanar, among others. In the plains area are lakes, flooded forests, and swamps, some of which are Ramsar sites, such as Lake Caño Negro.

The Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve comprises eight core protected wildlife areas administered through Costa Rica's National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). These include Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, four biological corridors and an indigenous community.

SINAC divides the country into 11 conservation areas, of which three are included in the Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve. These areas are the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area (ACAHN), the conservation area of the Arenal-Tempisque Biosphere Reserve (ACAT), and the Cordillera Central Volcanic Conservation Area (ACCVC).

The Biosphere Reserve completely covers the cantons of Los Chiles, Guatuso, San Carlos and Alfaro Ruiz, and partly the cantons of Upala, Grecia, Sarapiquí, Tilarán, Cañas, Puntarenas, and Montes de Oro.

The estimated population in the territory covered by the Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve is approximately 300,000, representing about 7% of the total population in Costa Rica. Of this population, the vast majority is considered rural.

Juan Castro Blanco National Park

Juan Castro Blanco National Park, also known as the Parque de Aguas, is part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area in northern Costa Rica, in Alajuela Province. It contains the active Platanar Volcano, the dormant Porvenir Volcano, and the inactive El Viejo Volcano. The park was created in 1992 and covers a rain and cloud forest area.

An extensive trail system winds through the park and offers visitors the chance to see an array of plants and animals. The park contains the sources of the Aguas Zarcas, Platanar, Tora, Tres Amigos and La Vieja rivers.

At least 57 mammals were recorded in the reserve, including tapir, ocelots, sloths, howler monkeys, deer and at least 22 species of bats. Over 233 species of birds, resident and migratory, have been recorded, including the national bird of Costa Rica, the clay-colored robin.

Endangered species in the park include the quetzal, curassow, red brocket deer, and black guan. The park contains a wide variety of orchids, birds, and natural hot springs.

Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge

The Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, in northern Costa Rica, in Alajuela Province. The refuge is a wetlands site home to many migratory waterfowl during part of the year, centered on Lake Caño Negro, which the Frío River feeds during the rainy season.

The forests, grasslands and marshes of the area provide shelter for various endangered species such as cougars, jaguars, tapirs, ocelots, peccary and several species of monkey (white-headed capuchin, mantled howler and Geoffroy's spider monkey), as well as many others.

In the dry season, the river is reduced to little lagoons, channels and beaches, home to thousands of migratory birds of many species, such as storks, spoonbills, ibis, anhingas, ducks and cormorants.