Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve (Costa Rica)

Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve (Costa Rica)

Posted in:

The Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve, located in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica, is rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. It encompasses four national parks, two forest reserves, six protected zones, and a national monument.

Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve

The Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve is located in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica, about 60 km (37 mi) northwest of San José. This Biosphere Reserve is among the richest in natural resources and cultural heritage. On its long axis are several volcanic cones with their still well-formed craters.

The Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve comprises four national parks, two forest reserves, six protected zones and the Guayabo National Monument: The national parks include:

  • Poás Volcano National Park has permanent fumarolic activity and a history of eruptions. It is one of the most important natural attractions in Costa Rica and is a destination for national and international tourism.

  • Braulio Carrillo National Park is one of the largest protected areas in Costa Rica. Its landscape consists of high mountains, covered with dense forests and canyons with rivers and streams necessary for the production of hydroelectricity. Geological features include the Barva Volcano and several dormant volcanoes. From high-altitude cloud forests to lowlands tropical rainforests, it hosts some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Costa Rica.

  • Irazú Volcano National Park is home to the highest volcano in Costa Rica and its five craters. The native forest here consists mainly of oaks and alder and helps protect the watershed of the Reventado River. Within this protected wilderness area, several streams empty into the Reventazón, Sarapiqui, Sucio and Toro Amarillo river basins.

  • Turrialba Volcano National Park is centered on the Turrialba Volcano, which features fumarolic activity and gas emissions. The volcano has three craters with dry lava flows on its flanks. It has a maximum elevation of 3,340 m (10,958 ft) above sea level, the second-highest volcano in the country.

The Cordillera Central is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges known as the Continental Divide that form the western "backbone" of North America, Central America, South America and Antarctica.

Significant variation in its physical characteristics has fostered a vibrant biological diversity evidenced by life zones ranging from wet and tropical rainforests to semi-paramos.

Currently, only small patches of vegetation remain in the volcanic peak zone, generally in the riverbeds. Here it is possible to distinguish several oak species and other trees such as (Escallonaceae), Dogwood (Cornaceae), and Magnolia (Magnoliaceae).

The topography of the Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve is very steep and broken, with an extensive altitudinal range and many streams, waterfalls, and several lakes. The Reserve's major land cover types are the premontane, humid tropical, lower montane, and montane rainforest.

Over 300,000 inhabitants live in land reform settlements surrounding La Selva Biological Station, mainly in agriculture (coffee, cardamom, beans, manioc, maize, and black pepper) and animal husbandry.