General Goals:

1. to compare the diversity of flowering plants and ferns in a diversity of tropical American forest types to be encountered in Costa Rica, including as many moisture and temperature regimes as possible.

2. to appreciate the relationship between the Costa Rican people and their landscape.

Plan:

My basic attack is to study tropical flowering plant diversity with the group using as the theme the contrast between the pattern of family representation in four or five forest types in Costa Rica. Our activity at each site will be as follows. We will survey the forest for flowering-plant and fern diversity, assembling a list of plants to the genus level. We will dissect flowers and fruits on site as possible; in addition I will try to build a sense of the field recognition characters useful for identifying tropical plants. Many students choose to collect small fragments for reference: these are taped into a looseleaf notebook (particularly artistic types simply draw the plants). At some sites, the basic plan will be different, because of specific attributes of the sites. We may also do short-term group research projects at some sites.

Sites

(Cited forest types are those of the Holdridge Life Zone System.)

Monteverde: lower montane rain forest (the classic cloud forest of the media) rich in exotic species of all types, dominated by figs, avocados, etc. Lodging and meals at the reserve dormitory.

Santa Rosa: tropical (=sea-level) moist forest dominated by legume trees, Sapindales, etc; evergreen but seasonally very dry (some trees are deciduous). At the coast itself there are small tracts of true dry forest, mangrove associations, and other coastal plant associations. Camping at a national park with running water and cold showers.

Osa: (Corcovado) tropical rain forest with South American affinities - including legumes, brazilnut family, Bombacaceae etc etc - sketch plan is to hike into the national park with a guide and camp in park campsite (on the beach).

Cerro de la Muerte: high montane rain paramo and high montane wet forest dominated by oak species - mixture of Andean and Cordilleran Western North American elements - many familiar genera. Simple lodging in a roadside restaurant and rooming house.

Costs:

Overall cost estimate is $750 plus airfare. Transportation cost (included) includes your share of the van in Costa Rica, room and board.

Dates: January 2 to January 19, 2009

Schedule:

DAY            DATE                           PLAN
(Fri)    January 2            TO CR (San José), stay at Casa Ridgway
(Sat)    January 3            drive up the mountain to Monteverde, stay at Cloud Forest Reserve Rooming House
(Sun)    January 4            Monteverde: lower (premontane wet) forest – bullpen and adjacent forest
(Mon)    January 5            Monteverde: upper (premontane rain)forest  -- in the reserve
(Tue)    January 6            Monteverde: Bajo del Tigre reserve (lowest—premontane moist forest)
(Wed)    January 7            drive NW to Guanacaste National Park: early departure!!! (buy groceries enroute); camp
                                    under the last figtree in the campground
(Thu)    January 8            Guanacaste: moist tropical forest around campground
(Fri)    January 9            Guanacaste: longest walk: to dry tropical forest and seaside vegetation (swim!!)
(Sat)    January 10           drive to San José, arrive in late afternoon, stay at Casa Ridgway
(Sun)    January 11           day trip to Irazú volcano; good plants, great geology
(Mon)    January 12           very long road trip to Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula, stay in very simple hotel
                                    (buy groceries enroute at San Isidro)
(Tue)    January 13           drive and walk in to the National Park Campsite at Las Leones. (swim!!)
(Wed)    January 14           explore tropical rainforest behind campground
(Thu)    January 15           walk and drive out of the national park, back to Puerto Jimenez, same simple hotel again
(Fri)    January 16           travel to Cerro de la Muerte, afternoon walk in oak forest, stay at Hotel La
                                     Georgina,a primitive rooming house
(Sat)    January 17           Cerro de la Muerte: morning in high forest and páramo; research afternoon
(Sun)    January 18           road trip to San José, arrive ca. 2 PM, stay at Casa Ridgway
(Mon)    January 19           TO VT

Credit:

You may sign up for Botany 232 for one credit (either this fall or next spring) for this experience if you like. You do not have to sign up for the course to go on the trip. You must have my permission to go on the trip to register for the course.

Meetings: those who are able (that is at UVM this fall) will meet several times before the trip to go over the science and logistics of the experience. We have had our first meeting - be in touch for information about the next meeting if you weren't at the first.

Practicalities: You must arrange your own air transporation to and from Costa Rica -- do this SOON. I will make arrangements so that once you arrive in the country, your rendezvous with the group is easy. You will be responsible for seeking your own health advice for the trip, but will find comfort in knowing that we have had no major health problem in 15 previous trips.  Costa Rica remains one of the safest places to travel, and we are expert in reducing what risks there are. Your personal equipment will need to be compact but not spartan, no backpacking with all equipment required but expect walking with a fairly good load for a mile.

What to do if you want to go:

You must have taken Plant Biology 109 or an equivalent introductory plant systematics course to go - Plant Biology 241 is even better. Ask to be put on my list any time (email, dbarring@zoo.uvm.edu), first come first serve with certain restrictions. These are - first priority goes to anyone who has taken Botany 241, then UVM undergraduates, then UVM graduate students. Others encouraged to inquire, especially from other universities. Two to three spaces reserved for others who will add to the trip experience. Total group size is usually about 14.