Author: Robert M. Timm

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2018-09-15

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 9781396264559

Excerpt from Mammals of the La Selva-Braulio Carrillo Complex, Costa Rica Tropical rain forests are the richest and most complex land biotas. Unfortunate ly, worldwide, more than half of what was formerly tropical rain forest has been destroyed by modern humans, ' and the rate of deforestation is increasing. Destruo tion of tropical forests is causing the extinction of thousands of species, many of them still unknown to science. Worldwide, between km2 and km2 of forest are being clearcut yearly and an additional km2 are being altered severely (myers If this deforestation rate continues unchecked, an estimated 50 of existing tropical forests will be eliminated by the year 2000 (us. Depart ment of State Mankind is losing the potential for the multiple use of these forests as sources of new drugs for medicines, food plants, genetic reservoirs, water sheds, recreational areas, and for sustained utilization of the biota, such as for hunting and logging. Additionally, destruction of large tracts of rain forest may affect continental weather patterns. Habitat destruction and the associated loss of wildlife are not problems unique to the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica, but rather a global problem. It is especially acute in the tropics today as modern technology and demands for resources are putting humans and nature in direct conflict. It has been estimated that 60% of all species on the earth today will be extinct before scientists have a chance to study them. The establishment of protected reserves and parks, and the expansion of those that already exist, are critical if we are to preserve the flora and fauna of the planet. Nearly everywhere the boundaries of reserves are set by political expediency rather than on the basis of scientific data. In Costa Rica, the only viable long - term solution for conservation of the biota is protection of remaining habitat and immediate research programs on sustained use. Most remaining forested lands form part of the more than 60 protected wildland areas, the majority of which are under governmental control. The Costa Rican National Parks Service has been outstanding in protecting wildlands, with more than 32 national parks and equivalent biological reserves protecting more than ha of land or of the national territory. Additionally, more than of the national territory is protected in a combination of national forests and wildlife preserves and privately owned biological reserves. Unfortunately, the great majority of wildlands in Costa Rica are essentially unknown biologically; an obstacle to their efficient conservation and management. Additionally, many wildland areas are small and located in fragmented habitats; few reserves protect the continuum of altitudinal gradients necessary for survival of many species that migrate seasonally from one elevation to another. Altitudinal gradients also represent a more com plete picture of the biota found in a given region. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.