La Selva Biological Station history: colonization/land use/deforestation of Sarapiqui, Costa Rica

The history of La Selva Biological Station is presented in the context of colonization/ land use/ deforestation of the region by which it is encompassed, Sarapiquí, Costa Rica. La Selva is located in the Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica in an area which has been rapidly deforested within the past 30 years. A deductive approach explores the socio-political state of Costa Rica, and subsequently the canton of Sarapiqui. The history of the colonization of the country, canton, and the "Puerto Viejo vicinity" reveal trends in land use and deforestation. The latter part of this thesis concentrates on the environmental history of the land parcels which presently comprise La Selva Biological Station. In the early 1950's Dr. Leslie Holdridge purchased "Finca La Selva" and established mixed tropical agricultural plantations. Dr. Holdridge initiated La Selva's tradition of accommodating scientific visitors. The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) bought the farm in 1968 and has since added several annexes, some of which have complex land use histories. Practices of land acquisition, clearing, land use (including logging, cattle and subsistence and export crops) are documented. It is one of the goals of this thesis to provide scientists at La Selva with land use history of their study sites and in doing so, promote the incorporation of environmental history into ecological research.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	105244 Pierce, S.M., 5521 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (EUA)
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	Fort Collins, CO (EUA) 1992
Subjects:	COLONIZACION, UTILIZACION DE LA TIERRA, DEFORESTACION, HISTORIA, LA SELVA, SARAPIQUI, COSTA RICA,
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