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Costa Rica

Róger Villalobos, David Quirós
CATIE

 

Country Information

Costa Rica has a continental area of 5 110 000 hectares (ha) (51 100 km2), although its marine area is ten times bigger.  In this small territory there are regions corresponding to 7 of the 33 Central American eco-regions: Central American dry forest, Costa Rican seasonal moist forest, isthmian Atlantic Moist Forest, Isthmian Pacific Moist Forest, Volcanic Range and Talamanca Mountain Forests, Pacific Mangrove Forest and Eastern tropical pacific Islands.  Costa Rica is the Central American country with the most plant and vertebrate diversity. Average rainfall in most of its territory exceeds 1200 mm and some areas average more than 7500 mm.

Each of these eco-regions hosts infinite microclimates and thus great biodiversity.  Because of it, though the country’s area is just 0.03% of the world’s surface, it holds 4.4% worldwide biodiversity, 5% of all known vertebrates in the world, 3.7% plant species, 35% cetacean, and 5% snakes, among others. Costa Rica is within the 20 countries with bigger biological diversity and it holds one of the highest values of species density per hectare in the world (Obando and Sevilla 2000).  Costa Rica is also one of the 9 countries with bigger organisms’ diversity in forest ecosystems.  However, the number of endangered species reported by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and by IUCN red list is also big.

 

Forest Cover

According to Holdrige’s classification of life zones, there are 8 life zones represented in Costa Rica with natural vegetation, particularly broadleaf forests.  From the basal floor, where the dry tropical forest, the tropical humid and the very humid tropical forests are identified; the pre-mountain floor where the humid, very humid and pre-mountain pluvial forests are located; the low mountain floor with its low mountain humid forest; to the mountain and sub-alpine floor where the very humid mountain forests and its pluvial mountain and pluvial sub-alpine moor variants are located.  The most extensive areas belong to the humid and very humid tropical forests covering almost 44% of the territory, followed by the very humid pre-mountain forest covering 22% of the land (Santander 1989).

Although the deforestation process in Costa Rica was practically continuous since the colonial period, starting in the 1950s, this process was accelerated motivated by policies tending to the colonization and change of land uses with forest cover, development of cattle latifundia (large farms) and extensive plantations.

Costa Rica’s forest sector has many laws and policies, such as the first Forest Law of 1969.  Since then, several actions have been conducted to attain a better management of the forest resource, shown mainly in diverse economic incentives to reforestation. Since the 1980s new institutions and organizations were created with different approaches to achieve better natural resources management.  The 1990s was a period particularly significant because at that time the current forest law (No. 7575) was approved; government offices in charge of the forest subject, national parks and wildlife were integrated; a decentralized system to deal with environmental topics denominated Conservation Areas was created, and a scheme of payment for environmental services (PES) was established.

During the decades of 1960 to 1970 the deforestation rate reached up to 60 000 ha per year, but by the end of the eighties, it was reduced to 22 000 ha/yr. This rate was estimated in 4000 ha/yr by 1994 and by 1998 an announcement was made that equilibrium between loss and reforested forest had been attained. However, in year 2000 a loss of natural forest area of 9 212 ha was estimated (Jiménez 2002, Sanchez 2005).  Thus resource use trends and the policies implemented has stopped net deforestation, but struggle to preserve natural forests still continues (Campos et al. 2007). 

Currently, the country is gaining forest cover.  While in 1997 Costa Rica had 40.4% of its territory with forest cover—1 915 892 ha of natural forests and 149 659 ha of plantations (FAO 2002)—by the year 2000, the forest cover was estimated in 45.5%.  If mangroves and plantations are added this percentage increases to 46.3 (Jiménez 2002).  Twenty-four percent of the terrestrial territory is comprised of protected areas where forest resources exploitation is not allowed.

Forests are now located in seven big blocs (SIREFOR 2000), namely:

1. Coastal Line and Osa Peninsula;

2. Salamanca Range -Turrubares,

3. Central Volcanic Range

4. La Cureña – Tortuguero,

5. Arenal – Monteverde,

6. Guanacaste Volcanic Range,

7. Nicoya Peninsula.

Forest Policies

To attain the forest cover restoration process in Costa Rica, different types of reforestation and forest management incentives have been established and are summarized in the following Table 1 below.

                                                             Table 1. Areas Covered by Forest Incentives in Costa Rica 1979 – 2000

                                                   Source: MINAE-FONAFIFO, cited by Jiménez 2002

 

Several mechanisms have been implemented in the country that have helped to improve the application of sustainable forest management techniques and their control. 

The most significant processes include those listed below.

Guidelines of management plans and simplified guidelines for natural forests.  These consist of documents that have to be applied by law and that make easier management supervision.

Forest administration. forest engineers offer private technical supervision services and assume legal responsibility for good management supervised by the College of Agronomic Engineers and the State Forest Authority (SFA).

Forest certification. Besides the private certification, there is a national Forest Certification System that defines a standard that should be met in all management plans authorized by the State.

National forest development plan.  The national government sets conservation and forest development goals.

Payment for environmental services (PES).  Payments are made for protection or provision of environmental benefits, such as water quality and biodiversity, in order to change social values and forest economics.  These are termed pago por servicios ambientales (PSA) in Spanish.

Control of illegal cutting.  At the beginning of 2000, a national illegal cutting strategy was created.  In 2001 a 37% volume of timber illegally harvested was estimated, which has been reduced up to 15% and by year 2010, the strategy projects that it will go decrease to 10%.

Forest fires.  The National System of Conservation Areas has promoted successful prevention and control actions.

Reforestation.  Several reforestation incentives have been implemented, mainly since 1979.  The initial emphasis was with exotic species such as Eucalipto, Melina, Teca, Laurel, Terminalia ivorensis, Jaul and conifers, mainly in the northern part of the country, the Caribbean and the south Pacific. Since the 1990s use of native species has been incremented. Between 1988 and 1996, from nearly 154 018 reforested hectares, at least 42 461 belonged to small farmers or to their organizations within the MINAE’s farmer development forest program 

Forest harvesting prohibition.  18 species of natural forests have been prohibited because they are endangered or due to specific ecological functions.

Prohibition to change soil uses.  Since 1996 the law forbids deforestation of areas with forest cover.

 

Forest taxes and other charges.  Taxes and other fees have been modified in order to generate income and re-invest it on activities and projects related to the sector.

Forest Resources Information System (SIREFOR).  This system is an initiative to collect relevant information to forest resources.

Institutional training.  Improved training has been provided the national forest administration personnel and others involved in the forest activity.

Forest industry.  Although it has decreased in the last decades, there are at least 161 sawmills and 7 large-scale wood product factories in Costa Rica with an installed capacity of 1 057 862 cubic meters.

Prohibition for timber exportation.  Timber exports are prohibited; this is a controversial measure.  Some consider it as positive to protect the resource while others think it is too prohibitive.

Forest audits.  There is an audits system to verify the state of forest and forest plantations subjected to management.  At least 4 audits have been conducted to detect strengths and weaknesses in the application of techniques and law observance.

 
National Technical Environmental Secretariat (SETENA).  SETENA is the authority in charge of monitoring and reducing projects environmental impacts.

Non-governmental organizations.  There are important productive NGOs that group small farmers and promote good management, certification and marketing, outstanding among them CODEFORSA and FUNDECOR.  Environmental NGOs also promote permanent control (Campos et al. 2005).

Education and research.  Academic centers, research centers and scientific NGOs provide relevant information to Costa Rica’s  forest sector.  Their work and human resources development are important to solve challenges.  Several of the outstanding organizations include:  Tropical Agronomic Center for Research and Higher Education (CATIE), the Tropical Scientific Center (TCC), the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS), the National University (UNA), the Technological Institute (ITCR) and the University of Costa Rica (UCR).

Fulfillment of international agreements.  The Costa Rican forestry agency (AFE) has tried to adapt to international resources management processes such as the agreements of the Central American Forests Council and the Tarapoto, Lepaterique, Quioto, Rió de Janeiro processes, and others.

International support.  Several cooperative agencies have financed research and projects to support the forest sector, particularly during the decade of the 1990s.

Economic Impacts

As of 2001, the forest sector provided nearly 18 000 direct jobs. The primary industry has around 300 enterprises of which 35 show vertical production integration (Table 2), starting in the forest and up to selling finished products (Rodríguez 2005).

                                                                         Table 2. Production of the primary timber forest sector in Costa  Rica

                                                                           Source: National Forest Office (ONF 2002)

Besides production of the timber sector, one of the main foreign currency sources of the country is tourism, which is highly linked to Costa Ricas’ bountiful natural attractions. Because of that there is a network of Private Forest Reserves, many of which offer tourist services (Campos et. al. 2005).  Payments for environmental services are officially made for four benefits, including mitigation of greenhouse effect gasses, water and biodiversity protection, and scenic beauty.

The PES payment scheme, directed by the National Fund of Forest Financing (FONAFIFO) is currently the main incentive to conservation of private lands and an innovation way to recognize the multiple benefits of forest.  Through PES an economic subsidy is given for services provided to society by those who preserve natural forests or develop reforestation processes.  The main source of funds for these payments is a tax to fossil fuel consumption, so that not only payment is given to those favoring environmental services but also those producing pollution are charged for doing so, and these funds are used for environmental mitigation.

Through 2003, 86% of PESs had been granted to areas devoted to absolute conservation and 14% to forest production areas.  The latter figure corresponds to 55% of natural forests under management (category that was no longer paid after 2002 due to pressure by some groups), 43% of reforestation areas and 1% of already established plantations (Barrantes 2004).  The government tries to ensure that PES investments are conducted based on a definition of priority areas for conservation in terms of represented ecosystems and connectivity between natural areas.

Conclusion

Costa Rica has a rich forest endowment, perhaps appropriate for a country with the name of “rich coast”, albeit not the gold that the Spanish settlers named the country for.  Instead the forests have provided the basis for the most plant and animal species diversity in the Americas, a significant forest products manufacturing sector, the leading nature based tourism attraction in Latin America, and a high quality of life for its citizens. 

Costa Rica lost a large amount of its forests throughout the 20th century, but through the combination of better policies and economic conditions, has begun to reverse this trend.  Costa Rica has protected and restored forests, and is a model throughout all of the Americas of successful reforestation and proactive forest policies for a variety of multiple uses and environmental services.  Challenges persist, both in protection and wise use of the country’s forests, but prospects for continued success to retain and enhance this rich heritage of the country are promising.

Literature Cited

Barrantes, A.  2004.  Programa de pago por servicios ambientales. Su evolución entre 1997 y 2004.  Oficina Nacional Forestal. San José.  11 p.

Campos, J.J.; Villalobos, R., Louman, B.  2005.  Poor farmers and fragmented landscapes in Central America.  In Sayer, J., Maginnis, S. Eds. Ecosystem Approaches To Sustainability.  WWF International Forests for Life Programme, IUCN Forest Conservation Programme, EARTHSCAN Ed.  Cap. 9. p. 129-146

 Campos, J.J.;  Camacho, M.; Villalobos, R.; Rodríguez, C.M.; Gómez, M.  2007.  La tala ilegal en Costa Rica. Un análisis para la discusión.  Serie técnica. Informe técnico No. 353 Economía, Política y Gobernanza del Ordenamiento de los Recursos Naturales. Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE).  70 p.

Jiménez, M.L.  2002. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Costa Rica (en línea). Documento de Trabajo sobre Recursos Genéticos Forestales para el Taller Regional sobre los Recursos Genéticos Forestales de Centroamérica, Cuba y México- CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, 24 al 29 de noviembre 2002.  Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, FAO. Disponible en http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/j0601s/j0601s00.HTM

Obando, V.; Sevilla, L.  2000.  Estado de la Biodiversidad en Costa Rica (en línea).  Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad.  Disponible en http://www.inbio.ac.cr/ es/biod/bio_biodiver.htm

ONF (Oficina Nacional Forestal).  2002.  Impacto económico del uso de la madera en Costa Rica.  Proyecto Ecomercados, Profor, FONAFIFO, Comunicaciones Milenio.  San José, Costa Rica.

Rodríguez, J. Ed. 2005.  Centroamérica en el límite forestal. Desafíos para la Implementación de las políticas forestales en el istmo.  Programa Ambiental Regional para Centroamérica (PROARCA). Proyecto USAID-CCAD, TNC.  Guatemala.  167 p.

Sánchez, O.  2005.  Costa Rica, mecanismos financieros para el manejo forestal. Sistematización de la experiencia de cobro y pago de servicios ambientales (en línea). Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD)- Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza (UICN). 32 p. Disponible en en http://www.iucn.org/places /orma/EFCA website/docs/ costarica_mecanismos_financieros.pdf

Santander, C.  1989.  Evaluación preliminar de los recursos forestales de Costa Rica. Informe técnico CASAF, Editorial Texto, San José.  54 p.

SIREFOR 2000. Cobertura Forestal (en línea).  Sistema de Información de los Recursos Forestales de Costa Rica.  Consultado agosto 2007. Disponible en http://www.sirefor.go.cr

U.N. FAO.  2002.  Estado De la información forestal en Costa Rica.  Información para el desarrollo sostenible. Monografía de países, Vol. 6. Santiago, chile, Enero 2002.

Posted 30 September 2007

Updated 7 October 2007