Study Sites
Research was carried out in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Most of the field work was conducted in and around the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, in primary forest, secondary forest, and adjoining pastures with relict trees. Below is a general description of the site. Greater detail is in Nadkarni & Wheelwright (2000).
Study SiteThe Monteverde area in the Cordillera de Tilarán is characterized by a patchwork of primary and secondary forests, coffee farms, pastures containing remnant primary forest trees, and ecotourism facilities (Harvey & Haber 1999). The ecology and agricultural history is well documented (Nadkarni & Wheelwright 2000). The site is on the Pacific slope near the Continental Divide, in the lower montane wet forest life zone, and receives approximately 2500 mm/year of rainfall and 1000 mm precipitation in the form of wind-driven cloud and mist (Clark et al. 1998). Primary forest within the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve (MCFP) has been protected for >60 years and has received minimal direct human disturbance during the past several centuries. The forest has a complex structure, with a 25- to 35-m canopy that supports abundant and diverse epiphyte communities. Fieldwork took place in the research area of the MCFP and adjacent pastures (10°20' N, 84°45' W; 1430-1490 m above sea level) between January 1998 and December 2000. Pastures, owned by local farmers, were established 60-80 years ago and were comprised of low grasses, dominated by the introduced Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) and East African star grass (estrella, Cynodon nlemfuensis) (Griffith et al. 2000). All pastures contained numerous remnant trees with isolated crowns, with a mean density of 25 trees/ha(Harvey & Haber 1999).