Corcovado National Park at OSA-pininsula, Costa Rica

by Flemming Petersen

	How it started. This is how we went to the Corcovado rain forest on a tractor wagon. (see the picture)
	Into the rain forest Corcovado National Park: http://supersite.incostarica.net/docs/corcovado/index.shtml
	Trees are growing into the sky The trees are growing into 3 different levels af the rain forest - mostly depending of the age of the trees - with the very high trees, the emergents, above them all. (see the picture)
	The giant of the forest In about 100 year the trees grow up to 70-90 meters higth.
	Cacao-tree Here we stop by a cacao-tree. Notice that the cacao-fruits are growing directly from the stem of the tree (Cauliflori). Our guide Monét is telling about it.
	Forst floor of the forest In the lowest part of the forest (where I am standing) it is dark and only few herb plants are growing there. In the canopy the plants are fighting to reach the light.
	Lians Lians are growing towards the light by using the other trees stems as support. (see the picture).
	Epiphytes - plants who growth on other plants In the fight for light the epiphytes has choosen to grow on other plants. One commen family among the American epiphytes is the Bromelides. (see the picture)
	Giant epiphyte A very big philidendron growing on the stem af a tree.
	How a killer lian is started A special kind of lain is the killer lians. They grow around and totally surounding their host when they grow towards the light. Fullgrown they kill their host by its own shadow.
	This is how it end When the trees fell to the ground a light-opening is created in the rain forest. This give other trees a chance to grow, while the old tree is fast decaying, releasing its nutrients to the new generation.
	This is how it end The turn-over of dead organic matter is very fast in the warm and humid rain forest. We have measured a very high earth respiration in the rain forest with a soil-respirometer sponcered by Scandidact.
	Secondary rain forest The primary rain forest (the first one) has been cleared, and a new one growing up, which is called the secundary rain forest.
	Rain forest into burger meat Her is the rain forest cleared to give place for meat cows. The conservation of the rain forest: http://photo.net/cr/moon/conservation.html
	A nest of a hummingbird On our way into the rain forest we saw a nest of hummingbird under a leaf. In the nest there was one egg and one young one. Later, went we went back, there were two young ones. Se another hummingbird on Poas vulcano.
	Butterflies A lot of big and beautifull butterflies are found in the rain forest. The Morpho is everywhere. But they are difficulty to catch with the camera. The picture shows one of the other species of butterflies found there.
	Bats Many species of bats are found in Costa Rica. They are specialised to many different kind of foods. We met a cow just outside the rain forest, which had been visited by a vampire bat, who had sucked blood from it. Here are seen a couple of more harmless bats, resting under a Helicornia-leaf. (Foto: Christina Groth).
	Snakes Many poisonios snakes are found in Costa Rica - with a little care no one are hurt by them.
	The waterfall One of the trails into the rain forest from the Rain Forest School ends by the waterfall. In these rivers we found a rather big snake, but none of the gold, which is found here too.
	How it is ending? A ceiba-tree stands alone after the cleared rain forest. It is said to bring bad lock to cut it.