An engine of tropical science
La Selva Biological Station is one of the most productive scientific research sites on the planet. Since the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) acquired the property in 1968, researchers here have published thousands of peer-reviewed papers, with over 240 papers now published annually. The work is supported by long-term data sets on climate, nutrient cycling, and animal populations that extend back more than 40 years.
The station covers 1,600 hectares (about 3,950 acres) of lowland tropical wet forest. About 55% of this is primary, old-growth forest, with the remainder a mix of selectively logged forest and land in various stages of succession. This protected area connects to the much larger Braulio Carrillo National Park, forming a continuous forested corridor that rises from 35 meters to over 2,900 meters above sea level—one of the best-preserved elevational gradients in the tropics.
Every year, approximately 300 scientists and 100 university courses utilize La Selva's facilities. Two major long-term studies are the TREES Project, started in 1983 to track the annual growth of individual trees, and the CARBONO Project, initiated in 1996 to monitor landscape-scale forest productivity and carbon storage. These projects provide baseline data essential for understanding how tropical forests respond to climate change.
A catalog of biodiversity
The species richness at La Selva is immense. The reserve hosts over 2,077 species of plants, including more than 700 species of trees. Its documented animal life is varied, with 125 species of mammals, 470 species of birds, 87 species of reptiles, and 48 amphibian species.
Among the mammals are elusive predators like jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor), as well as Baird's tapirs (Tapirus bairdii). Of the mammal species, 72 are bats. The station's bird list exceeds that of any other site in Central America and is more than half of all bird species found in Costa Rica.
The invertebrate numbers are even more extreme. Scientists have collected over 450 species of ants and estimate there may be as many as 5,000 species of moths within the station's boundaries. The herpetofauna is also a major focus of research; the Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) is the most commonly seen snake, and the Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio) is ubiquitous. The station maintains an extensive trail system of over 50 kilometers, giving researchers and visitors access to this vast living laboratory.