Talamancan montane forests

Talamancan montane forests
Forests around the Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
Realm	Neotropical
Biome	tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders	Costa Rican seasonal moist forests, Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests, and Isthmian-Pacific moist forests
Geography
Area	16,300 km2 (6,300 sq mi)
Countries	Costa Rica and Panama
Conservation
Conservation status	Relatively stable/intact
Protected	40%

The Talamancan montane forests ecoregion, in the tropical moist broadleaf forest biome, are in montane Costa Rica and Panama in Central America.

Setting

The Talamancan montane forests cover a discontinuous area of 16,300 square kilometers (6,300 sq mi) in Cordilleran mountains, including the Cordillera de Guanacaste, Cordillera de Tilarán, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera de Talamanca, from northwestern Costa Rica to western Panama, with outliers on the Azuero Peninsula. The montane forests lie above 750 to 1500 meters elevation, up to approximately 3000 meters elevation, where they transition to the grasslands and shrublands of the Costa Rican Páramo on the highest peaks.

The montane forests are surrounded at lower elevations by lowland forests, including the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests on the Atlantic (Caribbean) slope, the Isthmian-Pacific moist forests to the south on the Pacific slope, and the Costa Rican seasonal moist forests to the northwest.

Flora

The forests are made up of evergreen trees, including many species (genera Ocotea, Persea, Nectandra, and Phoebe) of the laurel family (Lauraceae), and two endemic oaks, Quercus costaricensis and Quercus copeyensis.

Fauna

The Talamanca forest is rich in biodiversity. Between 3 and 4 percent of the biodiversity in the world is found here.

The Costa Rican portion harbors 136 mammal species, the Panamanian 84. Characteristic mammals include jaguar, cougar, tapir, deer, anteater, and several species of monkey.

Birds are also well represented. The Costa Rican portion holds 450 species, the Panamanian 225. Notable locally threatened birds in the forest are the resplendent quetzal, black guan, sulphur-winged parakeet, three-wattled bellbird, and bare-necked umbrellabird, which is found in both the Costa Rican and Panamanian region, and the harpy eagle, which can be found in the Panamanian region.

At least 7 amphibian species are endemic to the Cordilleria including the splendid poison frog and the Chiriquí fire salamander.

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  Myiozetetes similis in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

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  Bolitoglossa cathyledecae in Chiriquí Province, Panama

Conservation and threats

The Talamancan montane forests are one of Central America's most intact ecoregions, although the oak forests in particular have been cleared for pasture and charcoal making. Forty percent of the ecoregion is protected by national and international parks, including La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Chirripó National Park, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Volcán Poás National Park, Rincón de la Vieja National Park, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

External links

• La Amistad Biosphere Reserve: Data Sheet