Corcovado National Park & Caletas Private Reserve
The morning found us anchored at the shore of Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula at the south pacific coast of Costa Rica. Soon after sunrise we were ready to explore the tropical rainforest. Organized in different groups we hiked the forest in search of its hidden wonders, and for our efforts we were well rewarded with the sight of howler monkeys, white-nose coati, agoutis and many exotic colorful birds like the spectacular scarlet macaw with a combination of red, blue and yellow. Later on in the day we encountered a couple of humpback whales while sailing to our afternoon destination where we enjoyed a barbecue lunch. After lunch while some had enough energy to do horse back riding along the coast, others relaxed on the beach. Although our exploration of the rainforest was full of views of different animals that are always exciting, perhaps the more amazing thing about the tropical rainforest is that it is the most bio-diverse place on earth. This means that there are more species in a tropical rainforest than in any other ecosystem on our planet. When there is a place as rich in life as the tropical rainforest there is also a lot of interactions taking place in between the species in the forest. Some of those species that have a number of interactions with others are the fig trees. Although most people are familiar with the edible figs and the ornamental ficus, few are aware of the role that figs play in the wild. The fig is pollinated by a tiny wasp through an intricate process. Once ripe the figs are food for a number of animals from monkeys, to bats and birds. These animals carry and disperse the seeds in to the forest canopy. In the canopy, the fig germinates and in the case of the strangler fig sends roots down to the ground and eventually surrounding the host tree where the seed was originally dropped. Eventually the fig kills the host tree and takes its place in the forest. The final web of roots of the fig around the host is illustrated by this picture.
The morning found us anchored at the shore of Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula at the south pacific coast of Costa Rica. Soon after sunrise we were ready to explore the tropical rainforest. Organized in different groups we hiked the forest in search of its hidden wonders, and for our efforts we were well rewarded with the sight of howler monkeys, white-nose coati, agoutis and many exotic colorful birds like the spectacular scarlet macaw with a combination of red, blue and yellow. Later on in the day we encountered a couple of humpback whales while sailing to our afternoon destination where we enjoyed a barbecue lunch. After lunch while some had enough energy to do horse back riding along the coast, others relaxed on the beach. Although our exploration of the rainforest was full of views of different animals that are always exciting, perhaps the more amazing thing about the tropical rainforest is that it is the most bio-diverse place on earth. This means that there are more species in a tropical rainforest than in any other ecosystem on our planet. When there is a place as rich in life as the tropical rainforest there is also a lot of interactions taking place in between the species in the forest. Some of those species that have a number of interactions with others are the fig trees. Although most people are familiar with the edible figs and the ornamental ficus, few are aware of the role that figs play in the wild. The fig is pollinated by a tiny wasp through an intricate process. Once ripe the figs are food for a number of animals from monkeys, to bats and birds. These animals carry and disperse the seeds in to the forest canopy. In the canopy, the fig germinates and in the case of the strangler fig sends roots down to the ground and eventually surrounding the host tree where the seed was originally dropped. Eventually the fig kills the host tree and takes its place in the forest. The final web of roots of the fig around the host is illustrated by this picture.
