Month: March 2016

Peer Reviewed Sources:

1. Juan Robalino. and Alexander Pfaff. “Ecopayments and Deforestation in Costa Rica: A Nationwide Analysis of PSA’s Initial Years.”Land Economics89.3 (2013): 432-448. Project MUSE. Web. 4 Feb. 2016. <https://muse.jhu.edu/>.

2. Peter C. Roebeling, Eligius M.T. Hendrix, Land speculation and interest rate subsidies as a cause of deforestation: The role of cattle ranching in Costa Rica, Land Use Policy, Volume 27, Issue 2, April 2010, Pages 489-496, ISSN 0264-8377, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2009.07.002.

3. Rosero-Bixby, Luis and Palloni, Alberto. “Population and Deforestation in Costa Rica” Population and Environment, ISSN 0199-0039, 11/1998, Volume 20, Issue 2, pp. 149 – 185

Other sources:

1. https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/timber/publications/UNited_Forests_Newsletter/3-international_day_of_forests_Ambassador_Dengo.pdf (Forest Statistics)
2. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20costarica.htm (Forest Statistics and History)
3. https://treeswaterpeople.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/change-forest-cover-costa-rica.jpg (Map Image)
4. http://www.elfinancierocr.com/economia-y-politica/Censo_2011-INEC-Centro_Centroamericano_de_Poblacion-correccion_0_266373372.html (Population Information)
5. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD (GNI Information)
6. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.RUR.TOTL (Population Information)
7. http://www.vivacostarica.com/costa-rica-information/costa-rica-deforestation.html (History Information)
8. http://www.economist.com/news/international/21613327-new-ideas-what-speeds-up-deforestation-and-what-slows-it-down-clearing-trees (Graph)

– About 3/4 of the forested land in Costa Rica is owned by the government.

– After WWII there was a push to produce large amounts of beef for the world market, including the USA, to raise revenue. The United States even loaned millions of dollars to cattle ranchers to stimulate growth. The result was devastating, widespread deforestation across the entire country.

– Since the 1980’s there has been a strong push to protect the countries forests, both by the Costa Rican government and outside sources.

– Attempts to reforest and protect the country have largely been met with success, increasing the amount of forested land from its low of 21% in 1987 to more than 50% in 2015. Costa Rica is a participating member of REDD+.

Costa Rica is in the reforesting phase of the forest transition curve, and is showing good signs of continued forest growth and tree cover.

– Total Area: 19,653 sq mi

– Population (2011): 4,586,353

– Rural Population (2011): 1,145,869 (about 25%)

– Population Density: 220/square mile

– GNI 2015 $14,420 converted to international dollars

Forested Area in Costa Rica

– As of 2010 about 53.38% of the country is forested according to the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

– This is compared to the low of 21% reached in 1987

– Sometime in the late 80’s and early 90’s the trend of deforestation began decreasing and re-forestation began increasing through the efforts of the government and various conservation organizations such as REDD+