Threatened Endemic Plants Of Costa Rica

There are six different species of endemic birds that are only found in the Central American country of Costa Rica that are threatened. Four of these species are list as being vulnerable, while the other two are listed as being endangered. This article will discuss these six threatened endemic plant species of Costa Rica and then talk about what can be done to help save them.

Threatened Endemic Plants of Costa Rica

Vulnerable Flora

There are four species of endemic plants in Costa Rica that have been classified as being vulnerable. There is the Abarema racemiflora which is part of the Fabaceae family of plants and is classified as a species of legume plant. It is only found in the wooded hills areas near the city of Turrialba in the province of Cartago and the city of Ciudad Quesada in the province of Alajuela. Guarea pyriformis is part of the Meliaceae family of plants. The plant extremely uncommon to find and the few samples that have been found have described it as a medium sized tree that has been found in lowland evergreen rain-forest areas by streams or rivers. So far the plant is known to only be found around the gulf of Golfo Dulce. Nectandra hypoleuca is a type of plant that is part of the Lauraceae family of plants. The plant has only been confirmed to be found along the Río Puerto Viejo River, although so botanist think it may occur by the city of Puntarenas, although no evidence has been found. The plant is found in secondary woodlands and alluvial forest, but the area that it is found in is threatened by agricultural development around it. Persea brenesii is also part of the Lauraceae plant family, as is the Nectandra hypoleuca. The species has only been known to be found in the wet evergreen forests outside of La Palma de San Ramón at elevations between 1,100 and 1,200 meters (3608 to 3937 feet),

Endangered Flora

There are two species of endemic plants in Costa Rica that have been classified as being endangered. One is the Aiouea obscura, which belongs to the Lauraceae family of plants. The species is only known about due to a scientists discovering the plant during a collection in 1986. The species is only found growing on the steep slopes of evergreen lowland rainforest by the south eastern area outside of the city of Palmar Norte. The other endangered endemic plant of Costa Rica is the Nectandra longipetiolata, which is also part of the Lauraceae family of plants. The plant is a small tree that has only been found on the lower ridges of remnant primary forest outside of the city of Limón. The plant is threaten due to the massive amount of forests in the region that have been cut down in the last half century to be turned into pastureland for farm animals.

What Can be Done to Help these Threatened Endemic Plants in Costa Rica?

There are several key actions that can be carried out in order to try and help save the threatened endemic plants species of Costa Rica. People can help to donate money to conservation organization in Costa Rica or international organizations that work to protect endangered species of plants. People in Costa Rica could also volunteer their time to personally help to save these plants. People can also try and get there governments to support more international efforts to help protect endangered species of plants not just in Costa Rica, but worldwide.