Ecosystem - Costa Rica

Question 1

Government/ Political Actions

Answer 1

High biodiversity areas of forest established as national parks
1979 introduction of conservation grants of $50 per hectare per year to landowners to conserve forest - incentivises people to look after land for an economical advantage

Question 2

Charities (World Land Trust)

Answer 2

Protects over 2000 hectares of land with high biodiversity
Taught locals to grow vanilla - employment means the program is more likely to succeed and if trees cut down they loose income

Question 3

Carbon credits

Answer 3

Using the rainforest as a commodity selling carbon credits to industrial nations to offset carbon emissions. In 1999 this generated $20m and gives an economic incentive to preserve the rainforest - still high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Question 4

Change in amount of land in rainforest

Answer 4

Rapid deforestation in the 70 and 80’s due to population pressure, conversion to agriculture, resource extraction however began regrowing trees due to benefits it can have with over 52% of land now covered by rainforest