My trip to Costa Rica started on May 23rd at around 4:30 in the morning. I flew out of Indianapolis and landed in Texas. From Texas, I boarded a flight that would take me to Costa Rica! Prior to the flight I had been getting increasingly excited to participate in the study abroad program in Costa Rica through Indiana University. I have only been to two other countries, which are Canada and Jaimaca. Furthermore, during these other international trips, I always had my father as support when times were difficult; whereas, this trip to Costa Rica would be my first international trip without an intermediate family member. I was slightly nervous, but more excited at the prospects of being able to explore Costa Rica with other Indiana University students!
Prior to the trip, I was required to read three books, and my favorite book out of the three was Tropical Nature by Forsyth and Miyata. This book truly helped me gain a greater understanding of the flora and fauna that exist in Costa Rica! This was crucial because the lowland tropical rainforest is a biome that displays some striking differences when contrasted with the familiar temperate forest biome. For instance, the lowland tropical rainforest receives an abundant amount of rainfall in comparison to the temperate forests. Furthermore, rainfall, as opposed to temperature is used to determine the different seasons in the lowland tropical rainforest. Other differences exist in the biodiversity, with lowland tropical rainforests have a much more diverse species richness than the temperate forest (Forsyth and Miyata, 1984).
The first location that I arrived at was La Selva. La Selva is the research station that my study abroad group is staying at for the first week of our trip. On my first full day in La Selva, I was given the opportunity to observe the rainforest in an introductory hike with a local guide. My local guide was named Jainer, and he was amazing. It seemed as though his senses were in tune with the rainforest. He knew how to imitate many bird calls and had the ability to spot many animals that I would have blindl ignored. Moreover, I truly admired his skill and dedication to his job, and he gave valuable information regarding the forest regarding his own observations. One specific fact that was interesting was that leaf cutter ants tend to abandon their foraging activity in the presence of rainfall. He stated that the rain can disrupt their pheremones, which is a crucial form of communication for lead cutter ants. Additionally, some impressionable species I saw during this hike was the Curassow, poison dart frogs, a sloth, Great Green Macow, and a family of peccaries. I was shocked by the sheer size of the curassow and questioned if there was any evolutionary significance in their sheer size, since many other tropical bird species are much smaller. I was also interested by the sexual dimorphism traits displayed by the females and males. The males tended to have a black head with a yellow bulge above their beaks, while the females tended to have a striped head.
On this same day, I also went on a night hike! It was interesting because the forest was so loud, at a time that many reserve for sleep. Many of the species that we saw at night were amphibians and reptiles, primarily frogs and lizards. One of the coolest animals that I saw was the red-eyed tree frog. Our guide, Kenneth, was able to calmly pick up the frog on his walking stick, and we were able to see the red eyes of the frog. The frog was extremely well camouflaged, and without Kenneth, we probably would not have spotted it! Many of the animals in La Selva utilize camouflage to help evade their predators. After spending some time in the rainforest, it seems like many amphibians utilize this technique. However, a frog that utilizes bright colors to warn prey that it is lethal is the poison dart frog! I have seen two different types of poison dart frogs. One is very tiny and has a bright red color, and the other is larger and has a mixture of a neon green and black skin. I wonder if it is just random chance that the black and green frog has a larger body size than the other poison dart frog?
Additionally, all of the Indiana University undergraduate students were required to present a research proposal. I decided to base my project on how plastic pollution could impact the marine species richness in select beaches in Costa Rica. I was inspired by the sheer amount of plastic that I am surrounded by and utilize. I also wanted to see how plastic might impact a country that places extreme importance on environmental conservation, such as Costa Rica! Furthermore, I will be conducting my research with two beaches in Costa Rica. One beach experiences heavy tourism, while the other beach is more secluded and less frequented by humans. I expect there to be more plastic pollution and less species richness and distribution found at the heavy tourism beach. This project is perfect for me because I am extremely interested in marine environments and marine biology. Additionally, I want to be someone that contributes to helping spread awareness about the increasing abundance of plastic pollution found in marine environments. Without raising awareness, people around the world may not understand the rapid essence at which we need to act to further prevent more damage!
All of the other IU students have great research proposals, and I enjoy this high academic standard because it pushes me to be my best! Also, I am excited to learn about the process in which they will complete their research because this could be methodology I may consider in the future. It has been an exciting first week, and I am excited for the adventure that is yet to come! Stay tuned for next week when the blog is updated!
Sincerely,
Kate
Forsyth A.and Miyata K. 1987. Tropical Nature. Touchstone
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