Just outside the small town of La Fortuna, tourists from all over the globe have been flocking to the Arenal Hanging Bridges. On this 440 hectare plot of property around 230 hectares are protected and actively conserved, the remaining land is used for small-scale cattle farming and agricultural purposes. Twelve years ago the bridges were completed and Arenal opened its gates to the public, allowing people to get a truly surreal glimpse into one of Costa Rica’s many tropical edens. Eco Tourism is a vital component of environmental education and its popularity has been rapidly growing for the past few decades. As visitors fill this trail riddled with the 12 hanging bridges they are soaking in the true beauty of their surroundings and learning every step of the way by experiencing all that the rainforest has to offer. Whether they are seeing howler monkeys transverse the canopy or leaf cutter ants march over their feet, the connection with nature at Arenal is very real and educational.
“Environmental education is one of the five criteria that must be fulfilled in order to perform ecotourism and is the key step towards the process of understanding the natural ecosystems and our role in them,” there are a variety of tours offered at this site designed to do just that (Arsenijevic and Bohanec). In particular, the Natural History Walk Tour, which focuses on all aspects of life in this particular ecosystem. The tour is guided by an expert naturalist capable of sharing their wealth of knowledge pertaining to the rich biodiversity of the area. That includes information on the flora and fauna as well as diverse collection of species such as different types of insects, reptiles, mammals and birds. A study done by the International Ecotourism Society in 2013, included statistics recorded by travel agents in regards to international transport. Costa Rica was reported to be the most popular destination by international travelers, with 49% of all international eco-tourists heading to this rich coast. This high percentage of ecotourism means that Costa Rica is doing a fantastic job educating people on the importance of human impact on the environment. The hanging bridges do their part by offering up unforgettable experiences and a straw to tap into the fountain of information that makes up the tropical rainforest.
Eco Tourism Revenue – Profits and Costs of Conservation:
Ecotourism became a globally known term in the 1990’s as travelers started becoming more aware of their impacts on the environment. For the past twenty years, the largest environmental corporations on Earth have been paying close attention to environmental management and ways they can evolve into more sustainable companies. The hanging bridges at Arenal practice an extremely savvy business model in terms of overhead vs. profits. The property has been owned by the same family for over eighty years so the only overhead costs would come in the form of labor, conservation, and supplies needed for the restaurant located on the premises.
The prices for entrance into the park are as follows: Adults- $24, Seniors- $19, and Students $14. There are two special tours offered at the park: The Natural History Tour which costs a minimum of $26 for students and the Early Bird Watching Tour which costs a minimum of $37 for students. Prices for adults and seniors are higher. With tens of thousands of visitors coming to the park each year profits are definitely being made. This is truly a win-win for all; the environment is being conserved, tourists are being immersed in nature, and the business is making a profit.
Conservation Efforts:
Hanging bridges conservation area is a substantial example of conservation within Costa Rica. The park is located just to the North West of Volcán Arenal. The land has been under ownership for the past 85 years and has been a tourist destination for the past 15 or so. Twelve years ago a 2 mile trail was constructed in a loop through the park. The trail (seen in the picture to the right) has a concrete grid to keep all the soil in its place. These concrete grids have prevented erosion over the past 12 years. Erosion on trails can be a very significant problem. It starts with erosion from hikers walking over the same area repeatedly. This creates a small trench in the middle of the trail. Water then flows through this small trench to begin a negative feedback loop. As water flows, the trench gets wider and deeper, allowing more water to flow through this small trench. The process is repeated and the ecosystem is changed.
Two hundred forty hectares of the park are strictly protected. The park has overnight guards that prevent poachers from coming anywhere near the area. The owners of Hanging Bridges often hire biologists to take an inventory of species in the park. The biologists recommend new conservation strategies to the park and the employees do what they can to facilitate these strategies. Another aspect to the conservation within Hanging Bridges are the bridges themselves. Much of the path, especially through the richest areas of the park, is on a bridge. The bridges prevent disturbance of the sensitive forest floor by keeping hikers high above the ground and sometimes above the canopy. The protected area of Hanging Bridges is only 60% of the total land area. The other 40% is used as farmland and residential area for the family that owns the land. Although Hanging Bridges Park is a beautiful spectacle it is far from a flawless example of conservation. The park needs to be much larger and human presence needs to be lower. The owners are doing what they can, but it is more of an ecotourism destination rather than conservation.
Two hundred forty hectares of the park are strictly protected. The park has overnight guards that prevent poachers from coming anywhere near the area. The owners of Hanging Bridges often hire biologists to take an inventory of species in the park. The biologists recommend new conservation strategies to the park and the employees do what they can to facilitate these strategies. Another aspect to the conservation within Hanging Bridges are the bridges themselves. Much of the path, especially through the richest areas of the park, is on a bridge. The bridges prevent disturbance of the sensitive forest floor by keeping hikers high above the ground and sometimes above the canopy. The protected area of Hanging Bridges is only 60% of the total land area. The other 40% is used as farmland and residential area for the family that owns the land. Although Hanging Bridges Park is a beautiful spectacle it is far from a flawless example of conservation. The park needs to be much larger and human presence needs to be lower. The owners are doing what they can, but it is more of an ecotourism destination rather than conservation.
Ants in an Ecosystem:
Ants are a very important part to any ecosystem. They are the most abundant species within a rainforest ecosystem. The biomass, or combined weight, of ants within a rainforest ecosystem is higher than that of a group of any other species. There are 3 common types of ant: Leaf-Cutter Ants (seen in picture), Army Ants, and Bullet Ants. Leaf-cutter ants are known to be the farmers of the ant world. Leaf-Cutter Ants make organized highways to transport pieces of leaves to their nest. Within the nest they use the pieces of leaves to grow a fungus which they feed on. There are a few different types of leaf cutters: 1. Minims: The smallest workers of the colony. Their job is to tend to the growing fungus within the nest, 2. Minors: The first line of defense. They patrol the surrounding area of the nest. 3.Mediae: Generalized foragers. They cut leaves and bring the pieces back to the nest. and 4.Majors: The largest workers. Move large items and defend the nest.
After Leaf-Cutter ants come Army Ants. Army Ants are very aggressive and savage. Army Ants march throughout the day and eat anything in their path. There are three types: workers, males, and the queen. Workers are typically sterile females that are in charge of attacking and hunting. Males are meant for breeding with the queen so she can do her job, lay eggs. The most dangerous type of ant to humans is known as the Bullet Ant. In some places in Central and South America the Bullet Ant is known as “Hormiga Veinticuatro” because of it’s painful sting that lasts around 24 hours. A colony of Bullet Ants nests at the base of a tree. The colony will depend of that tree for food. Ants climb up the tree in search of nectar and small insects for food. Ants are an important and large part to any rainforest ecosystem. They are food for several species and aid in the decomposition. The loss of ants within an ecosystem could have astounding negative impacts.
Components of the Rainforest:
The Rainforest is a very lush ecosystem consisting of as many as 15 million species. All of these species work together as a community. Hanging Bridges park is a great example of a functioning community. The components of a community include producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. Thanks to the conservation of Hanging Bridges Park I was able to observe how these biotic factors work together. The first component of the rainforest are the producers. Producers of the rainforest harness the energy of the sun and convert it to useful energy. Trees, shrubs, and epiphytes are all producers. These plants use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into glucose for energy. Next are the Consumers. Consumers cannot make their own food; therefore they eat other living things to gain energy. The word “Consumers” is separated into primary consumers and secondary consumers. Primary consumers are animals that eat producers. Secondary consumers are those that eat primary consumers for energy. Some are top predators such as snakes, jaguars, and lions. Last are the decomposers. Decomposers are the most important type of species because of their ability to process organic matter. The decomposers of the rainforest are the fastest working out of any ecosystem. They include termites, earthworms and fungi. Outside of all these biotic factors, abiotic factors are hard at work recycling nutrients and critical elements. Examples of these abiotic factors include the water cycle, nutrient cycle, pollination, filtration, and others. These processes are vital to all life.
Educational Advantages Specific to Suspension Bridges:
While we were on our hike through the rainforest the suspension bridges allowed us a peak into the dense vegetation that we could not have gotten otherwise. The hanging bridges provide a truly unique learning experience, giving visitors a 360-degree birds-eye view. There are four layers that make up a rainforest: forest floor, understory, canopy layer, and the emergent layer. The trail covers all four layers from bottom to top. Little grows on the forest floor as it receives two percent of the total sunlight. There is a thin layer of leaves, branches, seeds and other organic material on the forest floor that quickly get decomposed. The understory is still very dark; small trees and leafy plants that can tolerate low light grow in this layer. The canopy layer is home to 90% of life in the rainforest because most organisms are seeking sunlight. Located 60-90 feet above ground, many plants are found here. We observed a variety of epiphytes in this layer. Epiphytes grow along the outer layer of trees in order to hitch a ride to the sunlight, but they are not parasites. The emergent layer is home to the largest trees in the rainforest. These trees are exposed to the greatest amount of sunlight, highest temperatures, low humidity, and the strongest winds. Without the aid of the bridges scientists and students like ourselves would not be able to get such in depth looks at the rainforest in Arenal.
While we were on our hike through the rainforest the suspension bridges allowed us a peak into the dense vegetation that we could not have gotten otherwise. The hanging bridges provide a truly unique learning experience, giving visitors a 360-degree birds-eye view. There are four layers that make up a rainforest: forest floor, understory, canopy layer, and the emergent layer. The trail covers all four layers from bottom to top. Little grows on the forest floor as it receives two percent of the total sunlight. There is a thin layer of leaves, branches, seeds and other organic material on the forest floor that quickly get decomposed. The understory is still very dark; small trees and leafy plants that can tolerate low light grow in this layer. The canopy layer is home to 90% of life in the rainforest because most organisms are seeking sunlight. Located 60-90 feet above ground, many plants are found here. We observed a variety of epiphytes in this layer. Epiphytes grow along the outer layer of trees in order to hitch a ride to the sunlight, but they are not parasites. The emergent layer is home to the largest trees in the rainforest. These trees are exposed to the greatest amount of sunlight, highest temperatures, low humidity, and the strongest winds. Without the aid of the bridges scientists and students like ourselves would not be able to get such in depth looks at the rainforest in Arenal.
AUTHORS: Matt Richards, Blake LeCroy
