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Seven of this Central American country's twelve major ecological zones are represented in Monteverde's 71,000 acres. There are 700 species of trees, 350 species of fern, and 878 species of epiphytes such as moss and orchids. From wind-hammered "elfin forests" of dwarf trees at the 6,000-foot Tilaran crest to tropical ravines threaded by waterfalls and choked with strangler figs, the preserve is a riot of chlorophyll and life.
By 1998, researchers here had discovered 166 plants new to science.
Tourists come from around the world to see the cloud forest's 400 species of bird, 500 species of butterfly and moth, and hundreds of species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Here can be found the resplendent Quetzal bird, with tail feathers so lovely that the ancient Aztecs fought wars to possess them.
Because Costa Rica is part of the narrow land bridge that connects North and South America, it is a biological crossroads that contains 5 percent of the world's species in .03 percent of its landmass, an area no bigger than West Virginia. The nation has set aside 27 percent of its land in parks and preserves, more than any country in the world, and tourism has become its biggest industry.
The continental divide that separates the Pacific from the Caribbean produces a succession of climate zones; trade winds blow from east to west; the mountains are studded with both extinct and active volcanoes. Scientists have theorized that the joining of the two continents here 3.5 million years ago may have changed ocean circulation patterns and thus climate in distant Africa, prompting the ecological changes that jump-started human evolution.
Yet why come to Monteverde to study global warming? After all, temperatures are expected to climb much less in the tropics than in the Arctic or the Antarctic. A mountainous spine that averages 100 inches of precipitation a year and that includes a vast diversity of species would seem relatively immune from ecological collapse.
So many scientists have studied Monteverde so thoroughly that change is quickly noted. First pioneered by American Quakers seeking escape from the U.S. military draft in the 1950s, Monteverde has proven a hospitable, politically stable, and convenient staging area for all kinds of research, providing a baseline of information.
For example, naturalists discovered the bizarre and brilliant orange Golden Toad in the late 1960s, only to see it abruptly vanish in the El Nino year of 1988. Other amphibian populations collapsed as well. Most have not recovered.
Another reason Monteverde is important is that cloud forests are predicted to be particularly susceptible to global warming. Climate models suggest that as the atmosphere warms, the elevation at which tropical peaks are shrouded in clouds and mist will rise, drying out the forest. By moving plants and animals up and down in elevation, scientists can predict what change would do to cloud forest ecology.
Cloud forests are also being rapidly logged. At the present rate of global loss - about 1.1. percent per year - all of them not protected as they are in Costa Rica will disappear by the end of the 21st Century. Monteverde is important as a proving ground for remedies. On the Caribbean side of the preserve, pastures that were acquired are being re-colonized by forest. On the Pacific side, farmers have planted half a million trees as windbreaks that are proving to be valuable animal migration corridors.
This small area has thus become crucial as both a nature preserve and an outdoor laboratory. Its significance and fame draws an estimated 50,000 tourists a year, demonstrating that preserving a tropical forest can be more lucrative than cutting it down.
Yet Monteverde is only 3 percent the size of America's Yellowstone National Park. Can an Eden this small survive?
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