{"id":3774,"date":"2024-02-21T06:47:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T06:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sfs.local\/program\/ecological-resilience-studies\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T19:16:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:16:19","slug":"ecological-resilience-studies","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/center\/costa-rica\/program\/ecological-resilience-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecological Resilience Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From misty cloud forests to coffee farms carved into volcanic slopes, Costa Rica\u2019s landscapes are layered patchworks of conservation and cultivation. Students conduct biodiversity surveys in rainforests, design experiments in dry forests, and measure ecosystem resilience in cloud forest corridors, while meeting farmers and cooperatives balancing livelihoods with ecological health. Each transition between forest, farm, and community lays bare Costa Rica\u2019s central contradiction: conservation celebrated globally yet lived daily in compromises, between tourism and biodiversity, agriculture and land scarcity, growth and preservation. Climate change brings both intensified droughts in some regions and flooding in others, while tourism and land-use decisions reverberate through fragile biodiversity corridors. Students leave with data, research experience, and a deeper understanding of how conservation must adapt within working landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitor canopy bird populations and amphibian diversity using transect surveys in Monteverde cloud forest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analyze tropical dry forest regeneration in Santa Rosa National Park to assess resilience after fire events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partner with Indigenous and rural farmers to co-design agroecological systems that sustain pollinators.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evaluate community-based water management strategies by monitoring mammal presence near protected springs as indicators of ecosystem health.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conduct Directed Research: frame a stakeholder-driven question, collect and analyze field data with faculty guidance, and present actionable findings to local partners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\tExperience a semester of sustainability in Costa Rica, home to rainforests, volcanoes, rushing waterfalls, and a laid-back culture that reflects the national motto: \u201cPura Vida.\u201d Immerse yourself in the country\u2019s many national parks, farms, and tropical ecosystems full of incredible biodiversity. Design and conduct a rigorous field research project and learn how Costa Ricans are creatively addressing conservation and development issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":23210,"template":"","location":[93],"class_list":["post-3774","program","type-program","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-costa-rica"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program\/3774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/program"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=3774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}