Arenal Volcano Survey Day

Authors: Aaron, Erin, Rachael, Rob Collins

Word of the day: Buttress root- large, wide based roots that extend from the base of a trunk of a tree to provide stability.

The buttress root of the "Tree of Life"- Kapok tree

Today's Science:
 At the start of our trail at Arenal Volcano National Park, fifteen foot high walls of elephant grass flanked our sides. Elephant grass is a pioneer species and has begun to overtake other plant species around the base of the volcano. As we hiked further we entered an area of secondary succession that was more densely forested. Deeper in the forested area we spotted a White-nosed Coati which is an insect eating member of the raccoon family. The solitary male coati our group saw foraged through the leaf litter for insects and then scaled a tree and checked beneath the tree bark for more insects. At one point we heard a bird call that sounded more like a monkey than a bird, it felt like the bird was taunting us because we couldn't seem to find the bird producing the monkey-like call.

Eventually we tracked down the mystery bird and found it to be a male Montezuma Oropendola. The male tips forward on a branch while spreading its wings while simultaneously making its call to attract females. As if the Montezuma Oropendola wasn't showy enough, he had bright yellow tail feathers, a bright orange beak with two white jowl markings, and a brown body. The trail reached the edge of the pyroclastic flow from Arenal volcano, we scaled the twenty foot high ridge of volcanic rock and found only a few plant species living on the nearly bare rock surfaces. The wax myrtle shrub is a nonnative primary succession species that grows on Arenal's old pyroclastic flows. The shrub arrived in Costa Rica via migratory bird species from the US.

Our trail descended back into the dense forest where we saw numerous other plants and animal species on our way back to the trail head. One of the most amazing sights was the massive Kapok tree, also known as the "Tree of Life". The Kapok tree has buttress roots extending from the base of its trunk to stabilize its extensive branches that reach nearly 200 feet high. The tree is home to many species, like the bats that live in between the buttress roots and that also feed off the tree's night blooming flowers. The tree's canopy provides shelter and food for birds, mammals, insects, and other plants.

Today’s Culture:

The combination of nature and spirituality is a relationship that dates back thousands of years. This holds true with the indigenous people of South and Central America. Their beliefs were often centered around the Kapok tree, which was considered the source of all life. They believed that the roots of the tree extended into the underworld and the branches held up the heavens. The trees were considered sacred for both their spiritual and physical needs. Before harvesting a Kapok tree, the wood cutters of the Taino people needed to receive the blessing of the tree spirit. Even in modern times, the Kapok tree is considered extremely important for a variety of modern products. The large trunks are still used to make dugout canoes, and the fibers of the bark are often used to pad pillows, blankets, and even life preservers. Various parts of the tree, including the bark, seeds, and leaves, have been used to treat dysentery, fever, asthma, and kidney disease.

Question of the day:

What do the terms r-selected and k-selected mean in reference to competition and growth? Which type is the elephant grass considered?