Chirripó National Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chirripó National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
 |
|
| Location | Costa Rica |
| Nearest city | San Isidro del General |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 50849 Ha |
| Established | August 19, 1975[1] |
| Governing body | National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) |
Chirripó, refers to both the name of the highest mountain in Costa Rica and the name of one of the National Parks in this country. The latter, located in the middle portion of the Talamanca Range (also called Cordillera de Talamanca) approximately 30 km northeast from the city of San Isidro del General, protects a number of important ecosystems on the Costa Rican Pacific slope. However, it is particularly famous for including the largest extension of paramo vegetation in that country. Because of this conditions, the Chirripo National Park preserves a number of plants, animals, fungi and insects; some of which are under study by the scientific community.
With a particular climate that includes only two seasons, a dry one approximately from December to April and a wet one from May to November [1], this national park is among the most exciting ones for locals and tourists from around the world. This is based on the fact that in order to get to the summit (Cerro Chirripo) the visitor has to walk along a 16 km uphill trail from the town of San Gerardo de Rivas to the park ranger's refuge in the Crestones sector and save energies for the next 5 km walk from here to the peak. Considering that Chirripo is the 38th most prominent peak in the world, this journey is a once in lifetime experience for most tourists.
This national park encompasses parts of three Provinces in Costa Rica - San Jose, Limón and Cartago, and contains five different ecosystems according to the Holdridge life zone classification system [2], being these: lowland tropical wet forest, premontane tropical wet forest, lower montane wet forest, montane wet forest and subalpine wet forest (paramo).
During the dry season the upper regions are susceptible to fires. The latest recorded events have occurred in 1953,1958,1976,1977,1981,1958 and 1992. This last event, however, affected over 20 km² (5000 acres) of vegetation and forced the administration to close the park for four months. [2]
[edit] External links
- [3] Chirripó National Park web page in the SINAC website
- Chirripó National Park at Costa Rica National Parks
- Chirripó National Park at Try Costa Rica
- Videos and photos of Chirripo National Park
[edit] References
- ^ Lindsey, Alton A. & Sawyer, John O. (1971). Vegetation of the life zones in Costa Rica. Indiana Academy of Science. Indianapolis, Indiana. 214pp.
- ^ Holdridge, L.R., Grenke, W.C., Hatheway, W.H., Liang, T & Tosi, J.A. 1971. Forest Environments in Tropical Life Zones: a Pilot Study. Oxford, Pergamon Press.
