Finca Bellavista Botanical Inventory

The botanical inventory of Finca Bellavista was started in 2011 and currently represents 10 months of intensive collection and identification. The project is led by renowned Costa Rican botanist Gerardo Rivera and assisted by Marysol Nuñez and Justin Olexy. Various researchers have also contributed to this growing study, which essentially documents the flora found on site at Finca Bellavista. The inventory, which currently contains over 900 plant species, will continue to grow and act as a base of information for future biological research in the region.

Knowing the existing flora is useful for multiple reasons, and is particularly helpful in determining what animals roam and feed in the area. Understanding the fruiting and flowering cycles helps biologists to determine when and where certain animals will be foraging.  This can help determine when and where to set up camera traps and conduct intensive studies that  provide data useful for estimating numbers and assessing a region’s overall health.