02E007I Worcester Polytechnic Institute 100 Institute Rd. Box 665 Worcester, MA 01609 2 July 2002 Señora Eugenia Solano Rain Forest Aerial Tram Calle 5-7, Avenida 7 150 metros oeste del edificio INS Apartado Postal 1959-1002 San Jose, Costa Rica Dear Sra. Solano: Enclosed is our report entitled Developing and Managing a Tropical Forest Regeneration Project. We began work on this report on 13 March and completed it on 2 July 2002. We conducted preliminary research in Worcester, Massachusetts before our arrival in Costa Rica. We have submitted copies to Professors Peet and Addison for evaluation. We hope this report meets your expectations and we thank you for the time you and the staff of Rain Forest Aerial Tram have given us. Sincerely, Jake Collins [email protected] Cathe Ross [email protected] Kate Youmans [email protected] Developing and Managing a Tropical Forest Regeneration Project Jake Collins ▪ Cathe Ross ▪ Kate Youmans Developing and Managing a Tropical Forest Regeneration Project Sponsor: Rain Forest Aerial Tram Report Submitted to: Professor Creighton Peet, WPI Professor W. A. Bland Addison, WPI Eugenia Solano, Rain Forest Aerial Tram Costa Rica Project Center Submitted by: Jacob M. Collins ______________________ Catherine B. Ross ______________________ Katherine L. Youmans ______________________ Submitted on: July 2, 2002 This Interactive Qualifying Project Report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of the Rain Forest Aerial Tram or Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This report is the product of an educational program, and is intended to serve as partial documentation for the evaluation of academic achievement. The report should not be construed as a working document by the reader. i ABSTRACT Dosel S.A. operates the Rain Forest Aerial Tram, and is developing a similar ecotourist site near Jacó, the Central Pacific Aerial Tram. The Company would like to restore to secondary and primary forest the guanabana fields and dense secondary growth of the new site. After archival research, interviews, field observation, and a questionnaire for tram guides, we recommend methods and tree species for developing a tropical forest regeneration project for this site. To maintain Dosel S.A.‘s standards for ecotourism, our plan also recommends community and educational programs encouraging ecological awareness. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Several people have been very helpful to us during the last four months. First, we would like to thank our liaison and General Manager of the Rain Forest Aerial Tram, Eugenia Solano, for taking time out of her busy schedule to make sure our project was a success. Carla Ramirez, Zenia Le Coz, and other staff of the San José Rain Forest Aerial Tram office were also very helpful. We would also like to thank all the guides of Rain Forest Aerial Tram for their contributions. Thanks to our interviewees, Margherita Bottazzi, Fernando Cortez, Luis Sánchez, Fabián Hernández, and especially Daniel Torres, who went out of his way to make our field trips interesting and entertaining. Last but not least, we would like to thank our advisors for their painstaking efforts to help us perfect this report. ¡Muchas Gracias! iii AUTHORSHIP This project is a product of the joint efforts of Jake Collins (JC), Cathe Ross (CR), and Kate Youmans (KY). We list the authors with primary responsibility for the writing of each section below. TITLE PAGE ...............................................................................................................................................CR ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................. ALL AUTHORSHIP.............................................................................................................................................. JC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. JC, CR TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. JC LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ JC LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... JC EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... ALL CHAPTER 1. Introduction .........................................................................................................................CR CHAPTER 2. Background Information 2.1. Natural Tropical Forests ..........................................................................................................CR 2.2. Reasons for Reforestation ...................................................................................................... KY 2.3. Barriers to Tropical Forest Regeneration ................................................................................. JC 2.4. Methods of Facilitated Regeneration ....................................................................................... JC 2.5. Select Animal Species on the Pacific Side ............................................................................... JC 2.6. Landscape Ecology and Environmental Aesthetics ............................................................... KY 2.7. Ecotourism ..............................................................................................................................CR CHAPTER 3. Methodology 3.1. Tropical Forest Regeneration ................................................................................................... JC 3.2. Ecotourism ..............................................................................................................................CR 3.3. Involving the Community ...................................................................................................... KY CHAPTER 4. Results and Analysis 4.1. Tropical Forest Regeneration ................................................................................................... JC 4.2. Ecotourism and Education ......................................................................................................CR 4.3. Involving the Community ...................................................................................................... KY iv CHAPTER 5. Recommendations 5.1. Strategy for Ecotourism ..........................................................................................................CR 5.2. Tour Guides ............................................................................................................................CR 5.3. Educating Tourists about Environmental Issues .....................................................................CR 5.4. Tropical Forest Regeneration ................................................................................................... JC 5.5. Nursery ................................................................................................................................... KY 5.6. Projects and Programs ............................................................................................................ KY 5.7. Plans for the Future .................................................................................................................CR CHAPTER 6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... KY REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... JC, CR APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Sponsor Information ....................................................................................................... KY APPENDIX B: Questionnaire ............................................................................................................ CR, KY APPENDIX C: Interview Protocol .......................................................................................................... ALL APPENDIX D: Species Catalog................................................................................................................... JC v TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................................................................................................................iii AUTHORSHIP............................................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................