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Expedition Report
2014
Edited by Diana Lieberman, Milton Lieberman & Areli Tejeda California State University Monterey Bay Seaside, CA 93955 USA
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Table of Contents Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................... .....4 Program Participants....................................................................................................................... ....5 Program Overview............................................................................................................................ ...8 Study Sites........................................................................................................................................... . 8 Maps..................................................................................................................................................... .9 Program Calendar & Itinerary................................................................................................ .........10 Research Reports ........................................................................................................................ .......11 Analysis of functional morphology and flight patterns of lepidoptera in a Costa Rican premontane rain forest. Tiffany Barber, Kelly Brundige & Jacob Brendon Garcia .............12 Response of Lycaenid butterflies to contrasting baits in the San Gerardo Field Station, Costa Rica. Tiffany Barber, Kelly Brundige & Jacob Brendon Garcia.................................22 Leaf desiccation and insect herbivory in four rainforest plant species at San Gerardo, Costa Rica. Matthew Joe Chaney & Brett Granados..............................................................28 Effect of road disturbance on invertebrate life in a headwater stream of Rio Caño Negro, San Gerardo Field Station, Costa Rica. Alexandra H. Ball, Alexandria Viviana Charles & Olivia Joyce Gibbons............................................................................................................37 Azteca ant disturbance analysis in a Costa Rican premontane rainforest. Matthew Joe Chaney & Brett Granados....................................................................................48 Size distribution and behavior of the intertidal tooth shell, Nerita scabricosta, in response to environmental conditions at low tide at Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve, Costa Rica. Tiffany Barber ...................................................................................................55 Comparison of activity pattern in two hermit crabs, Coenobita compressus and Calcinus obscurus, at San Miguel Biological Station, Costa Rica. Kelly Brundige & Brett Granados............................................................................................61 Tropical ocean-dispersed drift seed assemblage of Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica. Matthew Joe Chaney & Olivia Gibbons...................................................................................70. The effect of salinity and temperature on intertidal fish behavior. Alexandra H. Ball & Alexandria Viviana Charles. .................................................................80 Composition of marine algae in the rocky intertidal of San Miguel, Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve, Costa Rica. Jacob Brendon Garcia.........................................................86 Ghost crab burrow distribution and track orientation in Cahuita National Park, Limón Province, Costa Rica. Matthew Joe Chaney.............................................................95
3 Calling activity of bats in Cahuita, Costa Rica. Jacob Brendon Garcia & Olivia Joyce Gibbons............................................................................................................100 Substrate preference of Caribbean shore fauna at Cahuita, Costa Rica. Alexandria Viviana Charles..................................................................................................103 Mouth morphology and feeding habits in Caribbean reef fishes. Brett Granados..................................................................................,...................................107 Examination of marine plankton from a Caribbean coral reef habitat. Tiffany Barber.......................................................................................................................110 Analysis of developing endosperm of Cocos nucifera. Kelly Brundige......................................................................................................................114 Characteristics of geothermally heated water at three locations in Costa Rica. Matthew Joe Chaney......................................................................................,......................119 Research Symposium, Monteverde, 19 November 2014.................................................................128 Bombas: Service Learning Project.................................................................................................. 129 Romantic bombas; Teasing bombas , sparring between the sexes; Bombas on infidelity; Bombas about mothers-in-law; Assorted bombas –wisdom, values, fun, philosophy; Bombas about current events; Original bombas, written in honor of CSUMB group Biodiversity: Summary classification of living things observed during Fall 2014........................134 Fish Sightings – Pacific.......................................................................................................................136 Fish Sightings – Caribbean ...............................................................................................................137 Bird Sightings .....................................................................................................................................138 Mammal Sightings .............................................................................................................................140 Personal “Firsts” – new experiences ................................................................................................141 Reflections & Journal Excerpts........................................................................................................142 Photographs...................................................................................................................................... .144 Flora * Fauna * Class, lab, field (2) * Research (2) * Travels (2) * Homestays * Fun (2) * Group photo
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Acknowledgements Sincere thanks are due to the faculty and staff of California State University Monterey Bay for making this program possible. We are especially grateful to Dean Marsha Moroh (Science, Media Arts and Technology) and to Dean Timothy Angle (Extended Education and International Programs), whose vision and energy brought this program into being, and to Doug Smith, Sharon Anderson, and Karen Wallace (SEP) for their tireless administrative support. We are grateful to all those who looked after the group with such grace and dedication at Hotel El Sesteo and Hotel Cacts in San José; San Gerardo Field Station in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest; La Ensenada Lodge; San Miguel Biological Station, Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco; Cabinas Hibiscus, Playa Negra de Cahuita; and Arenal Paraíso, La Fortuna de San Carlos. The staff and community friends at each of these sites enriched the experience and made our time in Costa Rica productive and enjoyable. We are indebted to the families in the community of San Luis de Monteverde who welcomed the students into their homes, shared fun, food, and family, and made their introduction to Costa Rican culture so memorable: abrazos to the families of Aidee Huertos and Misael Alvarado; Marina Zamora and Miguel Fuentes; Yolanda Villalobos and Eylin Fuentes; Yenny Cruz; Ana Deyce Fuentes and Marlon Martinez; Ofelia Rodriguez; Lili Fuentes and Pablo Villalobos; Mabis Trejos and José “Catato” Cruz; Marielos Cruz and Olivier Garro; Elvia Leitón and Alfredo Zamora; Zaida Villalobos; Margot Fuentes and Mario Vargas; Edith Salazar and Milton Brenes; Miriam Salazar; Anabelli Picado and Tino Pérez; Gilmara Romero and Hugo Pérez; Lorena Leitón and Marco Marín; Liliam Arce and Rafa Leitón; Cindy Leitón and Hernan Castro; Cristina Obando and Geovanny Leitón; Silvia Leitón and Roy Carmona; Cinthia Leitón and Kenneth Varela; Tema Salazar and Macho Leitón; Margarita Torres and Noé Vargas. Special thanks to the Spanish instructors from Centro Panamericana de Idiomas and Maximo Nivel, and to Lindsay Stallcup, Maria Elena Garro, Lelo Mata and Elvira Cruz for their kindness and hard work on behalf of the group. Finally, the participants and staff of the program kindly shared their photographs, field notes, wildlife sightings, journal entries, reflections, observations, and original research for use in this volume. Many thanks to all!
¡Muchisimas gracias a todos y todas!
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Program Participants Name
Major; minor
Hometown
Email address
Alexandra Ball
Environmental Studies
Paso Robles, CA
[email protected]
Tiffany Barber
Marine Science; Statistics
Los Angeles, CA
[email protected]
Kelly Brundige
Marine Science; Biology
Glendale, CA
[email protected]
Matthew Chaney
Environmental Studies
Santa Cruz, CA
[email protected]
Cerritos, CA
[email protected]
Students
Alexandria Charles Biology Jacob Garcia
Env. Science, Technology and Policy; Outdoor Recreation
San Bernardino, CA
[email protected]
Olivia Gibbons
Marine Science
Seattle, WA
[email protected]
Los Angeles, CA
[email protected]
Brett Granados
Environmental Studies; Teledrama
Faculty, Staff, Resource Persons Diana Lieberman
Milton Lieberman
Areli Tejeda
Oscar Fennell
Tropical Biology; Botany; Quantitative Ecology Tropical Ecology; Evolution; Marine Biology
San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica San Luis de Monteverde,
[email protected],
[email protected]
[email protected]
Costa Rica
Biology
Oxnard, CA
[email protected]
Ornithology; Ecotourism
Santa Elena de Monteverde, Costa Rica
[email protected]
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Program Participants Students
Alexandra Ball
Tiffany Barber
Kelly Brundige
Matthew Chaney
Alexandria Charles
Jacob Garcia
Olivia Gibbons
Brett Granados
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Program Faculty, Staff and Resource Persons
Diana Lieberman, Ph.D. California State University Monterey Bay
Milton Lieberman, Ph.D. San Luis de Monteverde
Areli Tejeda, Teaching Assistant California State University, Channel Islands
Oscar Fennell Araya, Naturalist Guide Santa Elena de Monteverde
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Program Overview CSUMB Costa Rica Fall Semester Program is an interdisciplinary tropical field program involving study of tropical environments, their natural history and their people. Participants live with local rural families, learn about tropical biodiversity, study quantitative ecology, and undertake a total immersion program of Costa Rican language and culture. Field excursions expose students to a full range of Costa Rica’s spectacular tropical ecosystems, from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast, and from the lowlands to the highest mountain peaks. The program is rigorous, intensive, and hands-on, with an emphasis on honing skills of observation, analysis, and critical thinking, and on facilitating development of a global perspective. During the program, each participant designed and carried out three independent research projects, either solo or as part of a small group. While in San Luis, each student lived with three different host families, sharing in the daily life of each family, and experiencing local culture and language first-hand. The group as a whole was responsible for the service learning project undertaken with the San Luis community (see “Bombas: Service Learning Project”, for details). Credit was earned in the following courses: BIO 395, Survey of Tropical Ecosystems, 4 units; ENSTU 349S, Environmental Interpretation, 5 units; ENVS 350, Quantitative Field Methods, 4 units; and SPAN xxx, Spanish language (various levels), 8 units.
Study Sites San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is located in the central highlands of the country, and is home to around half of the country’s population of nearly 5 million people. Within the city are museums, markets, parks, plazas, and the National Theater. Here the group began their cultural orientation, language practice and introduction to tropical ecosystems and quantitative methods. San Luis de Monteverde was the the base of operations for lectures, labs, workshops, data analysis, and writing. It was also the location of homestays, Spanish instruction, and service learning activities. San Luis is a rural community nestled at 1000-1200 m elevation below the continental divide in the lee of the Tilarán Mountain Range. The area is surrounded by tropical forest, plantings of coffee, bananas, vegetables, citrus, sugar cane, and cattle pasture. Breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery rises above the valley. The village borders the cloud forest of Monteverde, whose perpetual cover of dense, low clouds and mist gives the area its characteristic lush vegetation. Extended field expeditions took the group to a wide range of contrasting habitats: wilderness cloud forest (Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve), lowland and mid-elevation rain forest (San Gerardo Field Station in the Children’s International Rain Forest),wetlands, mangroves, and dry forest (La Ensenada National Wildlife Refuge), Pacific coastal habitats and marine environments (San Miguel Biological Station, Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve), Caribbean coastal habitats and coral reefs (Cahuita National Park), and an active volcano (Volcán Arenal National Park). The group stayed in biological field stations, national parks, and small hotels.
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Maps
Map of Central America, showing location of Costa Rica between Nicaragua and Panama.
Map of Costa Rica. San Luis de Monteverde was the base of operations for the program and the site of the homestays. Field expeditions included visits to San Gerardo Field Station/ Children’s International Rain Forest; La Ensenada National Wildlife Refuge; San Miguel Biological Station/ Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve; Cahuita National Park; and La Fortuna de San Carlos/ Arenal Volcano.
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Program Calendar &Itinerary SEPTEMBER 3-NOVEMBER 22, 2014
SUN
MON SEPT 1
TUES 2
WED 3 Overnight flight
THURS 4 Arrive San Jose
FRI 5 San Jose
SAT 6 San Jose
from LAX
7 Travel San Luis, 8 Start language
9 CPI,Homestays
10 CPI,Homestays 11 CPI,Homestays 12 CPI,Homestays 13 Homestays
start homestay #1
program, CPI
14 Homestays
15 Homestays,
21 Homestays
22 CPI,Homestays 23 CPI,Homestays 24 CPI,Homestays 25 CPI,Homestays 26 CPI,Homestays 27 Homestays
Independence Day
16 CPI,Homestays 17 CPI,Homestays 18 CPI,Homestays 19 CPI,Homestays 20 Homestays
Start homestay #2
28 Homestays
29 Homestays
30 Homestays
SUN
MON
TUES
5 San Gerardo
6 Return San Luis, 7 Homestays
WED OCT 1
THURS 2 Hike to San
Homestays
Gerardo, rain forest
8 Homestays
9 Homestays
Homestays
12 Ensenada
13 Travel Cabo
FRI 3 San Gerardo
SAT 4 San Gerardo
10 Travel
11 Ensenada
Ensenada, wetlands
14 Cabo Blanco
15 Cabo Blanco
16 Cabo Blanco
17 Cabo Blanco
18 Cabo Blanco
Blanco, Pacific
19 Return San Luis, 20 CPI,Homestays 21 CPI,Homestays 22 CPI,Homestays 23 CPI,Homestays 24 CPI,Homestays 25 Homestays Homestays
26 Homestays
27 CPI,Homestays 28 CPI,Homestays 29 CPI,Homestays 30 CPI,Homestays 31 CPI,Homestays
Start homestay #3
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT NOV 1 Homestays
2 Homestays
3 CPI, Homestays
4 CPI, Homestays
5 CPI, Homestays
6 CPI, Homestays
7 CPI, Homestays
8 Homestays
9 Travel
Cahuita, Caribbean coast
10 Cahuita
11 Cahuita
12 Cahuita
13 Travel Volcan
14 Hike Arenal,
15 Homestays
Arenal
return San Luis
16 Community
17 Homestays
social
23 30
24
18 Homestays 25
19 Research Symposium
26
20 Travel San Jose 21 San Jose 27
22
Final banquet
US
28
29
Return flight to
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Research Reports
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Analysis of functional morphology and flight patterns of lepidoptera in a Costa Rican premontane rain forest TIFFANY BARBER, KELLY BRUNDIGE & JACOB BRENDON GARCIA California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA 93955 ABSTRACT. Order Lepidoptera has a high diversity and high abundance in the Neotropics. Moths and
butterflies were collected for morphometric measurements at the San Gerardo Field Station, Children’s Eternal Rainforest, in Costa Rica. Relationships were explored between body weight, length of wings, length and width of body, aspect ratio (forewing length: width) and flight time (period the specimen remained aloft after being released). Many of these relationships were similar between moths and butterflies, while other relationships differed. Butterflies with damaged wings flew as well as those with intact wings in these samples. Wing length was positively correlated with flight time in moths, but not in butterflies. No relationship was found between aspect ratio and flight time for either moths or butterflies, indicating that these measures of functional morphology may not be a good predictor of the period of time that butterflies and moths stay aloft in a given flight. INTRODUCTION
A large diversity of moth and butterfly species is found in Costa Rica, and within this rich biota are included many functional shapes and forms (DeVries 1987). The goals of this study were to measure key morphometric features and explore their relationships amongst moths and butterflies. Aspect ratio is a characteristic used to understand the physics of movement within a fluid medium, especially as it relates to fishes and birds (Vogel 1994). This same principle was applied within the present study to investigate relationships between the functional morphology and flight behavior of moths and butterflies. This study was conducted in premontane rain forest at the San Gerardo Field Station in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. The elevation of the site is 1220 m along the Caribbean slope. This study was carried out on 2-5 October 2014 with typical weather conditions for the wet season. METHODS
Moths were captured by hand or with nets after dusk near the lights of the San Gerardo Field Station from 2 October to 3 October, 2014. Butterflies were captured with nets during the day on and around the property of the field station. Captured specimens were placed individually in Ziploc bags and hung on a clothesline inside the building. Photographs were taken of each specimen for reference. The weight of each specimen was determined to the nearest 0.1 g with a 10 g Pesola spring scale. Specimens weighing
