Exploring Land Use History Effects on Biodiversity and Biomass (EHLUBB)

Utrecht University Botanic Gardens’ Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics research unit (QBD) is working in Costa Rica, Central-America, to monitor biodiversity of a secondary rainforest in collaboration with a local association to understand the Effect of Historic Land Use on Biodiversity and Biomass (EHLUBB)

In collaboration with the association Adopteer Regenwoud, Utrecht University and specifically the research unit of Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics have started a collaboration to study patterns of biodiversity in relationship to land use history in a secondary rainforest reserve in Costa Rica. In summary, this project aims to investigate the effect of different land use histories on secondary forest succession, primarily by examining the relationship between these histories and the biodiversity and biomass of the forest trees. The objectives are to (1) analyse changes in forest species composition, species diversity and biomass over time; (2) to evaluate differences in successional pathways between secondary forests with different land use histories and (3) to translate findings to effective strategies aiming to promote tropical forest conservation and regeneration, adjusting management practices to their respective land use histories.