Project Description and Goals
Project "COBIGA"
The La Gamba Biological Corridor (COBIGA) is a project of the La Gamba Tropical Station that aims to help combat the climate crisis by reducing the greenhouse gas CO2 while ensuring the long-term preservation of biodiversity in the Rainforest of the Austrians and the Golfo Dulce region.
After acquiring formerly agricultural land, these areas are reforested with a site-adapted selection of over 200 native tree species to create new habitat while connecting existing but isolated forest areas. In addition, existing forest islands that are acutely threatened by logging are to be protected through the acquisition of the land.
The project, which has been supported by the Rainforest of the Austrians association since 2010, also includes scientific monitoring of the reforestation to answer questions about CO2 accumulation, suitability of tree species, their growth rates, necessary accompanying measures, and biodiversity conservation.
The map provides an overview of the network of biological corridors in southern Costa Rica. The COBIGA Biological Corridor is marked in dark blue on the map. It is part of the larger AMISTOSA corridor, which connects Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula with Amistad National Park in the Talamanca Mountains. AMISTOSA in turn is embedded in the larger concept “Biological Corridors of Costa Rica”.
The Esquinas Forest was formerly connected to the Fila Cruces (also called Fila Cal), a 1,700 m high forested mountain ridge. Today the forest is interrupted by agricultural land or abandoned pastures; the resulting “forest islands” experience species impoverishment. COBIGA therefore pursues the following goals:
- the conservation and promotion of biodiversity by connecting isolated forest areas
- the reduction of the greenhouse gas CO2 through long-term sequestration in biomass
COBIGA – An Overview in Numbers
| Beginn | 2007 |
| Anzahl der Grundstücke | 19 |
| Gesamtfläche | 760,72 ha |
| Gesamtzahl gepflanzte Bäume | 65.171 Bäume |
| CO2 Kompensation durch gepflanzte Bäume | 45.619,7 Tonnen CO2 |
As of October 2024
Project Areas
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