Research Station

Scientific research in the Karen Mogensen Reserve plays a fundamental role in understanding and protecting local ecosystems. It is essential to know what one wants to protect and conserve in order to develop the most appropriate management plans. Research findings help inform conservation strategies and support evidence-based environmental management. To this end, ASEPALECO supports research initiatives focused on biodiversity monitoring, species documentation, and ecosystem health within the Reserve.

The creation of a dedicated Center for this purpose was a strategic step by ASEPALECO. Thanks to a long-term collaboration with the Italian association GEV Modena Foreste per Sempre, the Bioclimatic Research Station “Italy Costa Rica” (www.biometeo.org) was built within the Reserve and was inaugurated by the Vice President of Costa Rica in 2014.

Thanks to the Station, students and academics from both countries have successfully used its facilities for educational activities such as Field Schools, camps, and research. Several scientific articles have also been produced and published in international journals. The goal is to complete a full inventory of the animal and plant species of the Reserve, which will be included in national and international biodiversity lists and whose distribution will be incorporated into digitized maps (GIS). The meteorological station, with its continuous data collection and real-time transmission via the internet to the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, is enabling a medium-to-long-term study of climate change and its correlation with potential shifts in the Reserve’s biodiversity cycles. The scientific program includes participation in citizen science platforms such as “iNaturalist,” where species observations contribute to global biodiversity databases for Costa Rica.