in La Selva'' in La Selva La Selva's biological resources are rich and largely intact which generates high biological diversity and productivity. The reserve is home to a wide range of wildlife, including large predators, rare birds, and an astonishing number of invertebrates. It is estimated that La Selva contains over 500,000 species, with more than half (about 300,000) consisting of insect species.
Plants Four major tropical life zones are protected between the La Selva and its connection to Braulio Carrillo National Park. Within this reserve, more than 5,000 species of vascular plants can be found, of which more than 700 species are trees. La Selva hosts a large variety of
epiphytes, epiphylls, and many
climbing aroids. Other common tree species include
Welfia regia,
Socratea exorrhiza, and most notably
Pentaclethra macroloba, which occur in an unusual abundance. When taking into account the total number of species found one must understand that many are rare or may have been seen by mistake. Of these species, more than half breed locally, and many are altitudinal migrants or North American overwintering migrants. Several ecological variables influence the vulnerability to
habitat fragmentation, and other changes in the environment, in various groups of avifauna: diet, habitat, propensity to join mixed-species flocks, and nest type. Insectivorous birds are particularly sensitive to fragmentation, perhaps due to their dietary or foraging substrate specialization; forest under-story birds are most vulnerable to changes in their habitat; mixed-species flocks are especially sensitive to fragmentation as they typically roam over large areas; and certain nest types are more vulnerable to predation than others. Elevational and latitudinal migrants, single and mixed flocks, threatened and endangered species, along with many other groups can be found in this area. Wide arrays of trophic groups are present, but the most common types are arboreal frugivores, arboreal frugivore/insectivores, foliage insectivores, and nectarivore/insectivores.
Other animals La Selva's rivers contain an order of magnitude fewer species than the large, continental, Neotropical rivers such as the
Amazon and
Orinoco. Despite this notable difference, the two rivers and 13 streams flowing through La Selva support many species of
Characidae,
Poeciliidae,
Cichlidae, and others. Large predators are also represented by the bushmaster
Lachesis (genus). Despite the high diversity of plants and vertebrates, these numbers are dwarfed by its invertebrate fauna. Over 450 ant species have been collected at La Selva, with many still undescribed and there are more than 5,000 moth species (many undescribed). A more complete species list can be found at the Organization for Tropical Studies site. ==Research==