A new rainforest - understanding trees, protecting climate and biodiversity

A reforestation project in Costa Rica has been planting thousands of trees to create a corridor between a lowland and a montane rainforest and to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere. But is it possible to plant a true rainforest? Which tree species should be selected, what is the function of each tree and which functions and uses does a forest have? Students from two schools will be accompanied to the field to measure trees and see how fast the trees are growing. We will look at the relationships between the structure of wood and leaves and their biological function and hope to arrive at recommendations which trees are suitable to plant a natural and species rich rainforest. We will also learn how much CO2 a growing tree absorbs from the atmosphere, which will highlight the importance of forests for the global climate.