Introduction Many mechanisms combine to ultimately control the variables that affect the development of the Earth's biosphere.
Every ecosystem is controlled, somewhat, by local, regional, and global geologic processes.
Geologic processes affect ecological systems at different magnitudes of intensity and at varied spatial and temporal scales. This paper will identify the geologic processes affecting the ecology of Costa Rica and consider the impact of all processes on the geologic signature. Short duration, high intensity events also trigger landslides, fire, and effect forest fragmentation, species diversity, drainage patterns and topography. The Earth is a heterogeneous collection of matter that takes the shape of an oblate spheroid. Earth scientists have studied and labeled the Earth based on composition and density differences that exist from the core to the crust.