Long term data from permanent plots, metereologial data, species inventories and phenological data are available from this site. Cloud Forest Reserve Monteverde Established in 1972, the Monteverde Preserve covers over 10,500 hectares, more than 90 percent of which is virgin forest. Dr Robert Carlson, Director. Wet premontane forest, wet montane forest, and rainy premontane forest are the main life zones. Within them, dwarf forest, forested swamps, rain forest are abundant.
Endemism is high in the area, with a high diversity of epiphytes.
A gradual expansion of the Reserve area has been achieved with the support of a wide range of institutions and individuals. This is a very well studied area that has attracted a large number of researchers over the past 30 years. It was purchased in 1968 by the Organization for Tropical Studies and declared a private biological reserve and station. Since then it has become one of the most important sites in the world for research on tropical rain forests. More than 240 scientific papers are published yearly out of the research conducted at the site.