The Irazu National Park provides people and wildlife with a variety of ecosystem services. For example, there are many rivers that flow through the national park that transport fresh water to cities like Heredia and San Jose. In addition, the park is used for a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, running and mountain biking.
While nobody lives in the National Park, it is very difficult for some people to hike to the top of the mountain due to the elevation. The air at higher altitudes like that of Irazu is colder and less dense, so it contains fewer oxygen molecules. This means it takes more breaths to get enough oxygen than it would at normal or lower altitudes. Because of this, plants and animals must adapt to getting less oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Plants adapt to the high altitudes by figuring out different ways in which they store more water. Many plants have adapted thick leathery leaves like those of a cactus in order to hold water. In addition, many flowers have also developed thick leathery petals too! The plants that I saw at Irazu are much different than those that I have seen at normal altitudes in Costa Rica.
People and wildlife have developed a variety of adaptations in order to live and survive in higher altitudes. In other countries with overall higher altitudes like Peru, people chew on coca leaves in order to alleviate the effects of altitude sickness, hunger and nausea.
