Curso: Plantas Acuáticas Neotropicales	Parque Nacional Palo Verde
Since the 1980s the Herbarium has had a strong effort in conducting field work in the tropics. By studying aquatic plants in both temperate and tropical regions, the research can focus on species diversity from a latitudinal perspective (Crow, 1993) and address the question as to why the tropics seems to be so depauperate when it comes to aquatic habitats--the opposite of what we find in terrestrial ecosystems. What does this mean relative to conservation of aquatic habitats in the tropics? Additionally, if temperate regions have a richer biota in aquatic ecosystems, what does this mean in terms of valuing and conserving biodiversity in temperate aquatic ecosystems? Is New England the "Amazonia" of aquatic plant diversity? Considerable field work has been carried out in Costa Rica (Crow, 1992, 1993; Crow and Rivera, 1986; Crow et al. 1987; Snow and Crow, 1993). A treatment of the carnivorous genus Utricularia (Bladderworts) in Costa Rica was recently published (Crow 1992).	Manual de las Plantas de Costa Rica/INBio Una colaboración estrecha entre el Jardín Botánico de Missouri, el Museo Nacional de Costa Rica y el Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad con apoyo de la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias de los E.E. U.U. (NSF) Taxonomic treatments contributed by Garrett Crow Alismataceae Ceratophyllaceae Hydrocharitaceae Lentibulariaceae/ Utricularia Limnocharitaceae Mayacaceae Pontederiaceae Potamogetonaceae Podostemaceae (working draft)