La Selva Biological Station is a protected area encompassing 1,536 ha of low-land tropical rain forest in northeastern Costa Rica.

It is owned and operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies,[2] a consortium of universities and research institutions from the United States, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico.

[3] Recognized internationally as one of the most productive field stations in the world for tropical forest research and peer-reviewed publications, La Selva hosts approximately 300 scientists and 100 university courses every year.

[4] The primary goal of La Selva Biological Station is to preserve and protect an intact forest, as well as providing laboratory facilities for tropical research and education.

[3] In addition, its high diversity and ease of access to the Puerto Viejo-Horquetas highway makes La Selva an important ecotourism destination and environmental education center for tourists and the local community.

In 1968 the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS) bought the area for fifty thousand US dollars to be used as a private reserve and biological station.

In the past few decades, however, the human population around the Station have increased rapidly due to several factors, including the expansion of banana production and government settlement projects.

La Selva Biological Station is located in the Central Conservation Area (91,000 ha) in the north-eastern lowlands of Costa Rica (10°26´ N, 83°59´ W).

[3] Braulio Carrillo National Park (47,000 ha) is adjacent to the southern border of the Station and is connected via a 4–6 km wide protected corridor.

[3] Puerto Viejo, the capital of the Cantón Sarapiquí in the province of Heredia, is the nearest major town, with approximately 1,163 residents, and is located seven kilometers north-east of La Selva.

[2] The remaining areas of the reserve consist of abandoned pastures and plantations in various stages of succession, selectively logged secondary forest, or plots designated for experimental use.

The reserve is located at the physiographic transition from the low, steep foothills of the Central Volcanic Cordillera to the vast Caribbean coastal plain in northeastern Costa Rica.

The reserve is home to a wide range of wildlife, including large predators, rare birds, and an astonishing number of invertebrates.

Other common tree species include Welfia regia, Socratea exorrhiza, and most notably Pentaclethra macroloba, which occur in an unusual abundance.

Many researchers write papers analyzing data illustrating species’ decline, and often include thoughts on the conservation efforts needed to preserve them.

Research is done both on the effects of large companies conducting oil and mineral exploration, creating plantations, or cattle farming and also on local peoples who live in the forest and use its resources.

Solutions to habitat fragmentation and loss have been proposed by the Executive Committee that oversees the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor.