Upon nearing the summit the destructive forces of volcanism begin to become more noticeable with the presence of scorched dead tree trunks that are still standing. On top of Irazú you will find several deep craters in this barren windswept terrain that is reminiscent of a moonscape. The high elevation itself, being just above the tree line at this latitude, keeps the vegetation from growing very tall, but the periodic devastating effects of eruptions help to keep plant life rather sparse. Among the few species of birds that live in this habitat are the aptly named Volcano Junco and Volcano Hummingbird.
As with all active volcanoes, the level and type of activity changes periodically, often abruptly. Since the last series of eruptions, between August of 1962 and March of 1965, Irazú's principal crater has only emitted fumarole activity -- but things could change again at any time.
