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Tropical Forest Project, Ecuador

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Conservation in Ecuador
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Background and further information

Conservation in Ecuador 

Species diversity

Species diversity in Ecuador is astonishingly high:

• Over 1600 species of birds. This is about 17% of the world’s total, and almost as many as neighbouring Colombia and Peru, both of which are countries about five times as large.
• Home to a wide variety of mammals, including the Spectacled Bear, Woolly Mountain Tapir, Two-toed Sloth, Jaguar, Ocelot, Jaguarundi, several other carnivores, as well as a wide variety of bats and different monkey species, including the Howler Monkey.
• Over 400 species of amphibians.
• Well over 16,000 species of plants (25% of which are endemic), including 4,000 species of orchids.

Threats to Ecuador's wildlife

With a relatively high human population density, the Andean and western coastal provinces (where endemic species are concentrated) have very little intact habitat remaining, perhaps as little as 10%, and consequently many species here are classified as globally threatened. This is the region where the Jocotoco Foundation is establishing its medium sized nature reserves, often by patching together smaller disconnected areas of remnant forest. The excellent National Park system of Ecuador, which covers about 12% of the country, is not surprisingly mainly located in the more remote unpopulated regions, particularly the eastern lowlands.

Other ways of helping save the rainforests in Ecuador

15 Ways You Can Help Save Rainforest and Other Threatened Wildlife Habitats

More information on the Tropical Forest project in Ecuador 

• Project updates
• Reserves owned and managed by the Jocotoco Foundation
• Background to the Tropical Forest project
• Read about the Jocotoco Antpitta
• External link: Fundación Jocotoco
• External link: Article about the Jocotoco Foundation in Plant-Talk
• External link: Orchids of the Jocotoco Foundation Reserves