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| Ecoregions of Ecuador | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ecuador |
| Area km2 | 283560 |
| Biome types | Tropical moist broadleaf forest; Montane grassland; Mangroves; Desert; Tropical dry forest; Freshwater; Marine |
| Major islands | Galápagos Islands |
| Capitals | Quito |
| Highest point | Chimborazo |
Ecoregions of Ecuador
Ecuador contains a mosaic of tropical Amazon lowland, Andean montane, coastal dry and mangrove, and oceanic island environments that connect to global systems like the Tropical Andes, Amazon Basin, and the Humboldt Current. Spanning from the Pacific Galápagos Islands across the Andean spine to the transnational Orinoco-Amazon divide, Ecuador’s ecoregions host high levels of endemism and intersect with political units such as Esmeraldas Province, Manabí Province, and Napo Province. Conservation frameworks involving organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and national institutions such as the Ministerio del Ambiente y Agua (Ecuador) address pressures from extractive industries including Petroecuador and agribusiness like bananas exporters tied to ports such as Guayaquil.
Ecuador’s ecoregions are classified under schemes developed by bodies like the World Wildlife Fund and the Society for Conservation Biology and follow biogeographic delineations used in the Global 200 and by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Terrestrial classifications include Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, Montane grasslands and shrublands, Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and Mangroves. Freshwater delineations follow catchments of rivers such as the Napo River, Pastaza River, and Guayas River, while marine classification recognizes provinces influenced by the Humboldt Current and the El Niño phenomenon affecting the Galápagos Islands.
Major terrestrial units include the Western Ecuador moist forests along the Pacific coast, the Chocó–Darién moist forests extending into Colombia, and the vast Napo moist forests of the Amazon Basin. The Tropical Andes host Cordillera Oriental, Cordillera Occidental and páramo ecosystems such as the Northern Andean páramo with unique flora linked to institutions like the Quito Botanical Garden. Dry forest remnants occur in the Tumbes–Piura dry forests and Chocó dry forests provinces near Machalilla National Park. Coastal mangroves like those in Jama-Coaque and the Gulf of Guayaquil are part of the Eastern Pacific mangrove system. The Galápagos Islands comprise distinct island ecosystems including arid lowlands and highland mist forests studied at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Ecuadorian freshwater ecoregions center on Amazonian catchments — the Putumayo River, Yasuni-associated streams, and Andean headwaters feeding the Napo River and Aguarico River — which support fish faunas with affinities to Orinoco and Amazon ichthyofaunas. Western drainage systems such as the Guayas River basin host endemic fishes and amphibians adjacent to coastal wetlands like Churute and Jambelí Bay. Glacial and páramo-fed streams in the high Andes near Cotopaxi and Chimborazo supply downstream ecosystems and are impacted by glacier retreat monitored by groups such as the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.
Pacific marine ecoregions include the Humboldt Current-influenced Ecuadorian coastal shelf, productive upwelling zones around La Plata Island and Isla de la Plata, and the unique oceanic waters of the Galápagos Islands archipelago influenced by the Cromwell Current. These waters sustain fisheries linked to ports like Manta and species such as hammerhead sharks and Galápagos sea lions studied through programs at the Galápagos National Park Directorate and by universities like the University of Guayaquil.
Ecuador lies at the intersection of multiple biogeographic provinces: the Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena, Northern Andes, and Amazonia. This positioning yields high endemism across taxa including plants described by botanists associated with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, amphibians cataloged by the American Museum of Natural History, and bird species documented by organizations like BirdLife International. Hotspots such as the Yasuni National Park, Podocarpus National Park, and Cueva de los Tayos show exceptional species turnover and microendemism driven by elevational gradients on ranges like the Andes and isolating processes on the Galápagos Islands.
Primary threats include deforestation for oil extraction in the Oriente, expansion of soy and cattle ranching in provinces like Orellana, illegal mining in areas such as Zamora-Chinchipe, and coastal development around Santa Elena Peninsula. Climate-driven events like El Niño exacerbate coral bleaching near the Galápagos Islands and alter productivity of the Humboldt Current. Conservation responses involve protected area networks including Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, legal instruments administered by the Ministerio del Ambiente and community-based stewardship by indigenous organizations like Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador.
Long-term monitoring programs include biodiversity inventories by the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, remote sensing collaborations with NASA, and ecological research at field stations such as the Tiputini Biodiversity Station. Management practices combine state policy, NGO initiatives from groups like Wildlife Conservation Society, and payment for ecosystem services pilots funded by multilateral lenders such as the World Bank. Adaptive management addressing impacts from oil drilling and mining employs multidisciplinary approaches linking climatology research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and hydrological studies conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Category:Ecuador Category:Ecoregions