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ANNEX
ECUADOR
The
majority of montane cloud forests in Ecuador are found along the Andean
Cordillera which run the length of the country, with a small number on the
west coast in the Cordillera de la Costa. These forests have very high endemism
of both fauna and flora, and perform an important watershed protection function.
However, they are under severe pressure from the rapidly increasing population
in the Interandean valleys, which provides fertile soils and an hospitable
environment. The main pressures are from agricultural encroachment, grazing,
hunting and cutting for fuelwood. Almost all the natural forests of the
central valley have been removed and only 4% on the west Andean slopes remain
(Dodson and Gentry, 1991). With regard to cloud forest, in the main Interandean
valley only a few highly disturbed patches remain on the inner slopes. On
the Pacific slopes cloud forest exists between 1500 and 3500m, particulary
in the north. Eastern slopes are relatively undisturbed although under increasing
threat (Harcourt and Sayer, 1996). Some forests are within legally protected
areas, but remain vulnerable to pressure for clearance. Much of the cloud
forest remains in isolated patches which are not protected, while others
have been secured under private or community ownership, as reserves, whilst
more secure protected area status is sought.
References
Barnett,
A. 1988. Rio - Mazan A People's Forest. The Ecologist Vol. 18, No. 2.
Dodson,
C. and Gentry, A.H. 1991. Biological extinction in western Ecuador. Annals
of the Missouri Botanical Garden 78: 273-295. Downer, C.C. 1996. The mountain
tapir, endangered 'flagship' species of the high Andes. Oryx, Vol 30, No
1.
Harcourt,
C.S. and Sayer, J.A. (Eds.) 1996. The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests:
The Americas. Simon and Schuster.
Horwell,
D. 1988. Galapagos: the enchanted isles. Dryad Press, London.
Mansour,
J. 1995. Parks in peril source book. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington,
Virginia, USA.
Parker
T.A. and Carr, J.L. [Eds] 1992 Status of forest remnants in the Cordillera
de la Costa and adjacent areas of south-western Ecuador (Rapid Assessment
Program). Washington, D.C.: Conservation International.
Toyne,
E.P. and Jeffcote, M. (1996) Notes on cloud forests in Southern Ecuador
(unpublished).
Wege,
D. and Long, A.(1995) Key Areas for Threatened Birds in the Neotropics.
BirdLife Conservation Series No. 5. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
Zorrilla,
C. (1996) Notes on the Intag Cloud Forest Reserve (unpublished).
LOCATION
OF CLOUD FOREST SITES
CLOUD
FOREST REGION SUMMARIES
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Philip
Bubb
Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Initiative
UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
219 Huntingdon Road
Cambridge
CB3 0DL United Kingdom
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Information
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