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Saving the Upper Amazon Rainforests of Ecuador
Potentially the richest
flora of any similarly sized area in the Neotropics
The Upper Amazon region of Ecuador contains over
50,000 square miles of spectacular tropical humid forests with great
biological diversity and species unique to the region. Because of
southern Ecuador’s distinct geography, the area contains a
mix of Amazonian species, Andean species, and unique species from
the sub-Andean mountain ranges of the Kutukú and the Cóndor.
A number of scientists believe that the Upper Amazon region of southern
Ecuador potentially has the richest flora of any similarly sized
area in all of the Neotropics, and it almost certainly has one of
the highest concentrations of as yet unidentified vascular plants
on Earth.
The region is home to over half a million people of indigenous and
racially-mixed cultures, who possess a unique knowledge of the local
forests and resources, and have maintained a number of ancestral
practices.
In the Upper Amazon region, we have focused our efforts on the ecosystems
linking the Podocarpus National Park and the Cóndor Mountain
Range. We are working together with indigenous Shuar
communities in Yacuambi assisting with initiatives to legalize
their ancestral territories and
efficiently manage their natural resources.
NCI also has a branch office in the Amazon city of Zamora, which
promotes education on matters of urban environmental management.
unique species from
the sub-Andean mountain ranges of the Kutukú and the Cóndor.
A number of scientists believe that the Upper Amazon region of southern
Ecuador potentially has the richest flora of any similarly sized
area in all of the Neotropics, and it almost certainly has one of
the highest concentrations of as yet unidentified vascular plants
on Earth.
In the Upper Amazon region, we have focused our efforts on the ecosystems
linking the Podocarpus National Park and the Cóndor Mountain
Range. We are working together with indigenous 