Ecuador: Wildlife and Wildlife Management

The Catt-Trax2 Team — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:52:21 -0800

Report prepared by Elliot Knudson and Courtenay White, students in BCIT’s Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Program.

Ecuador has enormous biodiversity, largely a result of its incredible diversity of habitats. From the high altitudes of the Andes, to the coastal lowlands and the endless tropical rainforest, animals have widely dispersed.

Famous for its birds, Ecuador contains over 1,600 avian species in less space than any other country in the world. One bird in particular is famous for being the largest bird of prey in the world. The Harpy Eagle lives high up in the rainforest canopy and feeds on forest-dwelling species such as tree sloths and monkeys. Local indigenous tales tell of these birds swooping down from the treetops to snatch infant children from their villages.

The abundance of animal life is hard for any visitor to the country to ignore. Scarlet macaws can be seen in flocks overhead; monkeys are kept as pets; moths the size of a human hand can be heard fluttering around a room at night.

It contains 25,000 species of trees, and a total of ten percent of the world’s plant species. It is this incredible diversity of plants in the rainforest that makes an impression on any visitor from temperate climates. While forests of the northern hemisphere might contain a few different species of pine, spruce, oak or other deciduous tree, a dense swath of forest in Ecuador could contain hundreds of individual species of trees and plants. It has 1,550 mammal species, 350 reptile species and 375 amphibian species. The largest snake in the world, the anaconda, can be seen in the wettest parts of the rainforest.

Some of the issues faced by wildlife managers in Ecuador include deforestation, monoculturing, the introduction of exotic species, land clearing for inland aquaculture, and pollution from oil extraction. In addition, managers must cope with the issues of corruption and lack of funds which are common to many countries in the developing world.
Wildlife managers work with government, and environmental laws designed to protect wildlife and their habitats are part of the Ecuadorian constitution. These laws cover forest harvesting management, management of protected areas, and management of mining.

Ecuador’s constitution states that “Government will prevent environmental pollution, recuperate damaged environments, manage natural resources and coordinate the actions of public and private institutions related to the environment.” While the laws of the land are publicly stated, managers must often rely on private donations and help from NGOs to conserve wildlife in Ecuador. An extensive wildlife protection system was established in 1970. As of 2001, 42.6% of Ecuador's total land area was protected.

Also as of 2001, twenty-eight species of mammals in Ecuador were endangered. Fifty-three of 1,388 breeding bird species and twelve of 380 reptile species were also endangered. Of the 19,000–plus plant species in Ecuador, 642 are threatened with extinction.

Catt-Trax 2 - Ecuador: Wildlife and Wildlife Management - Comments

Ecuador: Wildlife and Wildlife Management

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