Ecuador currently has the unfortunate position as the country with the most endangered endemic species in the world according to the IUCN Red List. Founded in 1964, the IUCN Red List, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
Images above: IUCN Red List map of threatened species worldwide and shown as a graph.
There are approximately 2588 species currently on the IUCN Red List, broken down into the following species groups within Ecuador; 67 Mammals; 9 Reptiles; 192 Amphibians; 138 Birds; 588 Insects and Worms; and a staggering 2094 Plants!
The IUCN Red List categorises the species into the following groups:
There are approximately 2588 species currently on the IUCN Red List, broken down into the following species groups within Ecuador; 67 Mammals; 9 Reptiles; 192 Amphibians; 138 Birds; 588 Insects and Worms; and a staggering 2094 Plants!
The IUCN Red List categorises the species into the following groups:
EXTINCT (EX)
A species is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW)
A species is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)
A species is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
ENDANGERED (EN)
A species is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
VULNERABLE (VU)
A species is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NEAR THREATENED (NT)
A species is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
LEAST CONCERN (LC)
A species is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Widespread and abundant species are included in this category.
DATA DEFICIENT (DD)
A species is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status.
Alarmingly, the project zone is home to some of the creatures on this list:
Critically Endangered Species Within the Project Area:
A species is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW)
A species is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)
A species is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
ENDANGERED (EN)
A species is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
VULNERABLE (VU)
A species is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NEAR THREATENED (NT)
A species is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
LEAST CONCERN (LC)
A species is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Widespread and abundant species are included in this category.
DATA DEFICIENT (DD)
A species is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status.
Alarmingly, the project zone is home to some of the creatures on this list:
Critically Endangered Species Within the Project Area:
The Brown Headed Spider Monkey: Critically Endangered due to an 80% reduction in population size based on habitat loss. This species has a very small distribution, is highly fragmented, and is under pressure from a high rate of habitat loss due to deforestation and strong hunting pressure.
Pichincha Giant Glass Frog: The most likely cause of the severe decline of this species is the movement of the cloud layer up the mountain sides as a result of climate change, resulting in reduced humidity within the altitudinal range of the species (exacerbated by habitat fragmentation). Additional likely threats include: deforestation for agricultural development (including illegal crops), fire, logging, and pollution resulting from the spraying of illegal crops. Surveys are urgently needed to determine whether or not this species still survives, and, if necessary, an ex-situ captive population should be established.
Pichincha Giant Glass Frog: The most likely cause of the severe decline of this species is the movement of the cloud layer up the mountain sides as a result of climate change, resulting in reduced humidity within the altitudinal range of the species (exacerbated by habitat fragmentation). Additional likely threats include: deforestation for agricultural development (including illegal crops), fire, logging, and pollution resulting from the spraying of illegal crops. Surveys are urgently needed to determine whether or not this species still survives, and, if necessary, an ex-situ captive population should be established.
A more comprehensive list is available. Contact us for details.
Is it too late?
One species which is drastically in decline is the Black-breasted Puffleg hummingbird. It is only endemic to the rainforests around the Mindo/Pichincha Volcano/Quito area and is extremely rare. It is so special that it has become the official symbol of the capital city of Quito. Research has been carried out into its nesting area, however no research has been carried out on the western slopes of Pichincha, where there is a possibility that it still resides. The project zone lies within this area.
A more comprehensive list is available. Contact us for details.
Is it too late?
One species which is drastically in decline is the Black-breasted Puffleg hummingbird. It is only endemic to the rainforests around the Mindo/Pichincha Volcano/Quito area and is extremely rare. It is so special that it has become the official symbol of the capital city of Quito. Research has been carried out into its nesting area, however no research has been carried out on the western slopes of Pichincha, where there is a possibility that it still resides. The project zone lies within this area.
The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN based on its restricted range and extremely low population numbers. A 2015 assessment estimated a total number of 210-268 individuals (of which roughly 140-180 would be adults), and the population is believed to have shrunk by 10-20% per decade in the recent past. Although the Black-breasted Puffleg has recently been rediscovered in small populations outside its main range on the Pichincha volcano, its total area of occurrence is estimated as no larger than 80 km2. Of the habitat in its original range, 93-97% are considered to have been degraded or destroyed by agricultural expansion, logging and cattle grazing, and these practices remain the main threats to the species, together with natural and human-induced fires.
The IUCN Red List recommend the following as urgent action needed to protect the species from extinction in the wild:
"Survey unexplored forest tracts, particularly the western slope of Volcán Pichincha. Identify key sites for new community and private reserves. Provide local people with alternative incomes that do not damage the species' habitat. Continue to reforest degraded lands and re-establish biological corridors to guarantee connectivity between remnant forest fragments and continuous habitat."
This would be a primary concern with the conservation side of the project, and would benefit other endemic species also.
The IUCN Red List recommend the following as urgent action needed to protect the species from extinction in the wild:
"Survey unexplored forest tracts, particularly the western slope of Volcán Pichincha. Identify key sites for new community and private reserves. Provide local people with alternative incomes that do not damage the species' habitat. Continue to reforest degraded lands and re-establish biological corridors to guarantee connectivity between remnant forest fragments and continuous habitat."
This would be a primary concern with the conservation side of the project, and would benefit other endemic species also.