New Protected Area in the Amazon is Home to Incredible Biodiversity

01/17/2024

• The local governments and communities of the Sucúa region in Ecuador have established the Sucúa Conservation and Sustainable Use Area.
• This lush area, spanning 43,840 acres, is home to a unique diversity of Amazonian and Andean ecosystems. 
• The area protects crucial water sources for the urban and rural communities of the Sucúa region.

The Sucúa Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area, spanning 43,840 acres, has been established in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon. Due to its location, bridging the Amazon Rainforest with the eastern slope of the Andes, it contains a range of ecosystems, including lowland montane forests and cloud forests of the Andes Mountain Range.

Habitat for threatened species

The area, which serves as a “connectivity buffer zone” for the nearby Sangay National Park, contains remarkable biodiversity, including the iconic Cuniculus paca, commonly known as the lowland paca. This rodent plays a crucial role by dispersing seeds across Amazonian ecosystems encouraging forest regeneration and ensuring the preservation of the area’s biodiversity. Another critically important species in the area is the jaguar (Panthera onca). The jaguar, an essential predator in the Amazon ecosystem, regulates the populations of other species and maintains the food chain balance. 

Birds such as the Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus) and the White-throated Toucan (Ramphastos tucanus) are also Sucúa natives and play crucial ecological roles in seed dispersal and vegetation regeneration within the Amazon rainforest.

Although there is currently no species monitoring in the Sucúa Conservation Area, this area harbors vulnerable species that are considered crucial for immediate protection. For example, the Humboldt’s woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha) is listed as vulnerable due to habitat destruction, hunting, illegal trade, and population growth. According to reports from the Nature and Culture technical team, species monitoring should be included in the future management plan for the area.

Protection of water sources

The area also safeguards crucial water sources and preserves local water supplies for the residents of Sucúa, Santa Marianita de Jesús, and Asunción.

Protecting water sources is essential for the Indigenous communities of the area, such as the Shuar communities of Km 20, San Marcos, and Uwe. These communities contribute to the care and preservation of the conservation area daily, working diligently to mitigate the major threats to the area, including deforestation from the expansion of agricultural and livestock activities.

Significant Progress in Conservation and Sustainable Use in Sucúa Region

This new protected area has been a work in progress since May 2022. The Municipal Government of Sucúa, with technical support from Nature and Culture and financing from Andes Amazon Fund, led the process of identifying potential areas for conservation and sustainable use within the region. This process included the involvement of key stakeholders in the territory, such as local and Indigenous communities. The team designed a technical document and ordinance, and pre-legislative consultations were conducted with the different local communities and Indigenous nationalities.

As a result, on December 14, 2023, the council unanimously decided to establish the Sucúa Conservation and Sustainable Use Area. Nature and Culture technician, Lizbeth Abarca, highlighted the importance of this area for the region and emphasized the need to implement a management plan and protect and conserve the natural resources of the area.

“When we spoke to the communities during the initial phases of the project, different people mentioned that the conservation of the area was important to them. They have all witnessed a decrease in the flow of rivers and streams that they have known their whole lives. Therefore, the protection of water sources is key for this area, as well as ensuring the quality of water reaching the homes in the Sucúa region.”

Lizbeth Abarca