Connecting Ecosystems from the Andes to the Amazon
12/16/2020
Strategic Area:
Wild Places -
Content Type: Blog
Country:
Ecuador - Peru -
Thanks to you, 56,327 acres are now protected in the Amazon.
Nature and Culture International celebrates the creation of a new protected area in the Ecuadorian Amazon! Encompassing 56,327 acres, Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area connects two important ecosystems: the cloud forests of the eastern Andes and the Amazon plains.
Spanning paramo grassland, cloud forest, and rainforest, Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area contains an impressive variety of wildlife, including significant bird populations of tanagers and hummingbirds. Its vast landscape is home to unique and threatened plant and animal species such as the coppery-chested jacamar (Galbula pastazae), red-hooded tanager (Piranga rubriceps), and cedar tree (Cedrela odorata).
Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area is divided into two blocks in southeast Ecuador. One of the blocks is adjacent to Sangay National Park – known for its majestic volcano. The national park contains over 300 lagoons fed by the volcano’s glaciers. Some of this water is stored in the paramo grassland found in the new conservation area, which flows through the cloud forest and feeds the Amazon River basin. During this journey, the water is used by more than 4,000 inhabitants of the cities of Palora and Cumanda.
The new area is part of the Llanganates- Sangay Ecological Corridor, connecting Sangay National Park with the Provincial Reserve of Pastaza. In linking protected areas, Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area establishes habitat connectivity essential for the long-term survival of far-ranging species such as the jaguar (Panthera onca), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), and brown woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha).
The creation of Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area will legally prevent agricultural expansion in the region. It will protect the area’s forests from deforestation, and safeguard water supplies from pollution from pesticides and fertilizers.
“Thanks to your support, we are able to protect Palora from agricultural expansion and mining activities,” says Jaime Toro, Nature and Culture conservationist. “With the creation of Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area, we are now able to plan the area’s land use and sustainable management to mitigate threats and protect water sources.”
Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area is a result of collaboration between Nature and Culture, the Municipal Decentralized Government of Palora, and local communities. The area was created thanks to financial support from the Andes Amazon Fund, and generous supporters like you!
With your help, Nature and Culture will continue to work with local communities and authorities to develop the area’s management plan to ensure lasting and effective conservation impact. We are currently planning to restore degraded land and install signage in Palora Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area in the near future.
Thank you for making this achievement possible! We hope that this bit of good news inspires you to continue fighting for nature and culture.
