The biomes of Ecuador make up the entire natural landscape and fauna of Ecuador. Ecuador is one of the countries with the greatest wealth of flora and fauna. This country is considered one of the best preserved in the world, in terms of the environment..
In addition, it is the State with the greatest variety of species in the Latin American region and is one of the 10 countries with the highest endemism (distribution of species in a limited area) in the world. This country encompasses four natural regions; their biomes are varied and include a great diversity of species.
Among the biomes that can be found in this South American country are: the equatorial dry forest, the equatorial tropical forest, the mangrove swamp and the ocean biome.
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The dry forest biome, specifically that of the equatorial dry forest, extends along the coast of Ecuador and its coastal mountain range. It goes from the city of Esmeraldas to the province of Guayas. For this reason, it occupies a representative part of the South American country.
This type of biome presents precipitations between 300 mm and 1,500 mm. A dry forest biome subtype known as the Tumbes-Piura dry forest biome can also be found. The levels of precipitation of this subtype are lower than that of the previous biome, ranging between 100 mm and 500 mm.
Another of the biomes that occur in Ecuador is that of the jungle or tropical forest, especially that of the equatorial tropical forest..
This type of biome is characterized by presenting a significant level of rainfall that is between 2,000 mm and 5,000 mm each year; in addition, it has average temperatures.
With regard to the biome subtypes that are derived from the jungle, the equatorial tropical forest biome is the largest and most important in the entire territory of the country..
The predominant vegetation in the areas of Ecuador where the equatorial rainforest biome can be found is that which has wide and evergreen leaves, such as epiphytic plants..
The biome in question is one of the most biodiversely rich on the planet, so the vegetation of the countries where it is found, such as Ecuador, has a great variety of species.
Hundreds of tree species live in these areas. In addition, monocotyledonous plants (with a single seed) and ferns present great variations in their forms.
Orchids, lianas, vines, mangroves, daisies and tulips are only a small part of the diversity that this South American country has in regards to its plant population.
This type of biome allows the fauna present in Ecuador to also be rich and varied. For this reason, Ecuador is the country with the greatest variety of species in the Latin American region and is one of the 10 states with the greatest endemism in the world..
Despite being a country with such extensive biodiversity, the areas with this type of biome have few large mammals due to the density of the forests. However, some species (such as primates) have a fairly large population in Ecuador.
It is also possible to find smaller mammals such as tree shrews, squirrels, guinea pigs, sloths and deer. As for birds, pigeons, parrots, toucans, hummingbirds and cotingas, they are some of the species that inhabit the South American country.
On the other hand, among the reptiles and amphibians that inhabit this region of South America it is possible to appreciate lizards, snakes and a great diversity of frog species.
In addition, the presence of water in the equatorial rainforest biomes gives the possibility that a great variety of aquatic animals inhabit these areas of Ecuador..
Another type of biome that can be found in Ecuador is the mangrove, which is distributed in the vicinity of the coast to the west of the country, like the dry forest biome. The tallest mangroves in the world can be found north of the Esmeraldas province.
It is a formation of trees that are tolerant to the levels of salt found in intertidal areas near freshwater mouths. The intertidal zones are part of the coastline that is located between the known levels of the maximum and minimum tides.
These spaces are home to a great biological diversity that has high levels of productivity; bird and aquatic species are predominant in these areas.
Thanks to the presence of the mangroves, the coasts are protected against wind erosion and against the waves. In addition, they serve as a host for a significant number of organisms that live near water, such as amphibians and some terrestrial animals..
Many migratory birds also stay in the mangroves of Ecuador for a long time. Several of these species inhabit the mangroves of the Galapagos National Park, famous for the great diversity of animals it houses, both endemic and invasive..
The biological wealth that these islands possess made them worthy of being included by UNESCO in this national park in the list of World Heritage Sites..
Another of the biomes that can be found in Ecuador is the oceanic one. The climate of this type of zone is temperate and its main characteristic is the moderate temperatures and the abundant rainfall that is generated by its proximity to the ocean..
The annual thermal oscillation of this type of biome is slight. Ecuador shares the characteristic climate of the oceanic biome with countries such as: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, United Kingdom, Ireland or Denmark.
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