| Fast Facts |
location
65 miles east of Quito
ecoregions
Northern Andean Páramo, Eastern Cordillera Real Montane Forest, Napo Moist Forest
project size
3.6 million acres
public lands
Cayambe-Coca, Antisana and Cofán-Bermejo ecological reserves; Sumaco-Napo Galeras, Cotopaxi and Llanganates national parks
partners
Ministry of Environment, Fundación Antisana, Fundación Rumicocha, EcoCiencia
conservancy initiatives
Freshwater
natural events
lava flows from Antisana Volcano, year-round; bird migrations, September–November and March–May | |
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| From the Andes to the Amazon Basin, the Condor Bioreserve provides water to millions and refuge to its endangered namesake—the Andean condor, national symbol of Ecuador. |
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Páramo and Cayambe Volcano, Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve.
© Kevin Schafer/kevinschafer.com |
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The jagged peaks of the northern Andes brush the clouds in the Condor Bioreserve, reaching 19,730 feet at snow-capped Cotopaxi Volcano. Atop the high plateaus lies the páramo, a rolling grassland unique to the Andes, where indigenous people grow potatoes and where chagras—Andean cowboys—graze cattle and sheep. The endangered spectacled bear, the only bear native to South America, forages on the forested slopes of the Andes, venturing onto the páramo to feed on puya bromeliads. To the east spreads the rain forest of the Amazon.
The bioreserve is home to the largest community of the endangered Andean condor in the world. With a wingspan of up to 12 feet, the condor is the largest flying bird on Earth, using its great wings to ride thermal air currents to heights of 16,000 feet. |
Andean condor.
© Tui de Roy
/Minden Pictures |
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More than 20 rivers originate in the bioreserve and drain into both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Andean highlands and forests are dotted with clear lakes and lagoons; waterfalls are abundant in the Amazon foothills. These systems are the principal source of drinking water for Ecuador’s capital, Quito, and provide hydroelectric power to much of the country
The Condor Bioreserve encompasses six protected areas interspersed with private lands. Two indigenous communities, the Oyacachi and the Sinangóe, live inside the bioreserve and depend on its natural resources for their livelihood. But |
| newcomers and market forces are altering their traditional way of life. The area is readily accessible via the Pan-American Highway, and new roads cut increasingly deeper into the reserve’s heart. As new settlers strive to earn a living, forest is razed for agriculture, ranching and timber; hunters routinely burn the páramos to flush game. | |
Conservation efforts are focused on eliminating ecologically harmful activities on public parkland and establishing corridors for wildlife to travel between reserves. The Nature Conservancy has teamed up with local organizations to train residents to become park rangers and equip them with guard stations, two-way radios and patrol vehicles. The rangers work to reduce poaching, illegal logging and fire within the parks’ boundaries. We are also using funds raised by schoolchildren through our Adopt An Acre program to purchase a pocket of privately owned land nestled between Cayambe-Coca and Antisana ecological reserves, a key step in consolidating protection of the Condor Bioreserve.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work in Ecuador. |
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| Conservation Profile |
targets
Andean páramo, Amazon foothills, cloud forest, Andean forest, spectacled bear, mountain tapir, mountain frogs, river otter
stresses
habitat destruction, incompatible agricultural and forestry practices, poorly planned infrastructure projects, illegal hunting
strategies
engage community, strengthen local institutions, restore ecosystems, promote ecologically compatible land-use practices, encourage conservation management of public and private lands
results
water conservation trust fund established and generating $350,000 annually; 26 park guards trained; private lands conservation program initiated; spectacled bear-tracking program designed and implemented | | | | |
