The biodiversity of Colombia is the variety of indigenous organisms in the country with the second-highest biodiversity in the world. [1] As of 2021, around 63,000 species are registered in Colombia, of which 14% are endemic. The country occupies worldwide the first position in number of orchids, birds and butterflies, second position in plants, amphibians and fresh water fish, third place in species of palm trees and reptiles and globally holds the sixth position in biodiversity of mammals. [2]
The country hosts 59 nationally designated protected areas. At the establishment of the most recent addition, Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said "Biodiversity is to Colombia, what oil is for the Arabs". [3] [4]
In 2020, according to the Colombian Biodiversity Information System, 63,303 species were registered in the country, [5] of which more than 8,800 are considered endemic species. [6] [7] [8] The country occupies the first position in the world in number of orchid and bird species, second in plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palm and reptile species, and fourth in mammalian biodiversity.
According to a report by the WWF, half of Colombia's ecosystems are in a critical state of deterioration or in a state of danger. The organization said that environmental degradation is due to oil extraction, mineral and metal extraction and deforestation. Deteriorating ecosystems are threatening the existence of more than a third of Colombia's plants and 50 percent of its animals. [9]
Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources has been collecting biodiversity samples. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2,530 species of 1,289 genera, and 323 families from Colombian biodiversity have been stored in its archives. [10]
Colombia is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world. [7] The country in northwestern South America contains 311 types of coastal and continental ecosystems. [1] As of the beginning of 2021, a total of between 63,000 and 71,000 species are registered in the country, [8] [5] with 8803 endemic species, representing near the 14% of the total registered species. [6] Colombia is the country with the most páramos in the world; more than 60% of the Andean ecosystem is found within Colombian territories. [11] Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located. [12] Since December 20, 2014, Colombia hosts 59 protected areas. [13] The biodiversity is highest in the Andean natural region, followed by the Amazon natural region. [14] Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources in the country has been collecting samples of biodiversity. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2530 species from 1289 genera, and 323 families of the Colombian biodiversity have been stored in their archives. [15]
The biodiversity of Colombia is at risk, mainly because of habitat loss, urbanisation, deforestation and overfishing. [16] According to a study of 2001, 260,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of forested area is lost every year. [17] Around 1300 species are critically endangered, and 509 species are introduced in Colombia, 22 of which are classified as invasive species in Colombia. [2] Various plans to address the environmental issues are proposed. [18] The National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) is the administrator of protected areas.
Class | Group | Pos | Species |
---|---|---|---|
Vertebrates | Mammals (list, primates) | 4 | 492 |
Birds (list, endemic) | 1 | 1941 | |
Reptiles (list, lizards, snakes) | 3 | 537 | |
Amphibians | 2 | 803 | |
Marine fish | 2000 | ||
Freshwater fish (Magdalena River) | 1435 | ||
Invertebrates (arthropods) | Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) | 1 | 3274 |
Ants | 900 | ||
Marine molluscs | 1250 | ||
Marine sponges | 1250 | ||
Corals | 139 | ||
Marine decapods | 560 | ||
Echinoderms | 296 | ||
Terrestrial molluscs | 650 | ||
Beetles | 7000 | ||
Arachnids | 1089 | ||
Bees | 398 | ||
Diptera | 3153 | ||
Flora (endemic) | Flowering plants | 22,840 | |
Flowerless plants | 45 | ||
Orchids (endemic) | 1 | 4270 | |
Ferns and relatives | 1643 | ||
Palm trees | 3 | 289 | |
Mosses and relatives | 1649 | ||
Algae | Terrestrial algae | 1030 | |
Marine algae | 565 | ||
Fungi | Lichen | 1674 | |
Macrofungi | 1239 | ||
Rusts | 327 | ||
Smuts | 71 | ||
To commemorate the biodiversity of Colombia, the coins of the Colombian peso introduced in 2012 feature a species each. [19]
Colombia is divided into six natural regions.
Surface area | 132,288 km2 (51,077 sq mi) | ||
Departments | |||
National parks | |||
Biodiversity | aquatic birds | 165 | |
amphibians | 39 | ||
reptiles | 129 | ||
plants | 3151 | ||
fish | 109 | ||
References |
Surface area | 282,540 km2 (109,090 sq mi) | ||
Departments | |||
National parks | |||
Biodiversity | aquatic birds | 14 | |
amphibians | 485 | ||
reptiles | 220 | ||
plants | 11,500 | ||
fish | 197 | ||
References |
Surface area | 285,437 km2 (110,208 sq mi) | ||
Departments | |||
National parks | La Macarena Los Picachos Tinigua El Tuparro | ||
Biodiversity | aquatic birds | 92 | |
amphibians | 57 | ||
reptiles | 119 | ||
plants | 2692 | ||
fish | 619 | ||
References |
Surface area | 483,911 km2 (186,839 sq mi) | ||
Departments | |||
National parks | |||
Biodiversity | aquatic birds | 74 | |
amphibians | 158 | ||
reptiles | 195 | ||
plants | 5300 | ||
fish | 675 | ||
References |
Surface area | 83,170 km2 (32,110 sq mi) | ||
Departments | Cauca Chocó Nariño Valle del Cauca | ||
National parks | Los Katíos Sanquianga Uramba Bahía Málaga Utría | ||
Biodiversity | aquatic birds | 142 | |
amphibians | 154 | ||
reptiles | 177 | ||
plants | 4525 | ||
fish | 164 | ||
References |
Surface area | 300 km2 (120 sq mi) | ||
Departments | Bolívar Cauca San Andrés y Providencia Valle del Cauca | ||
National parks | Corales del Rosario Malpelo Old Providence Gorgona | ||
Biodiversity | Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo | ||
fish | 170 | ||
corals | 52 | ||
sponges | 25 | ||
molluscs & crustaceans | 100s | ||
Gorgona Island | |||
fish | Pseudobatos prahli | ||
Trichomycterus gorgona | |||
Malpelo Island | |||
fish | Acanthemblemaria stephensi | ||
Halichoeres malpelo | |||
Old Providence Lagoon | |||
birds | 74 | ||
References |
Colombia hosts two biodiversity hotspots; the Tropical Andes and Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena. The country is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves with five biosphere reserves: [26]
Name | Since | First review | Second review | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cinturón Andino | 1979 | 2001 | 2011 | ||
El Tuparro | 1979 | 2001 | 2011 | ||
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta | 1979 | 2001 | 2011 | ||
Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta | 2000 | 2011 | |||
Seaflower | 2000 | 2011 |
Name | Species | Image |
---|---|---|
Cattleya trianae national flower | ||
wax palm | Ceroxylon quindiuense national tree | |
lulo | Solanum quitoense national fruit | |
borojó | Alibertia patinoi | |
Ancipitia anthrax | ||
Comparettia macroplectron | ||
Dracula bella | ||
Dracula diabola | ||
Dracula lotax | ||
Erythroxylum novogranatense | ||
frailejón | Espeletia killipii | |
Heliconia bourgaeana | ||
Hypericum myricariifolium | ||
Ipomoea pes-caprae | ||
Lepanthes ophelma | ||
Lupinus alopecuroides | ||
Masdevallia mejiana | ||
Miconia salicifolia | ||
Monnina salicifolia | ||
Odontoglossum crispum | ||
Opuntia wentiana | ||
Paphinia rugosa | ||
Paphinia seegeri | ||
Passiflora loefgrenii | ||
Pentacalia vernicosa | ||
Phragmipedium schlimii | ||
color-changing Restrepia | Restrepia chameleon | |
copper-coloured Restrepia | Restrepia cuprea | |
Restrepia nittiorhyncha | ||
Restrepia pandurata | ||
Senecio formosoides | ||
Stanhopea platyceras | ||
Stanhopea pozoi | ||
Stanhopea shuttleworthii | ||
Stanhopea stevensonii | ||
Name | Species | Image |
---|---|---|
Cookeina tricholoma | ||
Favolus brasiliensis | ||
Oudemansiella platensis | ||
The fauna of Nicaragua is characterized by a very high level of biodiversity. Much of Nicaragua's wildlife lives in protected areas. There are currently 78 protected areas in Nicaragua, covering more than 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 sq mi), or about 17% of its landmass.
Pristimantis caryophyllaceus is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama; records from Colombia prior to 2010 refer to Pristimantis educatoris. However, taxonomy of Pristimantis caryophyllaceus and P. educatoris remain unsettled, and many sources continue to report Pristimantis caryophyllaceus from Colombia.
Elachistocleis panamensis is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is found in Colombia and Panama. It is common in some areas in Panama but not considered common in Colombia. It lives in open grassy areas, occasionally within forests, and can also be found in pastures and arable land. It breeds in ponds.
Guettarda comata is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. The type was collected in Department of Loreto, Peru. This species occurs also in Colombia.
Cuchillas del Toa is a Biosphere Reserve in Cuba. It is located in the eastern part of the country, mostly in the Guantánamo Province and reaching to the north into the Holguín Province. Most of the reserve is established in the drainage area of the Toa River, which flows for 118 km (73 mi) to the Atlantic Ocean in Baracoa.
Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park is a national natural park in Uribia, La Guajira, Colombia. The northernmost national park of mainland South America is located at the Caribbean coast of the La Guajira peninsula in Bahía Portete, between Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas. Established on December 20, 2014, it is the most recently designated national park of the country. As of 2017, 59 nationally defined protected areas are incorporated in Colombia. The park hosts a high number of marine and terrestrial species.
This is a list of topics in biodiversity.
Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa, also known as Macizo Nipe Sagua Baracoa, is a mountain range of eastern Cuba.
San Pedro Mártir is the name of an island of Mexico, located in the Gulf of California, about halfway between the coast of Baja California and Sonora. San Pedro Mártir is located in the center of the Gulf of California and is the most remote island in the Sea of Cortez. It is located 51 km from Baja California and 53 km off the coast of Sonora. The island is 2 km long and 1.5 km maximum width, with a total of 2,729 km2 of total area. The island is uninhabited by humans and is 60 km from Bahía Kino, the nearest city in the state of Sonora on the west coast.
La Conejera is a wetland, part of the Wetlands of Bogotá, located in the locality Suba, Bogotá, Colombia. The wetland, in the Juan Amarillo River basin on the Bogotá savanna covers an area of 58.9 hectares.
Santa María del Lago is a wetland, part of the Wetlands of Bogotá, located in the locality Engativá, Bogotá, Colombia. The wetland on the Bogotá savanna covers an area of 12 hectares, of which 4 hectares water.
The Mapimí Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in the state of Durango in northern Mexico. It is one of three biosphere reserves representing the Chihuahuan Desert. The 342,388 hectares (1,321.97 sq mi) reserve is situated between the Neotropical and Nearctic biogeographic realms, in the Bolsón de Mapimí 1,150 metres (3,770 ft) above sea level. It contains three core areas in the Sierra de la Campana, the Laguna de las Palomas, a salt lagoon, and a desert habitat called Dunas de la Soledad. It comprises fragile warm desert and semi-desert ecosystems and rich, highly adapted but vulnerable plant systems, mainly xerophytic matorral scrub, and animal species such as the puma, mule deer, sandhill crane and the kit fox or zorrita del desiert along with scrub and desert grasslands.
The Volcán Tacaná Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at the Tacaná Volcano in Chiapas, Mexico, on the border with Guatemala. The volcano is part of the Central America Volcanic Arc. The 6,378 hectares (24.63 sq mi) reserve contains fragile ecosystems very rich in wild flora and fauna species of cultural, scientific, economic and biological relevance. Its rich biodiversity and high endemism are found particularly in the high mountain ecosystem and landscapes and in the volcanic edifice which presents geophysical features of great scientific and aesthetic value. Average annual rainfall can amount to 2,000–5,000 millimetres (79–197 in), as in the case of Soconusco.
La Florida is a wetland and park known as the Parque Metropolitano La Florida. La Florida is located across the Bogotá River from Jaboque wetland in the municipality Funza, Cundinamarca, close to Cota. La Florida does not belong to the protected wetlands of Bogotá.
Brigitte Luis Guillermo Baptiste, is a Colombian cultural landscape ecologist and an expert on environmental issues and biodiversity in Colombia. She is a member of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of the Intergovernmental Science and Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and has been part of the national representation to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. She served as director of the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute from 2011 until 2019. In September 2019, Baptiste became the director of Universidad Ean. She considers that queerness and ecology are linked together.
Maulino forest is a forest type naturally growing in the Chilean Coast Range of Central Chile from latitude 35°55 to 36°20 S. The forest grows in the transition zone between Mediterranean climate and humid temperate climate. Precipitation varies from 1000 to 700 mm/a and is concentrated in winter. According to geographers Humberto Fuenzalida and Edmundo Pisano the forest is one of mesophytes on the transition zone of temperate rain forests.