Llanganates National Park

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Llanganates National Park
Vertiente en los paramos del llanganates - panoramio.jpg
High elevation páramo at Llanganates NP
Equador physical map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Ecuador
Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province, Pastaza Province and Tungurahua Province.
Coordinates 1°8′0″S78°14′0″W / 1.13333°S 78.23333°W / -1.13333; -78.23333 Coordinates: 1°8′0″S78°14′0″W / 1.13333°S 78.23333°W / -1.13333; -78.23333
Area219,707 ha
EstablishedJanuary 18, 1996

Llanganates National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Llanganates) is a protected area in Ecuador situated in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province, Pastaza Province and Tungurahua Province. Located within the park is Cerro Hermoso ("beautiful mountain"), a 4570 meter high peak that is a popular hiking destination. The park is famous for the Treasure of the Llanganatis.

Contents

The park can be accessed from a number of directions, but visitors usually come through towns such as Salcedo, Patate, Pillaro, Baños, and Rio Verde.

Ecology

The park is divided into two ecological zones, the western zone and the eastern zone. The western zone is located in the Andean páramo, high above the eastern zone, containing a deserted landscape of mountainous peaks and high valleys. The area is populated mainly by South American camelids like vicuñas, llamas and alpacas.

The eastern zone is located on the eastern flanks of the Andes, with montane forests characterized by a rich diversity of plants and animals among the twisted forests of the upper Amazon. This area is highly unreachable, and is usually traversed only by foot. The large number of rivers, emptying out the Andes also makes this area difficult to cross. In recent years, several new species of plants have been discovered here, including several species of rare Andean Magnolia . [1] [2] [3] [4]

Exploration

In 2013, explorers from Ecuador, Britain, France, and America discovered and unearthed a 260 ft tall by 260 ft wide structure, made up of hundreds of two-ton stone blocks, and believe there could be more, similar constructions over an area of about a square mile. The area is 20 miles from the town of Baños but the trek takes around eight hours through swampy and mountainous jungle. The area of discovery is at an altitude of 8,500 ft above sea level and in cloud forest. [5]

Related Research Articles

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Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 to 340 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baños de Agua Santa</span> Place in Tungurahua, Ecuador

Baños de Agua Santa, commonly referred to as Baños, is a city in eastern Tungurahua Province of Ecuador. Baños is the second most populous city in Tungurahua, after the capital Ambato, and is a major tourist center. Baños is known as the "Gateway to the Amazon," as it is the last city still located in the mountain region before reaching the jungle and other towns that are located in the Amazon River basin.

Píllaro is a city in Ecuador, located in the province of Tungurahua. It is the capital of the Píllaro Canton and stands about 19 km northeast of Ambato, the provincial capital.

Pentacalia millei is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Hyloxalus marmoreoventris is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and only known from its type locality on the eastern slope of the Andes in the Tungurahua Province. It is a little known species which possibly has not been observed after it was first described.

Hecistopteris pinnatifida is a fern species in the Vittarioideae subfamily of the Pteridaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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References

  1. Vázquez-García, J.-Antonio; Neill, David A.; Asanza, Mercedes (2015-06-22). "Magnolia vargasiana (Magnoliaceae), a new Andean species and a key to Ecuadorian species of subsection Talauma, with notes on its pollination biology". Phytotaxa. 217 (1): 26. doi: 10.11646/phytotaxa.217.1.2 . ISSN   1179-3163.
  2. OROZCO, CLARA INÉS; PÉREZ, ÁLVARO J.; ROMOLEROUX, KATYA; ALDANA, JOSÉ MURILLO (2017-06-30). "The discovery of a new species of Brunellia (Brunelliaceae) with ephemeral petals from Llanganates National Park, Ecuador". Phytotaxa. 311 (3): 263. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.311.3.6. ISSN   1179-3163.
  3. Vázquez-García, J. Antonio; Neill, David A.; Recalde, Fausto; Asanza, Mercedez (2016-09-08). "Magnolia llanganatensis (Subsect. Talauma, Magnoliaceae), una especie nueva de Tungurahua y clave para las especies de Magnolia de Ecuador". Botanical Sciences. 94 (3): 593. doi: 10.17129/botsci.435 . ISSN   2007-4476.
  4. VÁZQUEZ-GARCÍA, J.-ANTONIO; NEILL, DAVID A.; SHALISKO, VIACHESLAV; ARROYO, FRANK; MERINO-SANTI, R. EFRÉN (2018-05-04). "Magnolia mercedesiarum (subsect. Talauma, Magnoliaceae): a new Andean species from northern Ecuador, with insights into its potential distribution". Phytotaxa. 348 (4): 254. doi: 10.11646/phytotaxa.348.4.2 . ISSN   1179-3163.
  5. Copping, Jasper (15 Dec 2013). "Explorers hot on the trail of Atahualpa and the Treasure of the Llanganates". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 June 2014.