Maquipucuna

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Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve
Maquipucuna Reserve mountains.jpg
Equador physical map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Ecuador
Choco-Andean Rainforest Corridor; Pichincha Province, Quito Canton
Nearest cityQuito
Coordinates 0°00′N78°21′W / 0°N 78.35°W / 0; -78.35 Coordinates: 0°00′N78°21′W / 0°N 78.35°W / 0; -78.35
Area6,000 hectares (15,000 acres)
Established1987

Maquipucuna is a 6,000 hectare (14,820 acre) cloud forest reserve in Ecuador. Located in the Pichincha Province, it is the closest pristine rainforest to Quito, Ecuador's capital. The reserve consists of primary and secondary montane rain forest and cloud forest. [1] The Maquipucuna Reserve is located in the parish of Nanegal, within the Metropolitan District of Quito.

Contents

Life

The reserve includes four different habitat zones, from 900 to 2,785 meters above sea level, and is home to a vast diversity of flora and fauna. Located within the Chocó-Andean Corridor, it is in an area known by scientists as one of the world's top five biodiversity hotspots. [2]

Birds

Maquipucuna harbors 4% of the world's bird biodiversity, including the toucan barbet, cock-of-the-rock, plate-billed mountain toucan, lanceolated monklet, Esmeraldas antbird, red-headed barbet, and golden-headed quetzal. [3]

Mammals

At least 45 different species of mammals, such as the armadillo, anteater, agouti, kinkajou, puma, and 19 species of bats have been sighted. [4] South America's only surviving bear species, the Andean bear, can be found in Maquipucuna during the fruiting season of a small avocado (November and December). The bear is classified as vulnerable, largely due to habitat loss. [5]

Amphibians

Frog Hyloxalus maquipucuna was described from Maquipucuna in 1995, is named after it, and is still only known from the reserve. [6] [7]

Plants

More than 2,000 species of plants have been identified in the reserve. Because of its immense plant diversity, Dr Grady L Webster termed Maquipucuna 'the crown jewel of the Andes' and Quito, the "world capital of biodiversity'.

History

Archaeological studies indicate the pre-Incan Yumbos people once inhabited the land that is today Maquipucuna. There are pathways, burial mounds, and ceramics that can still be found in the area. [8] The main pre-Inca trail found at Maquipucuna is believed to lead to Cachillacta, or the land of salt. The Maquipucuna area was very important before colonial times, circa 1500 BC, because it was arguably the main sources of salt for the chiefdom in Quito.

Related Research Articles

Spectacled bear Species of mammal

The spectacled bear, also known as the Andean bear, Andean short-faced bear, or mountain bear and locally as jukumari, ukumari (Quechua) or ukuku, is the last remaining short-faced bear. Its closest relatives are the extinct Florida spectacled bear, and the giant short-faced bears of the Middle to Late Pleistocene age. Spectacled bears are the only surviving species of bear native to South America, and the only surviving member of the subfamily Tremarctinae. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN because of habitat loss.

Tropical Andes

The Tropical Andes is northern of the three climate-delineated parts of the Andes, the others being the Dry Andes and the Wet Andes. The Tropical Andes' area spans 1,542,644 km2 (595,618 sq mi).

<i>Rhaebo caeruleostictus</i> Species of amphibian

Rhaebo caeruleostictus is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and occurs along the lower western slope of the Cordillera Occidental at elevations of 40–2,000 m (130–6,560 ft) asl. The specific name caeruleostictus, from Latin caeruleus (=blue) and Greek stiktos (spotted), refers to the bluish colour pattern of this species. Accordingly, common name blue-spotted toad has been coined for it.

Hyloxalus awa is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and known from the western Andean slopes and the western Pacific lowlands.

Hyloxalus elachyhistus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found in southern Ecuador and northern Peru, in the Huancabamba Depression and south to Cajabamba Province.

Hyloxalus exasperatus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and found on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Pastaza and Morona-Santiago Provinces. However, it is suggested that specimens from Pastaza represent a different, possibly undescribed species.

Hyloxalus fallax is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and only known from the region of its type locality in the Cotopaxi Province, on the western slopes of the Andes. Common name Cotopaxi rocket frog has been coined for this species.

Hyloxalus fuliginosus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It may be endemic to Ecuador where it is known from the Amazonian slopes of the Andes in the northern Ecuador, with some sources reporting it from Colombia and Venezuela.

Hyloxalus infraguttatus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found on the Pacific slopes of Ecuadorian Andes at elevations of 70–1,500 m (230–4,920 ft) asl.

Hyloxalus lehmanni is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found widely in Colombia from Antioquia southwards to northern Ecuador.

Hyloxalus maquipucuna is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador where it is only known from its type locality in the Maquipucuna reserve, in the Pichincha Province. Its name is a reference to this reserve.

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.

Hyloxalus mystax is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador where it is only known from its type locality on the Cordillera del Cóndor at 1,830 m (6,000 ft) asl. It is a little known species not observed since 1972.

<i>Hyloxalus nexipus</i> Species of frog

Hyloxalus nexipus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found on eastern slopes and foothills of the Andes from southeastern Ecuador south to the region of Yurimaguas in Peru.

Hyloxalus peculiaris is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador where it is only known from its type locality, "Pailas" in the Morona-Santiago Province, on the eastern slope of the Andes. Its natural habitats are cloud forests. It is threatened by habitat loss, and the forest at the type locality was already fragmented in 1996.

Hyloxalus pulchellus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae from northern Ecuador and southern Colombia. Colombina source does not include Nariño but does include Putumayo Department.

Hyloxalus sauli is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found on the eastern Andean slopes in Putumayo, Colombia, and in Sucumbíos, Napo, Orellana, and Pastaza Provinces, Ecuador. It is named after William Saul from the University of Kansas Natural History Museum.

Hyloxalus shuar is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and occurs on the eastern slopes of the Andes. Common names Santiago rocket frog and Shuar rocket frog have been proposed for it.

Hyloxalus vertebralis is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to southern Ecuador and occurs in the inter-Andean valleys and on the western slopes of the Andes. Its natural habitats are cloud forests, ponds in open areas, and streams. It is threatened by habitat loss, though its recent decline is probably caused by chytridiomycosis.

Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve

The Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve is a 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) certified conservation area on the North-Western slopes of the Andean mountain range and is located 52 km from the Ecuadorian capital city of Quito. The lodge itself comprises guest rooms, 10 km of walking trails and the four storey geodesic dome, which contains a restaurant, viewing platforms and further accommodation. The Reserve was first established in 1991 by a British/Colombian couple. The area won the Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the Americas in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Maquipucuna Reserve" Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine , University of Georgia , Retrieved on 27 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Sacred Earth Travel" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on 27 September 2012
  3. ↑ "Welcome to Maquipucuna". Retrieved on 22 enero 2013
  4. ↑ "45 different mammals" Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on 22 enero 2013
  5. ↑ "Spectacled Bear". Retrieved on 22 enero 2013
  6. ↑ Coloma, L.A. & Ron, S. (2004). "Hyloxalus maquipucuna". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004: e.T55109A11251610. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T55109A11251610.en . Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  7. ↑ Coloma, L. A.; Ortiz, D. A. & Frenkel, C. (2010). "Hyloxalus maquipucuna". Ron, S. R., Guayasamin, J. M., Yanez-Muñoz, M. H., Merino-Viteri, A., Ortiz, D. A. and Nicolalde, D. A. 2014. AmphibiaWebEcuador. Version 2014.0. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ). Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Justicia, Fernando. "Maquipucuna Reserve" Archived 2013-10-22 at the Wayback Machine , Planeta , Retrieved on 27 September 2012.
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