The Northwestern Andean montane forests (NT0145) is an ecoregion on the Andes mountains in the west of Colombia and Ecuador. Both flora and fauna are highly diverse due to effect of ice ages when the warmer climate zones were separated and the cooler ones combined, and interglacial periods when the reverse occurred. Because the environment is hospitable to humans, the habitat has been drastically modified by farming and grazing since the Pre-Columbian era.
The Northwestern Andean montane forests ecoregion extends along the Cordillera Occidental (Western Range) of the Andes in Colombia and the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador. It covers an area of 8,132,562 hectares (20,096,000 acres).[2]
The ecoregion covers the western range of the Andes with a wide band of elevations including isolated peaks and massifs at the upper levels.[4]
Climate
The ecoregion is within the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, and its climate is humid and tropical. Rainfall averages 2,000 to 4,000 mm/year, but can decrease to 1,000 to 2,000 mm at higher altitudes.[5]
At a sample location at coordinates 2°15′N77°45′W / 2.25°N 77.75°W / 2.25; -77.75 the Köppen climate classification is Af: equatorial, fully humid.[6] Mean temperatures range from 25.8°C (78.4°F) in November to 26.4°C (79.5°F) in March. Total annual rainfall is about 3,300 millimetres (130in). Monthly rainfall ranges from 179.8 millimetres (7.08in) in August to 332.3 millimetres (13.08in) in June.[6]
The cooling during glacial periods isolated plants and animals adapted to warmer climates into isolated pockets, while the cooler zones expanded and became connected. During the warmer inter-glacial periods the warmer zones rose higher and reconnected, while the cooler zones became isolated. The result was steady formation of new species, creating high levels both of diversity and endemism.[4]
Flora
The flora of the ecoregion have been the subject of many studies, in South America second only to the Northern Andean páramo and High Monte ecoregions.[8] About 50% of the ecoregion's flora is strictly endemic.[4] The flowering plant species are very diverse, with as many as 300 species in a single 1 hectare (2.5 acres) tract.[7] The main plant communities grow in elevational belts. Species richness generally decreases at higher elevations.[5]
Premontane forests grow between approximately 1000 and 2000 meters elevation, and lower montane forests extend from approximately 2000 to 2800 meters elevation. These forests are also known as sub-Andean forests, with a canopy height of 25 meters or more, which generally decreases with increasing elevation.[5]
The upper montane forests extend from 2800 up to 4000 meters elevation. These forests, also known as elfin forests or cloud forests, have a canopy 15 to 20 meters tall. The epiphyte and understory plant flora is diverse and includes many endemic species of mosses, ferns, aroids, bromeliads, melastomes, and orchids.[5]
↑ Kappelle, M., Cleef, A. M., & Chaverri, A. (1992). Phytogeography of Talamanca Montane Quercus Forests, Costa Rica. Journal of Biogeography, 19(3), 299–315. https://doi.org/10.2307/2845453
Feeley, K. (2015), "Are We Filling the Data Void? An Assessment of the Amount and Extent of Plant Collection Records and Census Data Available for Tropical South America", PLOS ONE, 10 (4: e0125629): e0125629, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0125629, PMC4416035, PMID25927831
Atelopus glyphus, the Pirri harlequin frog or Pirri Range stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae found in Colombia and Panama within the Northwestern Andean montane forests. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.
The Patía Valley dry forests (NT0225) is an ecoregion in southwestern Colombia. It covers a dry valley surrounded by mountains. The original habitat has mostly been destroyed by human activity, although a few pockets remain.
The Magdalena Valley dry forests (NT0221) is an ecoregion in Colombia along the upper Magdalena River, a large river that runs from south to north between the two main cordilleras of the Andes. There are many endemic species, but much of the original habitat has been destroyed by agriculture and over-grazing, mainly by goats. The habitat is not protected by any national park, and is at risk of complete destruction.
The Northern Andean páramo (NT1006) is an ecoregion containing páramo vegetation above the treeline in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. In the past, when the climate was cooler, the treeline and the páramo units were lower and the units were connected. During the present warmer Holocene epoch the páramos have migrated uphill, shrinking and becoming isolated. They contain many rare or endangered species, some of them restricted to a narrow area of one mountain or mountain range. The ecoregion is relatively well preserved, but faces threats from over-grazing and farming.
The Santa Marta páramo (NT1007) is an ecoregion containing páramo vegetation above the treeline in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The isolated position of the range has allowed unique species to evolve. Some are related to those found in Central America and the Caribbean coastal areas, and some to species from the Andes. The habitat is relatively stable, but has been drastically changed from the original by long-term human activity.
The Cordillera Central páramo (NT1004) is an ecoregion containing páramo vegetation above the treeline in the Andes mountain range of northern Peru and southern Ecuador. Due to its isolation there are high levels of endemism. Despite many human settlements and some destruction of habitat by agriculture and mining, the ecoregion is relatively intact.
The Cordillera de Merida páramo (NT1004) is an ecoregion containing páramo vegetation above the treeline in the Andes mountain range of Venezuela. The isolated habitat has many endemic species. It is relatively stable and intact.
The Venezuelan Andes montane forests (NT0175) is an ecoregion in the northern arm of the Andes in Venezuela. It contains montane and cloud forests, reaching up to the high-level Cordillera de Merida páramo high moor ecoregion. The forests are home to many endemic species of flora and fauna. Their lower levels are threatened by migrant farmers, who clear patches of forest to grow crops, then move on.
The Cordillera Oriental montane forests (NT0118) is an ecoregion in Venezuela and Colombia along the east slopes of the eastern cordillera of the Andes. The extensive region of submontane and montane forests includes distinctive flora and fauna in the north, center and southern sections. The ecoregion is home to numerous endemic species of fauna. Despite extensive changes due to logging, farming and ranching, large areas of the original habitat remain intact, and the ecoregion has rich biodiversity.
The Chocó–Darién moist forests (NT0115) is an ecoregion in the west of Colombia and east of Panama. The region has extremely high rainfall, and the forests hold great biodiversity. The northern and southern parts of the ecoregion have been considerably modified for ranching and farming, and there are threats from logging for paper pulp, uncontrolled gold mining, coca growing and industrialisation, but the central part of the ecoregion is relatively intact.
The Magdalena Valley montane forests (NT0136) is an ecoregion in the Andes mountains of central Colombia.
The Cauca Valley montane forests (NT0109) is an ecoregion in western Colombia. It covers the sides of the Cauca Valley, which runs from south to north between the Central and Western Ranges (cordilleras) of the Colombian Andes. The ecoregion is home to very diverse fauna and flora, due in part to its varied elevations and climates, in part to its position near the isthmus of Panama, the route along which North American species invaded South America and then diversified as they moved to the upper parts of the Andes. Little of the original habitat remains at lower levels, but higher up there are sizeable blocks of forest, some of which are protected.
The Santa Marta montane forests (NT0159) is an ecoregion in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a massif on the Caribbean coast of northern Colombia. The ecoregion covers altitudes from near sea level up to around 3,300 metres (10,827 ft), where it gives way to Santa Marta páramo. The isolation of the massif and the range of elevations and climates has resulted in a wide variety of species including many endemics. The lower levels contained tropical rainforest, which has largely been cleared. Higher up, this gives way to cloud forest. Much of this has also been cleared for coffee plantations, pasture for sheep and cattle, and farming.
The Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests (NT0121) is an ecoregion in the eastern range of the Andes of southern Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. The ecoregion covers the eastern slopes of the Andes, and includes montane forest that rises from the Amazonian rain forest, with cloud forest and elfin forest at higher elevations. It is rich in species, including many endemics. It is threatened by logging and conversion for pasturage and subsistence agriculture.
The Western Ecuador Moist Forests (NT0178), also known as the Pacific Forest of Ecuador, is an ecoregion in the plains and western foothills of the Andes of southern Colombia and Ecuador. At one time this region contained dense forests with highly diverse flora and fauna, and many endemic species. Most of the original habitat has now been destroyed, and the ecoregion is one of the most threatened in the world.
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