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Ecuador, which only occupies 0.2 % of the
planet's area but blessed by its tropical location and other
important characteristics, like its altitudinal ranges and a climate
devoid of winter conditions for the most parts, has a very diverse
vegetation (click
to plants in general) with more than 25 000
species of plants present in the country, which represents approximately 10% of all plants
known in the world. |
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One of the most diverse in plants of its many bio-geographical regions are the
tropical rainforests, where often 300 different species of trees are
found in one hectare alone. Many of those tropical trees and palms
reach heights of up to 30m and support by
themselves a multitude of many other plants like epiphytes and vines.
Moving higher up the mountains you encounter another rich nature
plant zone, the
vegetation-dense cloudforests, which is especially diverse in
Orchids
and
Bromeliads
and
many other flowering plants.
Trees abound but do not reach the immense height of the lower tropical
rainforests of the Amazon. Reaching the Inter-Andean valleys, we find more natural diversity but also a
region, which was completely changed by man and many foreign plants were
introduced over a period of time. This holds also true for the agricultural rich coastal plains where
imported fruits and crops took the place of the native tropical forest
and changed completely the bio-zone. The higher we move up the less species per
hectare you find but even the diversity in the high alpine region of the
paramo over 4000m is amazing. You find there flowers like the
colorful gentians and woody shrubs of the aster or composite families.
Another very distinct characteristic of Ecuador's flora is its high
percentage of endemic plants, which are by definition only found
in Ecuador or even only in a particular region of the country, like a
small and isolated valley. Those endemic plants represent 20% of all
plants of mainland Ecuador and reaches a much higher percentage in
Galapagos. The insular regions of Galapagos is the poorest in species of
the whole country with only 600 native and around 260 introduced
plants by colonists. |
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Worldwide only a small percentage of plants are cultivated by man for
agricultural purposes but these few
plants play a big role in the feeding of the ever-growing world
population. When the Spaniards arrived on the American continent, a big exchange of food
plants took place around the world. Old world crops like wheat and
rice were introduced in the Americas and New World crops like corn and
potatoes
were exported. But not only crops but also fruits were
interchanged, with the banana
and coffee coming to tropical America and the avocado and pineapple
moving from here to other parts of the planet. Also the settlers brought
with them their favorite flowers, which they introduced into a new
system. Trees like the eucalyptus and pines were imported and
presently are the dominant ones in the Andean valleys, having replaced
the native forest, which only exists in a few pockets but otherwise
had to yield to the imported species and cultivated fields and pastures. |
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Most of the information were taken from the following
books:
FLORA DEL ECUADOR
by Erwin Patzelt
FLOWERING PLANTS OF The GALAPAGOS by Conley K. McMullen
BOTANICA Das ABC der Pflanzen |
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People, who are not so much interested in explications but like to see and enjoy pictures of plants, should check out the nature
section of our Ecuador-Images.net. |
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