The diversity of the flora and fauna of the Ecuadorian coast is due to the combination of two factors: its equatorial tropical location and two large ocean currents that travel along its coast.
One of these streams is cold, the Humboldt stream, while the El Niño stream is warm. The coast of Ecuador is around 2,500 km long, including the Galapagos, Puná and Jambelí islands.
From the Colombian border along the Mataje River to the south, on this coast are many islands with mangroves and marshes, inlets and estuaries.
Also, this ecosystem has rivers that flow into the bay, plains, cliffs and sandy beaches.
Most representative species of the flora and fauna of the Ecuadorian coast
The biodiversity of the flora and fauna of the Ecuadorian coast is impressive. In total, this area is home to more than six thousand species of plants. Of them, about 1,200 are native.
Also, a fifth of the 800 species of birds that inhabit the area are indigenous. To this list should be added 142 species of mammals and 253 classes of reptiles and amphibians.
In this sense, the previous data do not take into account the native species of the Galapagos Islands.
Thanks to its isolation, there are many endemic animals that contribute to the richness of the flora and fauna of the Ecuadorian coast.
Flora
The arid strip of the savannah occupies approximately half of the Ecuadorian coast, and there are occasional low shrubs and isolated ceiba trees.
This desert area is in stark contrast to the north coast and the inland part of the south coast.
In these humid regions the typical and dense growth of the tropical jungle abounds, spreading like forests covered with moss, lichens, ferns, among others.
On the other hand, there are numerous mangrove forests and tropical dry forests. The latter are home to coconut palms, deciduous trees, manzanillos, carob trees and many endemic species such as the opuntia cactus (nopal) and the palo santo.
Additionally, coastal cloud forests provide habitat for bromeliads, orchids, and fig trees.
Fauna
On the Peruvian coast, mangroves and forests are a refuge for a large number of birds such as frigates, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, seagulls, pelicans, swallows, sparrows, terns, and red and blue-footed petrels.
Cloud forests, for their part, are home to toucans, hummingbirds and robins.
On the other hand, the marine fauna includes sea lions, seals, parrot fish, shrimp, lobster, clown fish, sea cucumbers, tuna, croaker and snapper.
With regard to reptiles, two of all species stand out: the giant Galapagos tortoises and the only marine iguanas.
Likewise, the great variety of toads, frogs, lizards and snakes stands out.
Also, on the Isla de la Plata you can see humpback whales and dolphins from mid-June to October.
Similarly, in the cloud forests are the howler monkey, the nocturnal kinkajous, the red-tailed squirrel and the marsupial frog.
The frontin bear, which lives mainly in the Andean area, is seen in the dry forests near the coast.
References
- Cowtan, M. (2013, May 17). Biodiversity and extinction exposure. Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from ecuadorbeaches.org.
- Ayon, H. and Jara, W. (2010). Ecuador. In E. Bird (editor), Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms, pp. 199-270. London: Springer Science & Business Media.
- The coast. (s / f). University of Puget Sound, Washington. Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from ups.edu.
- Ecuador - Flora and fauna. (s / f). In Nations Encyclopedia. Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from nationsencyclopedia.com.
- Krahenbul, P. (2011). Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Florida: Hunter Publishing.
- Galapagos. (2013, March 10). In Ecuador: natural regions. Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from ecuador1b229.wordpress.com.
- Westwood, B. (2015). Moon Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands. London: Hachette UK.
- Ecuador and its Galapagos Islands (2010) Samana Guide for Travelers. Quito: Editorial Ecuador.