- Country
- Ecuador
- Landscape
- Nono y Papallacta
- Description
- This project seeks to restore native high Andean forests in Mindo and Cayambe-Coca Reserve, which are located in the northwest and northeast of Pichincha, Ecuador. Both reserves are considered Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), and are critically important for water resources. The area is also home to threatened species such as the Andean bear and the critically endangered black-breasted puffleg. Tree types native to the area include Polylepis incana and pauta, along with other Andean species such as alder, poroton, pumamaqui, laurel, pusupato, and cedar. In each location, the forest is under strong pressure from agricultural expansion and continuous cutting and burning of vegetation for charcoal production. However, the creation of private and community protected areas shows promise in supporting conservation of the forest and threatened ecosystems in the region. In the IBA of Mindo, extensive Andean forests are protected in private reserves such as Yanacocha, Verdecocha and Alaspungo; while in Cayambe-Coca, the creation of the Ponce-Palugillo Water Protection Area (the first of its kind in Ecuador), protects more than 4,000 hectares.
Explore Acción Andina's forest restoration across the Andes: projects, nurseries, reforestation sites and partner communities on one map.