The Biodiversity (Ecuador)by Paola Guevara | 30-11-2021 07:24 |
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  The Biodiversity what is? Biological diversity or biodiversity is the diversity of the living world, it includes the ecosystems of a region or a country and the totality of species and genes contained in them. Biodiversity is the variability of living organisms from any source, including terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part; it comprises the diversity within each species, between species and ecosystems. Biodiversity varies on each continent and in each biogeographic region of the Earth according to latitude: it is greater in the equatorial zone and decreases progressively towards the poles. Ecuador is among the 17 countries with the greatest biological diversity on Earth. In Latin America, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru are the countries of mega diversity. From a review of the data available from various sources, it's concluded that Ecuador's biodiversity is one of the largest in the world: it is the first country in relative biodiversity, that is, by the number of species concerning the unit area. Indeed, 18,198 species of vascular plants (Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms) have been registered, of these 17,683 are native and 5,400 endemic. (In 2012, 283,556 species of vascular plants were registered worldwide, therefore, Ecuador has 6.4% of the world's flora). The fauna richness is also very high: 1,656 species of birds, 557 amphibians, 450 reptiles, 403 mammals. In addition, 91 different types of ecosystems have been identified: 24 on the Coast, 45 in the Sierra, and 22 in the Amazon. Seven biomes are represented in the continental territory of Ecuador: tropical humid forests, tropical dry forests, savannas, xerophytic scrub, montane forests, páramos, and mangroves. The current biological diversity of Ecuador is the result of the confluence of geological, geographical, geomorphological, climatic, biogeographic, evolutionary, and ecological factors. Due to its tropical and Andean location, Ecuador gathers like no other South American country, multiple conditions favorable to the diversification of life. The proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the marine currents, and the strong influence of the Amazon basin contributed to the formation of a mosaic of ecological landscapes with diverse ecosystems very rich in plant and animal species. In Ecuador, it is possible to find in its continental and insular territory of Galapagos a unique variation of ecological landscapes where life has diversified extraordinarily. The maintenance of the ecological balance ensures the quality of the environment in conditions suitable for all living beings and human beings. This includes climatic stability, the provision of essential goods such as water, air, soil, plants, animals, microorganisms, and their ecological and environmental functions. sources:(http://www.biodiversidad.gob.ec/ecuador-pais-inmenso-en-biodiversidad/) -Paola:)
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