Inventory of Plant and Insect Species Research
At the Orchid and Botanical Garden, we are conducting
research on the plant and insect species that we have found
in the reserve. Through the years, with the help of volunteers
and university students, we have begun an identification of
the species of the reserve, however, much remains to be done.
The combination of tropical climate and elevation
gradient of the Andes provides Ecuador with one of the highest
concentrations of biodiversity in the world. Ecuador is home
to 24 different ecological zones, has the 2nd highest bird diversity
in the world, and is home to approximately 20,000 species of
vascular plants, including an estimated 4,000 orchids.
Unfortunately, Ecuador also suffers from one
of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Agricultural
development in addition to the discovery of oil in the Amazon
basin makes this region very susceptible to the pressures of
development.
One step that we can take to safeguard
this wealth of biodiversity is to inventory and catalogue species
of the Amazon. At the Orchid and Botanical Garden we have been
collecting a photographic record of the insects that have arrived
in the reserve. This information, as well as the plant species
in the reserve, needs to be recorded and identified in order
to advance our knowledge base of threatened species, in order
to make more informed decisions about future land use in the
Amazon region.
To inquire further about research opportunities,
please contact us at jbl_orquideas@yahoo.com.
