Clinic Project Proposal: Dry Forest Ecuador

DESCRIPTION

The dry forests of Ecuador are amongst the most threatened and biologically important ecosystems in South America, with a high percentage of endemic and threatened species. The low coastal range that extends some 120 kms northwestward from the dynamic port city of Guayaquil includes some of the most significant remnants of Ecuador's once extensive dry forest ecosystems. This Coastal Cordillera is home to threatened jaguars, jaguarundis, pumas, brocket deer, howler monkeys and great green macaws, but also to hundreds of poor farmers eking out a living from farming, logging and charcoal production, and in the process clearing and degrading these magnificent forests. These forests and their resources provide local benefits and, all-importantly in a landscape where resources are scarce, they are natural suppliers and regulators of water for rural communities and adjacent tourism-based beach towns. The Nature Conservancy has identified this region as a top priority for conservation action.

CREATION DATE	April 14, 2009
LAST MODIFIED	April 14, 2009
CREATED BY	Kristin Richards Betz
KEYWORDS	Dry Forest Ecuador; Climate Clinic; project proposal; Terrestrial Regional scale
DOCUMENT PURPOSE	Site Profiles
PUBLICATION YEAR	No Publication Year
LICENSE	Attribution Non-Commercial