A photo journey of the Polylepis Forest in Ecuador
Ecuador is an incredibly diverse country, which despite its size comparable to the state of Colorado in the U.S.A., encompasses 4 very diverse regions.
This diversity is due mainly to its location right in the Middle of the World and in the heart of the Andes cordillera.
The country has actually 10 percent of all of the planet’s plant species. Including a large number of natural heritage sites, such as: ten national parks, 14 natural reserves, a wildlife refuge and recreation area.
If you are in South America I would love to see your pictures.
In addition, Ecuador has over 25000 species of trees, which is mainly due to the climatic diversity in the country. This post is all about the Polylepis forest in El Angel Ecological Reserve is one of these species to be found in Ecuador.
El Angel ecological reserve
The tree genus polylepis is endemic to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. “The highest number of species grow in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia” http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org.
The tundra-like habitat is dominated by the Frailejón, Espeletia pynochephala, a sunflower family plant with a woody trunk, unique to this type of highland habitat.
Location
This is a moorland located in the province of Carchi, 170 kilometers north of Quito in Ecuador.
How to get there
Take a local bus from Ibarra and Tulcán to El Angel. From there take a taxi to the entrance of the reserve.
Enjoy the photos:
This Ecological reserve is one of the many wonderful places in nature, here you can be aware of all the incredible diversity to be admired in this rather small country.
Mother nature has given us the opportunity to enjoy many of its wonders, and we should be thankful and take care of it.
Include a visit to the Polylepis forest in Ecuador on your bucket list. Share the love for nature and activities in the outdoors.
Have you been to the Polylepis forest? Tell me about it!
If you would like to visit the Polylepis and frailejón forest, I recommend staying at the Polylepis Lodge. You can read about our stay here.
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