Choco-Darien Moist Forests - A Global Ecoregion
Featuring some of the highest rainfall on the planet
Snapshot: Ecoregion 39
Size:
187,500 sq. km (72,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Geographic Location:
Coastal lowlands of northwestern South American and eastern Panama: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
Conservation Status:
Relatively Stable/Intact
Quiz Time!
What is the rare harpy eagle known for?
Answer:
Rare harpy eagle, the most powerful bird of prey in the world have enormous feet and talons, which they use to pluck monkeys from trees!
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Chocó-Darién moist forests; Eastern Panamanian montane forests; Magdalena-Urabá moist forests; Western Ecuador moist forests.
Featuring some of the highest rainfall on the planet (16,000 millimeters annually in some places), the Chocó-Darién ecoregion has one of the world's most diverse assemblages of lowland plants and animals, with exceptional richness, uniqueness and endemism in plants, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and butterflies.One reason for this is the isolation of the Choco forest communities from the Amazon since the Andes mountains were formed millions of years ago. This event allowed whole new species to evolve over time.
This ecoregion is full of interesting and unique corners such as the "La Planada crater" in Colombia. Here, the ecosystem inside the crater, is different to the one just outside, because the species inside are protected from the wind, and the temperature is higher as well.
Local Species
These forests are home to Mammals like Jaguar (Panthera onca), and Geoffroy's tamarin (Saguinus geoffroy). An estimated 8,000-9,000 species of vascular flora exists in the region with characterstic plants such as Sapa palm (Wettinia radiata) and the threatened cycads Chigua restrepoi and C. bernalii.
The endemic birds include several endangered species, such as plumbeous Forest-falcon (Micrastur plumbeus), Banded ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus radiolosus), and the Baudó oropendola (Psarocolius cassini) - not recorded since 1945. In additon, close to 100 species of reptiles have been reported.
Threats
Damaging human activities such as shifting cultivation, settlements, over-exploitation of certain forest species and unsustainable logging practices threaten to increase deforestation in certain parts of this ecoregion.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
