New grant connecting forests in southern Ecuador!
Ramiro Mendoza
The recent declaration of ACMUS provides the opportunity to protect three megadiverse national parks and adjacent regional reserves in southern Ecuador. Together with Fondation Segré we will safeguard the connectivity among these protected areas and restore habitat through reforestation and increase the populations of threatened plant species, while providing safe nesting places for threatened birds.
In 2018, an additional 70,000 hectares was placed under protection through the creation of the Municipal Area for Conservation & Sustainable Use (ACMUS). This intends to increase the quality of the watersheds and serves to connect the three large, protected areas across 285,000 ha on a gradient from 1200-3600 meters.
Habitat destruction severely threatens the biodiversity of southern Ecuador. This unique opportunity would have a large-scale impact that spans beyond the municipal protected area and will ensure the long-term protection of the threatened forests. This initiative will also naturally strengthen the protection of the three governmental protected areas: Podocarpus and Yacuri National Parks, and Cerro Plateado Biological Reserve, comprising a total of 215,000 ha of montane forest and parámo grasslands.
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