Andes

| | The richest and most diverse region on Earth, the Tropical Andes region contains about a sixth of all plant life in less than 1 percent of the world’s land area. One of the more unique plant species is an Andean bromelilad that require 100 years to mature.The threatened yellow-eared parrot, yellow-tailed woolly monkey and spectacled bear are all endemic to the Tropical Andes. This hotspot also maintains the largest variety of amphibians in the world, with 664 distinct species. Unfortunately, almost 450 amphibian species are listed as threatened on the 2004 IUCN Red List.Although a quarter of its habitat still remains, the region is facing a variety of threats including mining, timber extraction, oil exploration, and narcotics plantations, which are all expanding due to the continual growth of many large cities in the region. The cloud forests are facing increased pressure from hydroelectric dams, and invasive species like the American bullfrog and grasses for cattle grazing are becoming problems as well. |

Hotspot Original Extent (km 2) | 1,542,644 | Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km 2) | 385,661 | Endemic Plant Species | 15,000 | Endemic Threatened Birds | 110 | Endemic Threatened Mammals | 14 | Endemic Threatened Amphibians | 363 | Extinct Species† | 2 | Human Population Density (people/km 2) | 37 | Area Protected (km 2) | 246,871 | Area Protected (km 2) in Categories I-IV* | 121,650 |
†Recorded extinctions since 1500. *Categories I-IV afford higher levels of protection.
OVERVIEW
The richest and most diverse region on Earth, the Tropical Andes spans 1,542,644 km², from western Venezuela to northern Chile and Argentina, and includes large portions of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Roughly bounded by the Tropic of Capricorn in the south and the end of the Andes range in Colombia and Venezuela in the north, the region follows the tropical portion of the Andes Mountains and several adjoining cordilleras. The Tropical Andes