Ecuador’s Ecosystems
GROUP # 1
COAST
Ecuador has a long, fascinating coastline that until recently was underrated. Stretching some
937 miles from the border of Colombia to Peru in the south, the Pacific coast embraces long
expanses of deserted beaches. (Camila Arce)
Our coast has warm swimming waters, busy fishing villages, luxury vacation resorts, ecolodges,
mangrove swamps, steamy ports, surfing beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and environmentally
damaging shrimp farms.(Christian Carpio)
On the coastal plains we enter into drier regions, which are marked by two distinct seasons.
Dry conditions reign for half of the year whereas the other half is usually very wet. That is all
due to the influences of a cold and a warm ocean current alternating seasonally along the
Pacific coast. (Arianna Jaramillo)
Once that large region was covered by Dry Tropical Forests but large human settlements and
intensive agriculture with monoculture plantations finished almost entirely with this unique
forest. (Werner Bruckmann)
Right along on the Pacific coast and some small areas of Galapagos are situated the
Mangroves composed mainly of trees, which grow right near the ocean, where salt water
meets sweet water and how they support a unique fauna and flora. (Martin Calero)
This is another of the country's ecological regions which became in the last decade under
assault by human activities. Industrial Shrimp farms destroy the trees to establish the pools,
where these crustaceans are raised.(David Guevara)
Ecuador’s coastal region generates the major part of the country’s industrial and agricultural
wealth, and is home to roughly half its population. (Freddy Barreiro)
GROUP # 2
Important cities in the Coast
Atacames
Atacames is a resort town on the northern part of the Ecuadorean coast. It is popular with
international travelers. The beach at Atacames has a dangerous undertow, so take extra care
when swimming. (Ana Paula Gómez)
Bahia de Caraquez
Bahia de Caraquez is a small town on the coast, and a popular seasonal resort during the dry
season. In the first part of the 20th century, Bahia de Caraquez was the most important port in
Ecuador. In 1999, the town became a dedicated ecocity, home to organic farms and an organic
shrimp farm. (Mary Paz Mieles)
Parque Nacional Machalilla
Parque Nacional Machalilla is the only national park on the Ecuadorean coast. As coastal
habitats are destroyed and threatened by industry and agriculture. The park contains Mantaera archaeological sites dating back as far as 500 A.D. (Juan Andrés Melossi)
Guayaquil
The most important port in Ecuador, Guayaquil is also the most populated city, with over 2
million inhabitants at the time of publication.The city can be very hot and humid. (Miguel Jara)
Puyango Petrified Forests
Near the coastal village of Puyango on the southern part of Ecuador's coast is a petrified
forest. The forest is a significant geological interest, and is home to many species of plants and
birds. Some of the fossilized trees in the forest are millions of years old. (Claudia Montero)
There are two main seasons on the Ecuadorean coast -- a wet season from December through
May, and a dry season June through November. (David Garcés)
GROUP # 3
Flora and Fauna
At the coast, one of the most interesting life zones is the mangrove swamps. The mangrove
has developed an incredible capacity to be able to grow in salt water. (Romina Maridueña)
Less than a third of Ecuador's coastline is beach, with the rest of the coastline taken up by
mangroves, river deltas and other geographical features.(Galo Ochoa)
The native flora and fauna and how they interact with each other will be introduced and how
the environment influences them all. But also how humans changed it by destroying natural
habitats and introducing foreign species of plants and animals. (Salma Moya)
Around its stilt roots live fish, molluscs, crustaceans and many other invertebrates. On the
branches you'll find nesting and resting pelicans, frigates and other sea birds. Sadly, these
trees are being destroyed by the development of Ecuador's shrimp farms. (Isabella Piedrahita)
Tropical dry forest is a disappearing habitat along the coast, where there are distinct wet and
dry seasons. Like a northern winter season, the trees discard their leaves during the dry
season. The best example of this habitat is in the Machalilla National Park along the central
coast. (Viviana Reyes)
The mangrove forests located in the province of Manabí (Ecuador) are small regions of coastal
forest that shelter great biodiversity and play important ecological roles. Nonetheless, these
ecosystems have suffered serious habitat changes and are critically endangered. (Juan
Fernando Vera)
The mangrove forests are important because they provide habitats for various species of birds,
mammals, reptiles, mollusks, crustaceans and fish. (Aimee Segara)
GROUP # 4
Natural Hazards and endangered species
El Niño.- Fishermen along the coasts of Peru and Ecuador have observed the phenomenon of
El Niño for centuries. (Nicolás Sorroza)
They noticed a warm ocean current that flowed along their coast every year during the
months of December and January and during this interval fish would be less abundant.
(Roberto Wagner)
During El Niño the trade winds weaken and warm water moves back east in a slow wave. This
leads to a depression of the thermocline in the eastern Pacific and an elevation of the
thermocline in the west. (Mauricio Villareal)
Endangered species.- There are some felines, monkeys, amphibians, reptiles, birds and plants
endangered in the coast due to deforestation and pollution. (Ana Paula Puente)