El OrienteEl Oriente

Lisa Chase

Adventure Ecuador

See The Beauty of the

Equitorial latitudes

• Amazon Basin (2%) and Eastern Andean Foothills

• Just under 1/2 the total surface area

• Under 5% of population

El Oriente

• Latitude - straddles equator– Not seasonal– Relatively consistent temperatures

• averages 25C or 77F year round

– ITCZ• Regular rain

• Topography– Orographic rain from Trade Winds on the Eastern

Slope of the Andes

Equatorial Low Pressure in Action

Climate

• Incredibly diverse vegetation• Tropical broadleaf forest• Thousands of species of plants

– Trees– Lianas– Epiphytes

Tropical rainforest “La Selva”

Unique and Rich Biodiversity

• 20% mainland plants are endemic

An underprotected and underappreciated resource

•Trees > 30 m•Medicinal plants•Our favorite foods

Breathtaking biodiversity

•Half of Ecuador’s mammals live in El Oriente

•Nearly half the world’s bird species can be found in Ecuador

BiodiversityBiodiversity “ “hot hot spot”!!!spot”!!!

Promote Ecotourism

Kayak Ecuador!

Be prepared for…•Rain!

•Pack raingear, fast-drying clothes and extra socks

•Illnesses carried by mosquitoes-bring insect repellent

•Intense insolation-Bring sun protection

•Waterborne illnesses-Don’t drink untreated water

Visit Ecuador!

Range of biomes

from Tropical Rainforest of the Amazon Basin to the Highlands of the Andes

Various landscapes

Volcanoes, waterfalls, islands

Incredible Biodiversity

3 biodiversity “hot spots” in Ecuador