Ecuador expands Podocarpus National Park to protect Andean biodiversity

The Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador expanded the Podocarpus National Park by adding 15,108.27 hectares of protected land.

The ministry officialized a new delimitation of the park in the southern region of the country, increasing the total conservation area from approximately 138,492.58 hectares to 153,600.856 hectares. The expansion includes new territories in the provinces of Loja and Zamora Chinchipe. The new boundaries encompass sectors of the cantons of Loja, Zamora, and Palanda.

Specific areas joined to the park include the parishes of Loja, Malacatos, San Pedro de Vilcabamba, and Yangana in the Loja province, as well as El Porvenir del Carmen, Valladolid, Zamora, Imbana, Sabanilla, and Timbara in Zamora Chinchipe. The ministry added these lands to protect water sources, forests, scrublands, and grasslands. The expansion also protects habitats for various wild flora and fauna and strengthens the ecological connection between Andean ecosystems.

Key areas included in the expansion are the Abra de Zamora, where scientists identified 14 new species of amphibians, and the Numbala River valley, which contains remaining Podocarpus trees. The Ministry of Environment and Energy led the process alongside the Directorate of Protected Areas and Other Forms of Conservation and the administration of the park. The international organization Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional also participated in the work along with regional directorates 7 and 10.