The Chocó-Darién’s extensive areas of lowland forests and medium elevations represent one of the last opportunities to conserve relatively large areas of intact forest in the northwestern region of South America. Compared to the amount of remaining natural landscape, protected areas in the region are lacking in size. The central portion remains largely intact with minimal fragmentation and high connectivity. Image credit: Creative CommonsĪs of 1995, sections of the northern and southern parts of the ecoregion have been replaced by banana and palm oil plantations respectively. Mammals are common throughout the region, notably including Geoffrey’s tamarin, tapir, puma, ocelot, jaguar, and the vulnerable giant anteater. 60 restricted range bird species harness the area, including viridian dacnis, crested ant tanager, the vulnerable Chocó tinamou and plumbeous forest falcon, and the endangered Baudó oropendola. The ecoregion connects two endemic bird areas in Central American and South America respectively. 127 amphibian, 97 reptile, and 577 species of bird have been recorded. diversity related to high variation in species composition between the aforementioned five subregions. Local endemism is characteristic of the region, indicating that many species have very restricted ranges of distribution and giving rise to an extraordinary β (beta)-diversity, i.e. Its flora is estimated to include 8,000-10,000 vascular plants with 20% of them strictly endemic. In southern areas it is common for multiple vegetation layers including lianas (vines rooted in the soil) and epiphytes (plants that grow on others) to be attached to the trees.Ĭhocó-Darién is one of the most active centers of endemism and speciation in the world. In flooded areas the cativo tree dominates. Characteristic vegetation in the northern areas of the ecoregion include the bongo, wild cashew, rubber, and kapok trees. The average annual temperature is generally 23.6☌ and annual precipitation ranges from 4,000–9,000 mm. the jungles along the Pacific slope from 500–1,000 m in altitude.the hills of Carmen del Atrato and the San José del Palmar area.the central strip, including the northern wet forests, the central rainforests and the San Juan River area.the coastal zone along the Pacific coast, generally up to an elevation of 500 m.the northern coast, with the hill country areas of Darién and Urabá.The ecoregion of the wet forests of Chocó-Darién extends from eastern Panama, in the provinces of Darién and Kuna-Yala, along almost the entire Pacific Coast of Colombia, in the departments of Chocó, Cauca, Valle del Cauca, and Nariño. They will often eat fruits while moving between trees and discard the seeds on the way, giving it a chance to sprout in a new location. Image credit: Courtesy of Suriki, Creative Commonsīecause of their preference for the emergent and upper canopy, the spider monkeys are very important seed dispersers as they have access to fresh fruits before they fall to the forest floor. The flagship species of the Chocó-Darién Moist Forests ecoregion is the brown headed spider monkey. Instead they are expert brachiators (like gibbons) and cartwheel hand over foot through the tops of the high canopy. When they do have to cross over land they are very susceptible to predation as they have a hard time “walking”. They are one of the most arboreally adapted primates and require large expanses of primary forest to thrive. The Critically Endangered brown headed spider monkey’s range includes two known locations in the Chocó region.
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