Ecological Issues

The World Wildlife Fund gives the ecoregion the status of “Critical/Endangered”. The ecoregion shows the impact of human occupation over several centuries, mostly in the transition zone and along watercourses. The growth of farming in western Ecuador has destroyed 99% of the original dry forest. The present forest consists mostly of secondary growth remnants scattered across the region. Under 25% of the original area is still covered by dry forest. The western Ecuadorian forests, including the Ecuadorian dry forests, has one of greatest risks in the world of biological extinction due to human activities such as deforestation. The main threats come from deforestation, including selective removal of valuable tree species, slashing and burning to clear and for agriculture, planting crops on unstable hillsides and overgrazing. Most vertebrates in the ecoregion, many of which are endemic, face great risks of extinction.