Ecuador

The Sangay volcano is located within Sangay National Park in central Ecuador, which contains one of the world’s most complex ecological environments, including a rare combination of grasslands, rainforests, and other fragile habitats.

Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park is a protected area and Biosphere Reserve in northeastern Ecuador. It is situated in the provinces of Napo, Orellana, and Sucumbíos in two sectors: the Sumaco volcano and its adjacent areas and the Cordillera de Galeras.

The Andean Volcanic Belt and the Pacific Ring of Fire are regions where Earth's crustal plates interact, resulting in volcanic zones and seismic activity. The Andean belt is formed as the Nazca and Antarctic plates move beneath the South American Plate, while the Pacific Ring of Fire is home to over 450 volcanoes and an extensive network of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and belts.

The Bosques de Paz Transboundary Biosphere Reserve straddles the border of Ecuador and Peru. It is a natural treasure and showcases the collaborative efforts of these two nations to protect a globally significant ecosystem. The reserve spans four regions in the two countries. It was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2018, following the countries' commitment to strengthening their ties and cooperation after a long-standing border dispute that ended in 1998.

Nestled along the western slopes of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador lies a captivating ecoregion known as the Western Ecuador Moist Forests. This expansive, verdant landscape stretches from the Colombian border in the north to the Guayas River basin in the south. The ecoregion is part of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot, one of Earth's most species-rich yet threatened regions.

Nestled within the northern Ecuadorian Andes' western slopes, the Mindo Valley, or simply Mindo, emerges as a natural jewel adorned with lush cloud forests, vibrant biodiversity, and captivating landscapes. One of the crown jewels of the Mindo Valley is the Mindo-Nambillo Ecological Reserve, home to the renowned Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest.

Soaring high above Colombia and Ecuador's cloud forests and montane landscapes, the Northern Andean páramo is a truly remarkable and unique ecoregion. This vast expanse of high-altitude grasslands, wetlands, and shrublands is a vital component of the Andes ecosystem and a global biodiversity hotspot teeming with an array of specialized plant and animal life found nowhere else on Earth.

The Tumbes-Piura dry forests ecoregion is nestled along the Pacific coast of northwestern Peru and southwestern Ecuador. This unique and remarkable ecosystem is part of the larger Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot. This ecoregion, often overshadowed by the more well-known tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin, is a biodiversity hotspot in its own right, harboring an exceptional concentration of endemic species and facing significant conservation challenges.

The Tropical Andes region spans from northern Venezuela to Bolivia and includes the northernmost Andes mountain ranges. This region is home to the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot, the most biologically diverse of all known hotspots and harbors around one-sixth of all plant life on the planet. However, the Tropical Andes are encountering significant challenges that threaten their ecological significance.

Yacurí National Park is located in Ecuador, bordering the provinces of Loja and Zamora Chinchipe. The protected area contains a variety of ecosystems, over 46 high-altitude lakes, many endangered species, archaeological ruins, and petroglyphs.