RAIN FOREST PLANTS

Ecuador has 10% of all the species of plants that there is in the planet. Of this percentage, the biggest quantity grows in the mountain range of the Andes, in the area noroccidental, where it is calculated that there are 10 thousand species approximately. In the amazon region it also exists a high number of vegetable species, around 8.200, for example, alone of orchids 2.725 species have been identified. In Galapagos, on the other hand, there are near 600 native and other species 250 introduced by the man, approximately. Of the twelve key areas of biodiversity identified by the naturalistic Norman Myers, three are in the continental Ecuador. The climatic diversity has given place to more than 25 thousand species of trees.

ORCHIDS.-

1 of 5 plants in Ecuador are orchids. Of 100 orchids in our country, 46 are endemic. Among 1975-1998, 2 species were described per day.