Manglares. Estuarios. Humedales y Bosques del Golfo de Guayaquil (100362)
Ecuador, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Manglares. Estuarios. Humedales y Bosques del Golfo de Guayaquil
Central coordinates: Latitude: -2.5746, Longitude: -79.2718
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 460
Area of KBA (km2): 903.17035
Protected area coverage (%): 85.52
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: This is a very important and audacious KBA. Practically, it surrounds Guayaquil, the biggest coastal city and most populated in Ecuador. This KBA connects the tumbesian ecosystems with the mangroves and estuaries of Guayas river. Some are national protected areas, like Manglares-Churute. The altitude goes from the sea level to the small forested hills at 450 m. The vegetation is a mixture of deciduous and semi-deciduous lowlands forests and mangroves plus the lower montane seasonal evergreen forest of the pacific coast. A mosaic of urban areas, fields and the outskirts of Guayaquil
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least two criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Critically endangered of extinction species like the primate , Cebus aequatorialis (A1a, A1c), the ecuadorian endemic parrot, Amazona lilacina (A1a, A1c). The endangered raptor of the tumbesian region, Pseudastur occidentalis (A1a) and the parakeet, Brotogeris pyrrhoptera (A1b, A1d) including the vulnerable lizard, Enyalioides touzeti (A1b) and the recently described vine-snake, Oxybelis transandinus (B1). Plus more endemic, restricted and threatened birds of the tumbesian region, like Spinus siemiradzkii (B2); Pachyramphus spodiurus (A1d); Leptotila ochraceiventris (A1b, A1d, B2); Lathrotriccus griseipectus (A1b); Onychorhynchus occidentalis (A1b, B2) and Pheugopedius paucimaculatus (B2).
Manageability of the site: Manglares-Churute Ecological Reserve, Parque Lago National Recreation Area, Isla Santay National Recreation Area , Los Samanes National Recreation Area and Manglares el Salado Fauna Production Reserve are part of the national system of protected areas; combined these cover 65% of the KBA vegetation.
Supersedes another site: Manglares del Golfo de Guayaquil (14609); Isla Santay (14631); Reserva Ecologica Manglares Churute (14538)
Delineation rationale: North and northwest the city of Guayaquil and the mangroves region of Parque Lago. Following the western limit, mangroves mixed with shrimp farms plus the estuary of Guayas river. Towards the south mangroves, estuaries and the forests of Manglares-Churute reserve. Important on of the northern central parts of the KBA is the Isla Santay.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 25 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical dry |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 45 | Coastal Caves/Karsts |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Subsistence/artisinal aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Persecution/control | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing | |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Sewage | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Herbicides and pesticides | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Nutrient loads | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Unknown | |
| Other options | Other threat | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Agro-industry plantations | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Small-holder plantations | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Nomadic grazing | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | War, civil unrest & military exercises | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Instituto Nacional de la Biodiversidad
Participants in the KBA workshop (birds and amphibians)
Report of the First Primate Census in Western Ecuador Cervera et al (2018). Ministry of Environment of Ecuador.
QCAZ-Universidad Católica del Ecuador