Los Illinizas Ecological Reserve (14580)
Ecuador, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, B2

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Reserva Ecológica Los Illinizas

Central coordinates: Latitude: -0.6749, Longitude: -79.0013

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 680 to 4880

Area of KBA (km²): 1341.66009

Protected area coverage (%): 100.00

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This upper Andes and Chocó-Andean KBA is located in Cotopaxi and Pichincha provinces. It comprises three disjunct areas that together forms this ecological reserve which is part of the national system of protected areas. The altitudinal range goes from 700 to 4850m. The main landscapes are evergreen shrublands and paramo grasslands, humid subnival paramo grasslands. evergreen forests of the paramo. The forests are: evergreen upper montane, montane, lower montane and foothill forests of the western slope of the Andes.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least three criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Threatened of extinction species like: Epipedobates tricolor (A1b); Pristimantis calcarulatus (A1b, B1); Anolis otongae (A1b, B1, B2); Bothrops osbornei (A1b, B2); Marmosa phaea (A1b) and Puya vestita (A1b). Moreover range restricted species like: Coeligena wilsoni (B2); Semnornis ramphastinus (B2); Pipreola jucunda (B2); Andigena laminirostris (B2); Heliangelus strophianus (B2); Chilomys weksleri (B1); Aglaiocercus coelestis (B2); and Anolis aequatorialis (B2) trigger this KBA.

Additional biodiversity: Vultur gryphus, Tremarctos ornatus, Puma concolor

Manageability of the site: This is a protected area managed by the government of Ecuador via the Ministry of Environment Water and Ecological Transition.

Other site values: NA

Delineation rationale: This KBA follows the official limits of the Illinizas Ecological Reserve. On north, the Atacazo volcano KBA. On east, the agricultural landscapes of Cotopaxi province. On west, the Cotopaxi province foothills and agricultural areas towards Los Ríos province. On south, the agricultural and deforested landscape of El Corazón and other areas. In between the reserve polygons, forests or agricultural and deforested zones of Cotopaxi province.

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)	30	Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls)
Forest	20	Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist montane
Shrubland	5	Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical high altitude

Threats

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing
Residential & commercial development	Tourism & recreation areas		Ongoing
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas		Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads		Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing
Pollution	Domestic & urban waste water	Sewage	Ongoing
Pollution	Garbage & solid waste		Ongoing
Geological events	Volcanoes		Only in the future
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing

Additional information