Ecuador_update.qxd

Ecuador

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The Sierra The Sierra region is a narrow swath of lofty volcanoes and highland valleys. It lies between two chains of the Andes, the Cordillera Occidental (western) and the Cordillera Oriental (eastern). Together, these mountain ranges have more than a dozen peaks that tower over 16,000 feet (4,880 meters). Within the Sierra region, there are grassy highlands, called páramos , as well as cloud forests, mountain lakes, and active volcanoes. Páramos , found between 11,480 and 14,750 feet (3,500 and 4,500 meters) above sea level, provide an excellent habitat for many of Ecuador’s animals and plants. These include condors, llamas, multicolored flowers, and hummingbirds. The animals and plants of this region have adapted to low temperatures, strong winds, rain, hail, snow, and high altitudes . Cloud forests support a large variety of plants and animals, from howler monkeys to gray-breasted mountain toucans. Cloud forests pull life-giving moisture from the thick cloud and fog banks that roll in off the ocean every year. During a fog season that lasts six months, two and a half acres (one hectare) of cloud forest can trap about a million gallons (3.8 million liters) of water. This allows the forest to support itself during times of drought. The western and eastern Andean ranges and their valley have been called the “Avenue of the Volcanoes.” The most famous of these volcanoes are Chimborazo (20,696 feet/6,267 meters); Cotopaxi (19,614 feet/5,982 meters), the highest active volcano in the world; and Cayambe (18,992 feet/5,793 meters), a snow-capped volcano right on the equator. Twenty-two mountain peaks between 14,000 and 20,000 feet (4,270 and 6,100 meters) in