Yasuní Rainforest

The Yasuní National Park

Nestled within this belt lies one protected area, the Yasuní National Park, which is often anecdotally referred to as the most biologically diverse place on the planet.

Yasuní tops the list for amphibian diversity with a record 150 species documented to date.  It's home to over 200 mammal species, 12 of which are primates, a count that rivals the richest primate regions of Africa. Even more astounding are the numbers for insects and plants. A single hectare of forest in Yasuní is projected to contain at least 100,000 insect species, the highest estimated biodiversity per unit area in the world for any taxonomic group. For plants, Yasuní holds three world records in diversity measures for woody plant species and is one of the 9 global centres for plant diversity.

At the local scale, Yasuní protects the richest area in the world of woody plant species. Studies suggest that a typical hectare of terra firme forest in Yasuní contains upwards of 655 tree species - more than are native to the continental United States and Canada combined! Although multiple research projects have been conducted here, the reality is that very little of the park has actually been studied. 

If you want to dive deeper into the research on Yasuni’s astounding species richness, we recommend starting with this article.

Threats to the Ecosystem

The diversity and abundance of natural resources of the amazon rainforest come at a price and its destruction is a major global environmental issue. Virtually all the economic activity in the region is based on extractive activities. Logging, land conversion and oil and mineral extraction have turned the Amazon into a battlefield of conflicting interests and the Yasuní region is no exception. Numerous studies warn that if deforestation continues, the Amazon might reach a tipping point, a moment when deforestation catalyzes a collapse of the forest’s water cycle, trees die back and the ecosystem shifts into a form of degraded savanna-like state. Beyond this point the restoration to its previous state may no longer be possible and studies suggest we might be nearing it already.

The loss of the Amazon rainforest would result in countless species extinctions, release huge amounts of carbon and disrupt weather patterns locally and across the globe. Protecting this precious ecosystem, this important planetary regulator, is now more urgent than ever. 

Supporting Amazon Bio-economies 

It is often lands managed by indigenous communities that harbour the highest biodiversity, higher even than in protected areas. More astoundingly, about two-thirds of indigenous lands are still essentially in their natural state, acting as important repositories for global biodiversity. For forest ecosystems, as much as 80% of the world’s remaining forest biodiversity lies within indigenous territories. 

This shows that the role of indigenous communities in halting the global biodiversity crisis has to be a central one. In this project, our key objective is to partner with local people and support communities living around the national park with skills and opportunities to make a sustainable living. To provide an alternative to working in oil, mining and cattle farming that dominate the region. 

We will work to develop this project with our on-the-ground colleague Fredy, a member of the local Kichwa community. We share a deep appreciation for this ecosystem and a wish to do what is in our capacity to protect it. We see ecotourism as one of the key tools for achieving our vision. 

Building on Fredy’s long-term experience working with communities and ecotourism we will work to increase the potential and attractiveness of the area for nature lovers and visitors wishing to contribute to conservation. If you’d like to receive news about the possibilities to visit Yasuní and our project leave your email here.