Cordillera Chongón-Colonche: Assessing forest loss and the need for a new conservation status
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Abstract
The Chongón Colonche Cordillera (CCHC) is part of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot due to the high concentration of endemic species. The range has wet garúa forests in the upper part of the range and dry forests in the lower parts. This study quantifies the dynamics of tree cover in the Chongón-Colonche Cordillera (CCHC) between 2000-2022, a vital enclave of tropical dry forest (TDF) in Ecuador. Using Hansen's high-resolution Global Forest Watch dataset, it was determined that the CCHC in early 2022 had 286,707.29 ha of tree cover, and suffered a net loss of tree cover of 9,036.71 ha during the study period, despite a marginal increase of 825 ha up to 2012. The continued loss of tree cover in the CCHC represents a significant threat to biodiversity, the ecological integrity of the BST and the water and food security of local communities. This analysis underlines the urgent need to implement effective conservation measures in the CCHC that can promote it to a national protected area and/or Biosphere Reserve category, highlighting the need for increased research and conservation efforts in BSTs at the regional level and in Latin America.
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