Andean montane forests are a major global conservation priority due to their biological richness and high level of species endemism, however, they remain relatively unstudied. As with montane forests elsewhere in the world, Andean forests are of great value for the provision of ecosystem services relating to water supply, regulation of regional climate and the capture and storage of carbon. These forests however are under threat from continuing deforestation, fragmentation and degradation and potentially considerable impacts of climate change.
As part of the ongoing research project to assess the conservation status of the world’s tree species, the latest Red List report on the montane tree species of the tropical Andes by Natalia Tejedor Garavito (Bournemouth University) in collaboration with BGCI and regional experts has been published. The scope of this report is the tropical Andes in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
