Cordillera del Balsamo
Group:
Location
0° 35' 59.64" S, 80° 25' 12" W
See map: Google Maps
Brief Site Description:
Tropical Dry Forest, Coastal, Deforested
Detailed Site Description:
The central coast of Ecuador is a dry tropical forest. The seasonal N-S movement of the El Nino and Humboldt Currents creates a rainy season (De-May) and a dry season (June-November). Annual precipitation is approximately 700 mm, falling almost exclusively in the rainy period. The coast of Ecuador has been heavily deforested—as much as 98% by some accounts. The Cordillera del Balsamo, which lies to the south of Bahia de Caraquez is managed by local landowners and the international NGO: Global Student Embassy. The location is ideal for studying disturbance gradients across the tropical dry forest: a bioregion on which over 700 million people worldwide depend.
Field Site Type:
TBD
Registration:
Unregistered
Network(s):
TBD
Study Start Date:
2013
Mean Annual Precipitation:
500 millimeters / year
Average Annual Temperature:
25°C
Land Cover:
Deciduous Forest
Mixed Forest
Shrubland
Geology:
unconsolidated materials
shale
igneous-felsic intrusive
Soil Order:
Unknown
Hydrology: Surface water stream order:
First Order
Second Order
Hydrology: Surface water - Stream Flow Performance:
Ephemeral
Hydrology: Groundwater:
Unknown
Climate:
Tropical
Sub-Climate:
Dry
Group visibility:
Public - accessible to all site users