Biodiversity of Colombia

The biodiversity of Colombia is the variety of indigenous organisms in the country with the second-highest biodiversity in the world.[1] As of 2021, around 63,000 species are registered in Colombia, of which 14% are endemic. The country occupies worldwide the first position in number of orchids, birds and butterflies, second position in plants, amphibians and fresh water fish, third place in species of palm trees and reptiles and globally holds the sixth position in biodiversity of mammals.[2]

Colombia is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world.

The country hosts two biodiversity hotspots:
1 - Tropical Andes
5 - Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena

Jaguar in Jaime Duque Zoo, Tocancipá

The country hosts 59 nationally designated protected areas. At the establishment of the most recent addition, Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said "Biodiversity is to Colombia, what oil is for the Arabs".[3][4]

In 2020, according to the Colombian Biodiversity Information System, 63,303 species were registered in the country,[5] of which more than 8,800 are considered endemic species.[6][7][8] The country occupies the first position in the world in number of orchid and bird species, second in plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palm and reptile species, and fourth in mammalian biodiversity.

According to a report by the WWF, half of Colombia's ecosystems are in a critical state of deterioration or in a state of danger. The organization said that environmental degradation is due to oil extraction, mineral and metal extraction and deforestation. Deteriorating ecosystems are threatening the existence of more than a third of Colombia's plants and 50 percent of its animals.[9]

Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources has been collecting biodiversity samples. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2,530 species of 1,289 genera, and 323 families from Colombian biodiversity have been stored in its archives. [10]

Description

Colombia is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world.[7] The country in northwestern South America contains 311 types of coastal and continental ecosystems.[1] As of the beginning of 2021, a total of between 63,000 and 71,000 species are registered in the country,[8][5] with 8803 endemic species, representing near the 14% of the total registered species.[6] Colombia is the country with the most páramos in the world; more than 60% of the Andean ecosystem is found within Colombian territories.[11] Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located.[12] Since December 20, 2014, Colombia hosts 59 protected areas.[13] The biodiversity is highest in the Andean natural region, followed by the Amazon natural region.[14] Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources in the country has been collecting samples of biodiversity. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2530 species from 1289 genera, and 323 families of the Colombian biodiversity have been stored in their archives.[15]

The biodiversity of Colombia is at risk, mainly because of habitat loss, urbanisation, deforestation and overfishing.[16] According to a study of 2001, 260,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of forested area is lost every year.[17] Around 1300 species are critically endangered, and 509 species are introduced in Colombia, 22 of which are classified as invasive species in Colombia.[2] Various plans to address the environmental issues are proposed.[18] The National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) is the administrator of protected areas.

Biodiversity in numbers

Class	Group	Pos	Species
Vertebrates	Mammals (list, primates)	4	492
	Birds (list, endemic)	1	1941
	Reptiles (list, lizards, snakes)	3	537
	Amphibians	2	803
	Marine fish		2000
	Freshwater fish (Magdalena River)		1435
Invertebrates (arthropods)	Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)	1	3274
	Ants		900
	Marine molluscs		1250
	Marine sponges		1250
	Corals		139
	Marine decapods		560
	Echinoderms		296
	Terrestrial molluscs		650
	Beetles		7000
	Arachnids		1089
	Bees		398
	Diptera		3153
Flora (endemic)	Flowering plants		22,840
	Flowerless plants		45
	Orchids (endemic)	1	4270
	Ferns and relatives		1643
	Palm trees	3	289
	Mosses and relatives		1649
Algae	Terrestrial algae		1030
Algae	Marine algae		565
Fungi	Lichen		1674
	Macrofungi		1239
	Rusts		327
	Smuts		71

To commemorate the biodiversity of Colombia, the coins of the Colombian peso introduced in 2012 feature a species each.[19]

Natural regions

Colombia is divided into six natural regions.

Caribbean natural region

Surface area	132,288 km² (51,077 sq mi)
Departments	Antioquia Atlántico Bolívar Cesar Córdoba La Guajira Magdalena Sucre
National parks	Bahía Portete Ciénaga Grande Los Colorados Corales de Profundidad Corales del Rosario El Corchal Los Flamencos Macuira Paramillo Playona Acandí Salamanca Island S.N. de Santa Marta Tayrona
Biodiversity	aquatic birds	165
	amphibians	39
	reptiles	129
	plants	3151
	fish	109
References	[13][14]

Andean natural region

Surface area	282,540 km² (109,090 sq mi)
Departments	Antioquia Boyacá Caldas Cauca Cesar Chocó Cundinamarca Huila Nariño Norte de Santander Quindío Risaralda Santander Tolima Valle del Cauca
National parks	Catatumbo Barí Chingaza El Cocuy Corota Cueva de los Guácharos Doña Juana-Cascabel Los Estoraques Galeras Guanentá Las Hermosas Iguaque Nevado del Huila Los Nevados Las Orquídeas Otún Quimbaya Pisba Puracé Selva de Florencia Sumapaz Tamá Tatamá Yariguíes
Biodiversity	aquatic birds	14
	amphibians	485
	reptiles	220
	plants	11,500
	fish	197
References	[13][14]

Orinoquía natural region

Surface area	285,437 km² (110,208 sq mi)
Departments	Arauca Casanare Meta Vichada
National parks	La Macarena Los Picachos Tinigua El Tuparro
Biodiversity	aquatic birds	92
	amphibians	57
	reptiles	119
	plants	2692
	fish	619
References	[13][14]

Amazon natural region

Surface area	483,911 km² (186,839 sq mi)
Departments	Amazonas Caquetá Guainía Guaviare Putumayo Vaupés Vichada
National parks	Alto Fragua Indi-Wasi Amacayacu Cahuinarí Chiribiquete Nukak La Paya Puinawai Río Puré Churumbelos Tinigua
Biodiversity	aquatic birds	74
	amphibians	158
	reptiles	195
	plants	5300
	fish	675
References	[13][14]

Pacific/Chocó natural region

Surface area	83,170 km² (32,110 sq mi)
Departments	Cauca Chocó Nariño Valle del Cauca
National parks	Los Katíos Sanquianga Uramba Bahía Málaga Utría
Biodiversity	aquatic birds	142
	amphibians	154
	reptiles	177
	plants	4525
	fish	164
References	[13][14]

Insular natural region

Surface area	300 km² (120 sq mi)
Departments	Bolívar Cauca San Andrés y Providencia Valle del Cauca
National parks	Corales del Rosario Malpelo Old Providence Gorgona
Biodiversity	Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo
	fish	170
	corals	52
	sponges	25
	molluscs & crustaceans	100s
	Gorgona Island
	fish	Pseudobatos prahli
		Trichomycterus gorgona
	Malpelo Island
	fish	Acanthemblemaria stephensi
		Halichoeres malpelo
	Old Providence Lagoon
	birds	74
References	[13][14][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Biodiversity hotspots

Biodiversity hotspots of Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena (left) and Tropical Andes (right)

Colombia hosts two biodiversity hotspots; the Tropical Andes and Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena. The country is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves with five biosphere reserves:[26]

Name	Since	First review	Second review	Notes
Cinturón Andino	1979	2001	2011	[27]
El Tuparro	1979	2001	2011	[28]
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta	1979	2001	2011	[29]
Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta	2000	2011		[30]
Seaflower	2000	2011		[31]

Species

The Amazon river dolphin inhabits the southeastern Amazon region of Colombia.

Selected fauna

Name	Species	Image
Caquetá titi	Callicebus caquetensis
cotton-top tamarin	Saguinus oedipus
mountain tapir	Tapirus pinchaque
ornate titi	Callicebus ornatus
spectacled bear	Tremarctos ornatus
white-footed tamarin	Saguinus leucopus
	Santamartamys
American flamingo	Phoenicopterus ruber
Andean condor	Vultur gryphus
blue-billed curassow	Crax alberti
Colombian chachalaca	Ortalis columbiana
Crested caracara	Caracara plancus
great egret	Ardea alba
green-bearded helmetcrest	Oxypogon guerinii
indigo-capped hummingbird	Amazilia cyanifrons
little blue heron	Egretta caerulea
multicoloured tanager	Chlorochrysa nitidissima
snowy egret	Egretta thula
white-tailed starfrontlet	Coeligena phalerata
blue anole	Anolis gorgonae
Magdalena River turtle	Podocnemis lewyana
rainbow whiptail	Cnemidophorus lemniscatus
spectacled caiman	Caiman crocodilus
	Norops mariarum
Andean poison frog	Andinobates opisthomelas
Boettger's Colombian treefrog	Dendropsophus columbianus
golden poison frog	Phyllobates terribilis
Guajira stubfoot toad	Atelopus carrikeri
harlequin poison frog	Oophaga histrionica
Lehmann's poison frog	Oophaga lehmanni
	Pristimantis tayrona
green discus	Symphysodon tarzoo
redhump eartheater	Geophagus steindachneri
spotted moray	Gymnothorax moringa
Malpelo barnacle blenny	Acanthemblemaria stephensi
Malpelo wrasse	Halichoeres malpelo
	Centrochir crocodili
	Hoplosternum magdalenae
	Labrisomus dendriticus
	Sturisoma aureum
Clysonymus longwing	Heliconius clysonymus
Dirce beauty	Colobura dirce
brown peacock	Anartia amathea
eleone white	Leptophobia eleone
short-lined kite swallowtail	Protographium agesilaus
	Rhetus arcius
	Mastigoproctus colombianus
	Psammodesmus bryophorus
giant ramshorn snail	Marisa cornuarietis
Portuguese man o' war	Physalia physalis
sea slug

Selected endemic flora

Name	Species	Image
	Cattleya trianae national flower
wax palm	Ceroxylon quindiuense national tree
lulo	Solanum quitoense national fruit
borojó	Alibertia patinoi
	Ancipitia anthrax
	Comparettia macroplectron
	Dracula bella
	Dracula diabola
	Dracula lotax
	Erythroxylum novogranatense
frailejón	Espeletia killipii
	Heliconia bourgaeana
	Hypericum myricariifolium
	Ipomoea pes-caprae
	Lepanthes ophelma
	Lupinus alopecuroides
	Masdevallia mejiana
	Miconia salicifolia
	Monnina salicifolia
	Odontoglossum crispum
	Opuntia wentiana
	Paphinia rugosa
	Paphinia seegeri
	Passiflora loefgrenii
	Pentacalia vernicosa
	Phragmipedium schlimii
color-changing Restrepia	Restrepia chameleon
copper-coloured Restrepia	Restrepia cuprea
	Restrepia nittiorhyncha
	Restrepia pandurata
	Senecio formosoides
	Stanhopea platyceras
	Stanhopea pozoi
	Stanhopea shuttleworthii
	Stanhopea stevensonii

Selected endemic fungi

Name	Species	Image
	Cookeina tricholoma
	Favolus brasiliensis
	Oudemansiella platensis

Panoramas

Cocora valley, Quindío

Ocetá Páramo, Boyacá

References

Qué es la biodiversidad - Humboldt Institute (in Spanish)
Biodiversidad en cifras - SiB Colombia (in Spanish)
Nuevo Parque Nacional Natural de Colombia Bahía Portete - Ministerio de Ambiente, Colombia (in Spanish)
Bahía Portete, regalo de Navidad - El Espectador (in Spanish)
Biodiversidad en Cifras 2021 - SiB Colombia (in Spanish)
Especies endémicas, áreas protegidas y deforestación | Biodiversidad 2018 - Humboldt Institute (in Spanish)
Biodiversity A-Z
Biodiversidad en Colombia (in Spanish)
Colombia Viva:Informe 2017 - WWF-Colombia
"Instituto Humboldt". www.humboldt.org.co (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
Five unmissable Colombian páramos begging to be explored
Nieto Escalante et al., 2010, p.75
Parques Nacionales de Colombia (in Spanish)
Estadísticas Biodiversidad Colombia (in Spanish)
Arbeláez Cortés et al., 2015, p.163
UNDP, 2014, p.18
Rodríguez Becerra, 2001, p.10
Plan de acción de biodiversidad Colombia 2016-2030 Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
Biodiversidad nuestra conexión vital - Banco de la República (in Spanish)
Woods, 2008, p.49
Kyne, P.M. (2016). "Pseudobatos prahli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T63158A104002851. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T63158A104002851.en.
Villa-Navarro, F.; Mesa-Salazar, L.; Sanchez-Duarte, P.; Lasso, C. (2016). "Trichomycterus gorgona". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T64792679A64890625. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T64792679A64890625.en.
Bessudo, S.; Dominici-Arosemena, A.; Espinosa, H.; Hastings, P. (2010). "Acanthemblemaria stephensi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T183968A8208246. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183968A8208246.en.
Allen, G.; Edgar, G.; Rocha, L.; Min, L. (2010). "Halichoeres malpelo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T183519A8127170. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183519A8127170.en.
Villegas, Benjamin; Sesana, Laura (2007). Colombia Natural Parks. Villegas Asociados. ISBN 978-958-8156-87-3. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
World Biosphere Reserves - Latin America & The Caribbean
Cinturón Andino - World Biosphere Reserve
El Tuparro - World Biosphere Reserve
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta - World Biosphere Reserve
Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta - World Biosphere Reserve
Sea Flower - World Biosphere Reserve

Bibliography

Arbeláez Cortés, Enrique; Torres, María Fernanda; López Álvarez, Diana; Palacio Mejía, Juan Diego; Mendoza, Ángela María; Medina, Claudia Alejandra (2015). "La biodiversidad congelada de Colombia: 16 años de la colección de tejidos del Instituto Humboldt" [Colombian frozen biodiversity - 16 years of the tissue collection of the Humboldt Institute]. Acta Biológica Colombiana, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. 20: 163–173.
Nieto Escalante, Juan Antonio; Sepulveda Fajardo, Claudia Inés; Sandoval Sáenz, Luis Fernando; Siachoque Bernal, Ricardo Fabian; Fajardo Fajardo, Jair Olando; Martínez Díaz, William Alberto; Bustamante Méndez, Orlando; Oviedo Calderón, Diana Rocio (2010). Geografía de Colombia [Geography of Colombia] (in Spanish). Bogotá, Colombia: Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi. ISBN 978-958-8323-38-1.
Rodríguez Becerra, Manuel (2001). "La biodiversidad en Colombia" (PDF). Manuel Rodríguez Becerra. pp. 1–32. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
"V Informe nacional de biodiversidad de Colombia - ante el convenio de diversidad biológica" (PDF). United Nations Development Program. 2014. pp. 1–156. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-04. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
Woods, Sarah (2008). Colombia. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-242-2. Retrieved 2017-01-30.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[HumboldtBio-1] Qué es la biodiversidad - Humboldt Institute (in Spanish)

[SiB_home-2] Biodiversidad en cifras - SiB Colombia (in Spanish)

[MinAmbientePortete-3] Nuevo Parque Nacional Natural de Colombia Bahía Portete - Ministerio de Ambiente, Colombia (in Spanish)

[EspectadorPortete-4] Bahía Portete, regalo de Navidad - El Espectador (in Spanish)

[SiB-5] Biodiversidad en Cifras 2021 - SiB Colombia (in Spanish)

[BioDiv2018-6] Especies endémicas, áreas protegidas y deforestación | Biodiversidad 2018 - Humboldt Institute (in Spanish)

[BioDivAZ-7] Biodiversity A-Z

[SIAC-8] Biodiversidad en Colombia (in Spanish)

[WWF-9] Colombia Viva:Informe 2017 - WWF-Colombia

[10] "Instituto Humboldt". www.humboldt.org.co (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.

[ColombiaParamos-11] Five unmissable Colombian páramos begging to be explored

[Geografia_p75-12] Nieto Escalante et al., 2010, p.75

[ParquesNacionales-13] Parques Nacionales de Colombia (in Spanish)

[BiodiversityRegions-14] Estadísticas Biodiversidad Colombia (in Spanish)

[Arbelaez2015_p163-15] Arbeláez Cortés et al., 2015, p.163

[UNDP_p18-16] UNDP, 2014, p.18

[Becerra_p10-17] Rodríguez Becerra, 2001, p.10

[Cecodes-18] Plan de acción de biodiversidad Colombia 2016-2030 Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)

[BancoBiodiversidad-19] Biodiversidad nuestra conexión vital - Banco de la República (in Spanish)

[Woods49-20] Woods, 2008, p.49

[IUCNGorgona1-21] Kyne, P.M. (2016). "Pseudobatos prahli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T63158A104002851. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T63158A104002851.en.

[ICUNGorgona2-22] Villa-Navarro, F.; Mesa-Salazar, L.; Sanchez-Duarte, P.; Lasso, C. (2016). "Trichomycterus gorgona". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T64792679A64890625. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T64792679A64890625.en.

[ICUNMalpelo1-23] Bessudo, S.; Dominici-Arosemena, A.; Espinosa, H.; Hastings, P. (2010). "Acanthemblemaria stephensi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T183968A8208246. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183968A8208246.en.

[ICUNMalpelo2-24] Allen, G.; Edgar, G.; Rocha, L.; Min, L. (2010). "Halichoeres malpelo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T183519A8127170. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183519A8127170.en.

[25] Villegas, Benjamin; Sesana, Laura (2007). Colombia Natural Parks. Villegas Asociados. ISBN 978-958-8156-87-3. Retrieved 2017-01-30.

[UNBiosphereReserves-26] World Biosphere Reserves - Latin America & The Caribbean

[UNCinturonAndino-27] Cinturón Andino - World Biosphere Reserve

[UNElTuparro-28] El Tuparro - World Biosphere Reserve

[UNSNSantaMarta-29] Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta - World Biosphere Reserve

[UNCGSantaMarta-30] Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta - World Biosphere Reserve

[UNSeaflower-31] Sea Flower - World Biosphere Reserve

Protected areas of Colombia
National Natural Parks	Alto Fragua Indi-Wasi Amacayacu Bahía Portete Cahuinarí Catatumbo Barí Chingaza Corales de Profundidad Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo Cordillera de los Picachos Cueva de los Guácharos Doña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic Complex El Tuparro Farallones de Cali Isla Gorgona La Paya Las Hermosas Las Orquídeas Los Katíos Los Nevados Macuira Munchique Nevado del Huila Old Providence McBean Lagoon Paramillo Pisba Puracé Río Puré Sanquianga Selva de Florencia Serranía de Chiribiquete Serranía de la Macarena Serranía de Los Churumbelos Auka-Wasi Serranía de los Yariguíes Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Sumapaz Tamá Tatamá Tayrona Tinigua Uramba Bahía Málaga Utría Yaigojé Apaporis
Flora and Fauna Sanctuaries	Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta El Corchal "El mono Hernández" Galeras Guanentá Alto Río Fonce Iguaque Isla de La Corota Los Colorados Los Flamencos Malpelo Otún Quimbaya Plantas Medicinales Orito Ingi-Ande Playona Acandí
National Natural Reserves	Nukak Puinawai
Unique Natural Area	Los Estoraques
Road parks	Salamanca Island
Regional Nature Reserves	Cerulean Warbler Colibri del Sol Laguna de Sonso
Proposed Areas	Bosque Seco del Patía Morichales de Paz de Ariporo Serranía de Pinche Serranía de San Lucas
Biodiversity Natural hazards Natural regions

Biodiversity worldwide
Africa	Algeria Angola Botswana Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Libya Madagascar Mali Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nigeria Rodrigues Rwanda Seychelles Somalia South Africa Cape Town Marine South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Tunisia Zambia Zimbabwe
Asia	Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Borneo Cambodia China Georgia India Assam Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Laos Malaysia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Palestine Papua New Guinea Philippines Qatar Russia South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Thailand Turkey Vietnam Yemen
Europe	Albania Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Lithuania Kosovo Montenegro Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Ireland Romania Russia Serbia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Wales
North America	Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Nicaragua Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United States
Oceania	Australia New Caledonia New Zealand Papua New Guinea
South America	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Antarctica	Antarctica
Biodiversity hotspot Global 200 Key Biodiversity Areas Millennium Ecosystem Assessment