Introduction - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 27

quarter of these are endemic, existing nowhere else on earth. Some of
these orchids are used commercially and exported as houseplants.
Baby ferns, pink in color until they begin to “grow up,” can be found
adorning the forest slopes and the canopy floor.
Mangrove Forests
Along coastal estuaries, mangrove forests form the basis of life for ev-
erything frommarine animals to seabirds. Growing in brackishwater
and forming an interlacing root network, mangroves provide struc-
ture for soil in the shallows of coastal estuaries, as well as habitat for
various marine organisms. Shrimp farming is the major threat to
mangroves and there are currently only a few places left along Ecua-
dor's coast where forests remain intact. Efforts to conserve the re-
maining forests however, are strong, as mangroves form the
ecological foundation for these estuaries, which in turn affect the
health of fisheries and marine systems farther out at sea.
Strangler Figs
The strangler fig “tree,” actually a vine, is impressive, easily identifi-
able, and found throughout the tropics. It can be inspiring, if a bit
eerie, to poke your head up a 100-foot empty space where a tree, once
engulfed by the strangler fig, used to live.
The life cycle of a strangler fig is fascinating. A mature vine will pro-
duce fruit, which is then eaten by birds. After they're digested and
passed through the bird's system, the seeds drop and become im-
planted near the bases of other trees. Eventually, the seeds put down
roots and begin to grow up and around their newfound host trees. In
time, they effectively block the host trees off from the sun. If the en-
gulfed trees rot away, what is left is empty space, perfect for a good
game of jungle hide-and-seek.
People/Culture
Over 12 million people live in Ecuador today, more than
10 times the number of indigenous people estimated to
have resided there during the Spanish conquest. The
country has the highest population density of any South
American nation, with around 100 people per square mile, though it
also claims the highest percentage of Native Americans. Estimates of
ethnic makeup vary; it is difficult to accurately quantify how many
pureblooded Amerindians and mestizos (people of mixed European
and Amerindian ancestry) there are. Some sources state the figures
as mestizo, 55%; Amerindian, 25%; white, 10%; black, 9%; others