The Ecology of El Globo – What lives in the Wild Impact Club?

The History and Landscape of the El Globo Habitat Bank

Deep in Colombia's cloud forest you can find the first Colombian Habitat Bank "El Globo". It's also the first project of our Wild Impact Club! Now it is a sanctuary for hundreds of animal species, unique plants and ancient trees. But it wasn't always like that: since the 1960s the property of El Globo has been exploited as a traditional cattle ranch, where parts of the forest were cut down to be turned into pastures. In the 1990s, armed guerilla groups forced the family living there to abandon the area. Upon their return in 2017, they decided to turn the area into a conservation and renaturation project contributing to biodiversity protection.

Since then the area has been flourishing and successfully turned into a habitat bank. Now it's a leading nature conservation project for one of earth's largest, but also endangered (IUCN-RLE, VU) biodiversity hot-spots: Andean cloud forests. An essential global carbon sink and habitat for many endangered species suffering from deforestation, climate change and other anthropogenic stresses.

From Jaguar to bird: the ecological diversity in Colombia's Cloud Forests

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, classified as a biodiversity hotspot due to its high species richness and levels of endemism (amount of native species). El Globo is home to a diverse array of wildlife as well, including over 120 bird species, 21 mammal species, and 154 plant species. Colombia is known as the place on earth with the most hummingbird species, and you can find many of them fluttering around in El Globo as well. Other endangered and vulnerable species include the Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis), the Crested Eagle (Spizaetus isidori), and the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus). The Spectacled Bear is the inspiration for the iconic cartoon character Paddington Bear and is the only living bear species found in all of South America. These species face habitat loss and fragmentation, and the project area plays a crucial role in their conservation.

Additionally there have been sightings of Spotted Cats and countless endemic insects ranging from huge worms to beautiful butterflies. As expected for a cloud forest, the wet environment and heavy rainfall bring ideal conditions for amphibians like a colorful array of different poison dart frogs. The area would also be a wet dream for ornithologists and bird-enthusiasts: the skies are always filled with beautiful songs from andean condors, toucans, macaws, parrots, hawks and tiny hummingbirds.

Who grows there? A Forest full of beautiful flowers and ancient trees

Plant lovers would also be astounded by the diversity of 154 different described plant species (which surely are not all of them). In this long-term conservation project those plants get exactly what they need: time and space! Without the threat of fragmentation and habitat loss, there are countless plants flourishing at El Globo. The dense forest shows a variety of adapted Oak and Pine trees but also other lesser known trees like the "Encencillo". The trees themselves are an ecosystem for beautiful Orchids and Bromeliads and the humidity makes the forest very attractive to Ferns, Mosses and Lichen, which you can find anywhere you look. Many very rare species have been found so far, including a completely new species and some where the last specimen has been seen over 90 years ago.

The incredible diversity of endemic plants is not to be taken for granted though. Fragmentation of habitats and deforestation have put many plants at risk and nearby farmlands bring in invasive species. To fight that, there's a small plant nursery at El Globo. The goal there is to propagate native seedlings, which are then used for renaturation on site. This ensures that the incredible plants of Colombia's cloud forests are here to stay for the long-term and continue to thrive in their natural habitat.

A thriving & lively ecosystem

So whether it's the last living bears of South America or newly discovered plants, there's a ton of wildlife worth protecting in the Colombian cloud forests. Every one of the species there plays into this thick web of life, keeping the ecosystem, and in turn our planet, alive.

Become a part in the protection of the habitats of those countless unique species!