Ecosystem Services in Río Canandé, Ecuador Site location and
ownership Río Canandé Reserve is situated in Esmeraldas province
on the banks of the River (Río) Canandé in north-western
Ecuador, in the western foothills of the Andes at an altitude of
around 500m above sea level. The reserve is presently over
2,200ha in size with a future target of 10,000 ha, and is owned
and managed by Fundación Jocotoco. The reserve receives up to
16,000mm of rainfall each year, making this one of the wettest
places on Earth. Numerous Chocó endemics are found within the
Río Canandé Reserve, including the spectacular Long-wattled
Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) (classified as
Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). This
reserve and surrounding area also supports large mammals such as
Jaguar (Panthera onca) (Near Threatened) and Baird’s Tapir
(Tapirus bairdii) (Endangered). The reserve is also home to
Brown-headed Spider-monkey (Ateles fusciceps) (Critically
Endangered). Once stretching almost uninterrupte