Darien National Park, Panama Photograph by David Olson   Northern South America: Western Colombia into southeastern Panama Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   28,400 square miles (73,600 square kilometers) -- slightly smaller than South Carolina Relatively Stable/Intact

· Tracks of the Tapir
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Tracks of the Tapir

The rain forests of the Chocó-Darién Moist Forests are among the richest on Earth. Occurring along the Pacific coast of Colombia, these lush forests extend northward to the Caribbean coast of Panama. The tall peaks of the northern Andes mark the eastern boundary to this ecoregion and also act as a formidable barrier between this region and that of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. For this reason, the species found here are quite different from those found on the other side of the mountains. Baird’s tapir is just one of the hundreds of mammal species that can be found here. This tapir marks well-worn paths through the forest, which it uses again and again. This saves energy in moving through the dense undergrowth common in these lush forests.

Special Features

The Darién portion of this ecoregion represents the richest forests of Central America, while Chocó has some of the highest numbers of endemic plants in South America. Chocó also may have the highest rainfall on Earth, with some zones receiving up to 630 inches (16,000 mm)--or nearly 53 feet (16 m)--per year. Because there is so much rainfall within this ecoregion, there are areas with exceptional plant diversity. Ten percent of all described Neotropical plants come from the Chocó area.

	Baird’s tapirs usually stay close to water. On really hot days, you might be able to see only their heads above the water’s surface.

Wild Side

This ecoregion has more endemic and near-endemic birds (more than 50) than any other area in the Americas. Nearly 600 species of birds can be found here, including such endemic species as the beautiful jay, toucan barbet, and critically endangered turquoise-throated puffleg, which might already be extinct because of habitat destruction. More than 200 species of mammals roam these forests as well, including 14 endemics, which are mostly rodents. Aside from the Baird’s tapir, other mammals include the jaguar and a small primate known as Geoffrey’s tamarin.

Cause for Concern

Colonization, road building and other development projects, and logging are the main threats to this ecoregion. Approximately a third of the area has been cleared or degraded since the 1960s. A proposed connection of the Pan-American Highway also poses a major threat.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.