Weird & Wonderful Ecuadorian Orchids and some unusual habitats:The Volcan Chiles cloud forest and Paramo

摘要

One of the journeys to see Ecuadorian orchids in the wild took us, in Spring 2014, from the small Northern town of Maldonado into the Volcan Chiles mountain range and its famous Paramo. This varied habitat spans the Ecuador-Colombia border in the Central Cordillera Mountains of theAndes; the highest point is at 4723m. Our route approached the mountains from the West and this is where moisture-laden clouds accumulate after rising from the warm coastal lowland below, thereby creating a lush cloud forest on the volcano's flanks.