I carried out post-graduate research into the Paramo of the Ecuador-Colombia border in El Angel National Park from September-December 2008.
Life was tough at nearly 4000 m, with no hot water, electricity or communications. I was living in a refuge with my two Mexican Biologist friends from my university days, a policeman (needed a gun due to being right on a smuggling route from Colombia-Ecuador), and our Park Ranger.
I was studying hummingbird pollination, and the Mexicans were looking at giant rosette plant ecology. The Paramo is a challenging yet increadibly beautiful area which is in need of help to remain in tact. As ever human activity is a threat to its survival, so we were on a mission to find some species we can use as ‘key stone species’ to help conserve this fragile ecosystem. Paramo is needed to soak up the heavy rain that falls in the mountains. It acts as a sponge, slowly letting the water out to the farmland and settlements below. It provides a food-source for many animals living at lower altitudes, a fact that intrigued me as the Paramo can be such a tough place to survive in. Hummingbirds in particular need the Paramo as a feeding ground as the nectar tends to contain far more sugars than at lower altitudes, due to lower air pressure meaning wings have to beat much harder for birds to stay aloft!
After our research was over, I spent time in The Galapagos, Cotopaxi National Park and of course the beach! Our research is in the process of being analysed at the moment, and of course there could well the a return trip…I will keep you posted!
