THE ENVIRONMENT - THREATS
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FACTS
Ecuador is considered one of the seventeen megadiverse countries in the world, owing to the variety of its ecosystems and species and its high percentages of endemism; within an area of 256,370 square kilometres live 1,600 bird species (15% of the world's known bird species), 11% of the world's known terrestrial vertebrates, 25,000 species of plants, 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, 6,500 species of butterfly (compared to 20,000 species in the entire world ) and around 600 species of marine fish. In the Ecuadorian rainforest the most diverse types of life are the insects. It is estimated that one acre (0.4 hectare) may contain 70,000 species of insects. Because Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in the Americas, by the math, it has the greatest biodiversity per area in the world.
The rainforest, as we know it, has been estimated to be around 100 million years old. It is a prime reason for the diversity that exists in this region. In addition, the stability of the climate and environment has created the possibilities of an incredible symbiosis between the vegetation, the insects, and the other animals.
THREATS
Biodiversity across Ecuador, and particularly in the Amazon region, is decreasing rapidly. 
We can certainly mention that several aspects of the society are to blame: the lack of enforcement of laws and the lack of insight in small communities who own large parts of the natural habitats have a great affect on the preservation of the country's most valuable treasure.
However, adding to the damage, there is the persistence of unsustainable human activities which highly threaten these fragile ecosystems:
- Habitat destruction (expansion of mining and timber industries and pressure to further develop infrastructures and agricultural boundaries for growing communities)
- Illegal and irrational logging, hunting and trade of wild animal and plant species
(including commercialisation of wild animal meat, constituent parts and derivative products of wild species)- Water and air pollution and climate change
These issues are currently jeopardising the survival of the native wildlife of Ecuador, both plant and animal species, some of which have already become locally extinct.