Ecuador's ecosystems are greatly influenced by altitude and we start with the highest mountain region, called locally Paramo. This ecosystem is unique to the Andes with its distinct flora and fauna, many of which are not found in any other high alpine regions of the world. It begins at around 3600m and reaches up to the glaciers at 5000m. Although that high it is still home to an amazing biodiversity of some 2000 plants and animals.

Moving lower we enter into the Andean Valleys, which once were heavily forested but underwent profound changes at the hands of humans. Introduced species of plants and animals dominate nowadays, having replaced the native ones. This lower mountain region, ranging from 3600m to the bottom of the valleys, which separate the two Andes ranging from 3000m to around 2000m is also a major human settlement area with half of the country's people living there.

On the outside flanks of the Andes we encounter the Cloudforests, the dense mountain rainforests you encounter when leaving the Andean valleys and moving down either west to the coastal plains or east to the Amazon basin. This region of steep terrain is especially rich in flowering plants like orchids and bromeliads and has an altitudinal range of between 3000m and 1000m.

Moving east we enter the Amazon basin which is covered by extensive Tropical Rainforests. Huge trees, laden with epiphytes and vines, are home to many animals. In those tropical woodlands, more species of animals and plants are found than in any other ecosystem of the world. It becomes however more and more under pressure as oil exploration and population increases lead to deforestation. A smaller area of rainforests are also encountered in the northwestern region of the coastal plains in the province of Esmeraldas, where the forest now becomes cut at an alarming rate.

Moving south on the coastal plains we enter into drier regions, which are marked by two distinct seasons. Dry conditions reign for half of the year whereas the other half is usually very wet. That is all due to the influences of a cold and a warm ocean current alternating seasonally along the Pacific coast. Once that large region was covered by Dry Tropical Forests but large human settlements and intensive agriculture with monoculture plantations finished almost entirely with this unique forest.

Right along on the Pacific coast and some small areas of Galapagos are situated the  Mangroves composed mainly of trees, which grow right near the ocean, where salt water meets sweet water and how they support a unique fauna and flora. This is another of the country's ecological regions which became in the last decade under assault by human activities. Industrial Shrimp farms destroy the trees to establish the pools, where these crustaceans are raised.

Leaving the mainland behind we finally reach the Galapagos Islands. These volcanic islands, one thousand kilometers straight west of mainland Ecuador developed their own unique fauna and flora with a high rate of endemic species. Charles Darwin developed his revolutionary idea of evolution while visiting the islands centuries ago.

Another important habitat for animals are the Marine Waters. A rich marine underwater world is found along the Pacific coast and in Galapagos due to the presence of two major ocean currents, the cold Humboldt stream and the warmer El Niño, which support their own species of fish and other water dwelling animals.