El Globo Cloud Forest Habitat Bank
Future, water and sustainability
The first Habitat Bank to conserve the Cloud Forest in Colombia is located in the Cuchilla Jardín-Támesis Integrated Management District (DMI). Known as thewater star of southwestern Antioquia, this area is within the ecosystems prioritized as being of high interest for conservation in Antioquia.
This conservation initiative has an extension of 345 hectares and is inside El Globo Natural Reserve, which has one of the few remnants ofNative High Andean Forest ecosystem that are still preserved in the region.
The ecosystems within El Globo Habitat Bank are very important for wildlife because they provide connectivity between different habitat areas and promote the ecosystemic balance necessary for the subsistence of many species in a number of taxonomic groups.
If you want to contribute to the protection of this ecosystem click here
Importance
of the selected area
The High Andean Forest ecosystem areas inside El Globo Habitat Bank are strategic for regional development as they provide important ecosystem services related to water regulation, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. On the other hand, these areas of forest are also presented as an exceptional place to neutralize the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity; since their extension makes possible biological processes that are fundamental for the preservation of many species.
With the implementation of this Habitat Bank, for a period of 30 years,will conserve 304.08 hectares of forests,will enrich 27.1 hectares of secondary vegetation and will restore 14.29 hectaresof shrublands and grasslands in a High Andean Forest ecosystem, which, despite having good representation in RUNAP, is highly fragmented throughout the national territory.
If your work, project or activity is located in any of the blue areas of the maps that appear on the side, you can comply with your environmental obligations derived from mandatory investments of no less than 1% or biodiversity loss offsets, both mandatory and voluntary, in this Habitat Bank.
For additional information you can contact us or leave your questions through the Contact tab.
Important species for conservation
According to secondary information and the baseline characterization completed, in this Habitat Bank we are protecting many species such as: more than 290 species of birds, 8 amphibians, 24 reptiles, 12 bony fish, 29 butterflies and 76 species of mammals.This wealth is a reflection of the area´s potential for conservation, research, birdwatching and environmental education..
Some relevant records are the yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) and the crested eagle (Spizaetus isidori), two bird species that are in the “Endangered” category, and the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) which according to the IUCN red list is "vulnerable”; conservation status.
Findings relevant to science
During the baseline characterization, 156 botanical collections, from which the following were recorded:
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Three (3) species where only their type specimens were known, that is, the specimen with which the description was made.
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71 endemic species, 29 species listed in Appendix II of CITES and 20 species on the IUCN red list.
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Two (2) new possible species for science of the generaMeriania (Melastomataceae) and Magnolia(Magnoliaceae).
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The species Habenaria repens (Orchidaceae), previously reported only for the departments of Cundinamarca and Magdalena, is reported for the first time in Antioquia.
- Colombia already has its second Habitat Bank: With the registration of this reserve as a Habitat Bank, located in the town of Támesis, it is guaranteed that for at least the next 30 years this place will be a refuge for animals such as the spectacled bear, the yellow-eared parrot and the crested eagle, as well as for flora species such as wax palms and macana. These banks allow companies and organizations to make investments for the ecosystems conservation through the purchase of biodiversity credits... See more here.
- Launch of El Globo Habitat Bank (Támesis, Antioquia): Model of environmental innovation in Colombia. See here.
Media coverage of El Globo Habitat Bank's launching
Learn about the experience of El Globo Natural Reserve landowners in the process of joining the Habitat Bank!
“I am very excited about the Habitat Bank”
Interview: Margarita Rosa Serna Agudelo. June, 2021
Margarita is part of the Serna family, owners of the property where Bosque Niebla´s El Globo Habitat Bank is now located. When his father passed away, she took the leadership of the livestock activities that were carried out on the farm. However, and after understanding that a worldwide commitment was beginning to protect water and air, she decided, together with her brothers, to stop the cattle exploitation of El Globo and let the forest recover. Today, 20 years after that decision, he is very happy to start this Banco de Hábitat project.