The biodiversity of Colombia is the variety of indigenous organisms in the country with the second-highest biodiversity in the world. As of 2021, around 63,000 species are registered in Colombia, of which 14% are endemic. The country occupies worldwide the first position in number of orchids, birds and butterflies, second position in plants, amphibians and fresh water fish, third place in species of palm trees and reptiles and globally holds the sixth position in biodiversity of mammals.
The country hosts 59 nationally designated protected areas. At the establishment of the most recent addition, Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said "Biodiversity is to Colombia, what oil is for the Arabs".Nuevo Parque Nacional Natural de Colombia Bahía Portete - Ministerio de Ambiente, Colombia Bahía Portete, regalo de Navidad - El Espectador
In 2020, according to the Colombian Biodiversity Information System, 63,303 species were registered in the country,Biodiversidad en Cifras 2021 - SiB Colombia of which more than 8,800 are considered endemic species.Especies endémicas, áreas protegidas y deforestación | Biodiversidad 2018 - Humboldt Institute The country occupies the first position in the world in number of orchid and bird species, second in plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palm and reptile species, and fourth in mammalian biodiversity.
According to a report by the WWF, half of Colombia's ecosystems are in a critical state of deterioration or in a state of danger. The organization said that environmental degradation is due to oil extraction, mineral and metal extraction and deforestation. Deteriorating ecosystems are threatening the existence of more than a third of Colombia's plants and 50 percent of its animals.Colombia Viva:Informe 2017 - WWF-Colombia
Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources has been collecting biodiversity samples. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2,530 species of 1,289 genera, and 323 families from Colombian biodiversity have been stored in its archives.
Description
Colombia is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world.Biodiversity A-Z The country in northwestern South America contains 311 types of coastal and continental ecosystems.Qué es la biodiversidad - Humboldt Institute As of the beginning of 2021, a total of between 63,000 and 71,000 species are registered in the country,Biodiversidad en Colombia with 8803 endemic species, representing near the 14% of the total registered species. Colombia is the country with the most páramos in the world; more than 60% of the Andean ecosystem is found within Colombian territories.Five unmissable Colombian páramos begging to be explored Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located.Nieto Escalante et al., 2010, p.75 Since December 20, 2014, Colombia hosts 59 protected areas.Parques Nacionales de Colombia The biodiversity is highest in the Andean natural region, followed by the Amazon natural region.Estadísticas Biodiversidad Colombia Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources in the country has been collecting samples of biodiversity. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2530 species from 1289 genera, and 323 families of the Colombian biodiversity have been stored in their archives.Arbeláez Cortés et al., 2015, p.163
The biodiversity of Colombia is at risk, mainly because of habitat loss, urbanisation, deforestation and overfishing.UNDP, 2014, p.18 According to a study of 2001, of forested area is lost every year.Rodríguez Becerra, 2001, p.10 Around 1300 species are critically endangered, and 509 species are introduced in Colombia, 22 of which are classified as invasive species in Colombia.Biodiversidad en cifras - SiB Colombia Various plans to address the environmental issues are proposed.Plan de acción de biodiversidad Colombia 2016-2030 The National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) is the administrator of protected areas.
Biodiversity in numbers Class Group Pos Species Vertebrates Mammals (list, primates) 4 Birds (list, endemic) 1 Reptiles (list, lizards, snakes) 3 Amphibians 2 Marine fish Freshwater fish (Magdalena River) Invertebrates(arthropods) Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) 1 Ants Marine molluscs Marine sponges Corals Marine decapods Echinoderms Terrestrial molluscs Beetles Arachnids Bees Diptera Flora (endemic) Flowering plants Flowerless plants Orchids (endemic) 1 Ferns and relatives Palm trees 3 Mosses and relatives Algae Terrestrial algae Marine algae Fungi Lichen Macrofungi Rusts Smuts
To commemorate the biodiversity of Colombia, the coins of the Colombian peso introduced in 2012 feature a species each.Biodiversidad nuestra conexión vital - Banco de la República
Natural regions
Colombia is divided into six natural regions.
Caribbean natural region
Surface area Departments Antioquia Atlántico Bolívar Cesar Córdoba La Guajira Magdalena Sucre National parks Bahía PorteteCiénaga GrandeLos ColoradosCorales de ProfundidadCorales del RosarioEl CorchalLos FlamencosMacuiraParamilloPlayona AcandíSalamanca IslandS.N. de Santa MartaTayrona Biodiversity aquatic birds 165 amphibians 39 reptiles 129 plants 3151 fish 109 References
Andean natural region
Surface area Departments Antioquia Boyacá Caldas Cauca Cesar Chocó Cundinamarca Huila Nariño Norte de Santander Quindío Risaralda Santander Tolima Valle del Cauca National parks Catatumbo BaríChingazaEl CocuyCorotaCueva de los GuácharosDoña Juana-CascabelLos EstoraquesGalerasGuanentáLas HermosasIguaqueNevado del HuilaLos NevadosLas OrquídeasOtún QuimbayaPisbaPuracéSelva de FlorenciaSumapazTamáTatamáYariguíes Biodiversity aquatic birds 14 amphibians 485 reptiles 220 plants 11,500 fish 197 References
Orinoquía natural region
Surface area Departments Arauca Casanare Meta Vichada National parks La MacarenaLos PicachosTiniguaEl Tuparro Biodiversity aquatic birds 92 amphibians 57 reptiles 119 plants 2692 fish 619 References
Amazon natural region
Surface area Departments Amazonas Caquetá Guainía Guaviare Putumayo Vaupés Vichada National parks Alto FraguaIndi-WasiAmacayacuCahuinaríChiribiqueteNukakLa PayaPuinawaiRío PuréChurumbelosTinigua Biodiversity aquatic birds 74 amphibians 158 reptiles 195 plants 5300 fish 675 References
Pacific/Chocó natural region
Surface area Departments Cauca Chocó Nariño Valle del Cauca National parks Los KatíosSanquiangaUramba Bahía MálagaUtría Biodiversity aquatic birds 142 amphibians 154 reptiles 177 plants 4525 fish 164 References
Insular natural region
Surface area Departments Bolívar Cauca San Andrés y Providencia Valle del Cauca National parks Corales del RosarioMalpeloOld ProvidenceGorgona Biodiversity Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo fish 170 corals 52 sponges 25 molluscs & crustaceans 100s Gorgona Island fish Pseudobatos prahli Trichomycterus gorgona Malpelo Island fish Acanthemblemaria stephensi Halichoeres malpelo Old Providence Lagoon birds 74 References
Biodiversity hotspots
Colombia hosts two biodiversity hotspots; the Tropical Andes and Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena. The country is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves with five biosphere reserves:World Biosphere Reserves - Latin America & The Caribbean Name Since Firstreview Secondreview Image Notes Cinturón Andino El Tuparro Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta Seaflower
Species
Selected fauna Name Species Image Caquetá titi Callicebus caquetensis cotton-top tamarin Saguinus oedipus mountain tapir Tapirus pinchaque ornate titi Callicebus ornatus spectacled bear Tremarctos ornatus white-footed tamarin Saguinus leucopus Santamartamys American flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Andean condor Vultur gryphus blue-billed curassow Crax alberti Colombian chachalaca Ortalis columbiana Crested caracara Caracara plancus great egret Ardea alba green-bearded helmetcrest Oxypogon guerinii indigo-capped hummingbird Amazilia cyanifrons little blue heron Egretta caerulea multicoloured tanager Chlorochrysa nitidissima snowy egret Egretta thula white-tailed starfrontlet Coeligena phalerata blue anole Anolis gorgonae Magdalena River turtle Podocnemis lewyana rainbow whiptail Cnemidophorus lemniscatus spectacled caiman Caiman crocodilus Norops mariarum Andean poison frog Andinobates opisthomelas Boettger's Colombian treefrog Dendropsophus columbianus golden poison frog Phyllobates terribilis Guajira stubfoot toad Atelopus carrikeri harlequin poison frog Oophaga histrionica Lehmann's poison frog Oophaga lehmanni Pristimantis tayrona green discus Symphysodon tarzoo redhump eartheater Geophagus steindachneri spotted moray Gymnothorax moringa Malpelo barnacle blenny Acanthemblemaria stephensi Malpelo wrasse Halichoeres malpelo Centrochir crocodili Hoplosternum magdalenae Labrisomus dendriticus Sturisoma aureum Clysonymus longwing Heliconius clysonymus Dirce beauty Colobura dirce brown peacock Anartia amathea eleone white Leptophobia eleone short-lined kite swallowtail Protographium agesilaus Rhetus arcius Mastigoproctus colombianus Psammodesmus bryophorus giant ramshorn snail Marisa cornuarietis Portuguese man o' war Physalia physalis sea slug
Selected endemic flora Name Species Image Cattleya trianaenational flower wax palm Ceroxylon quindiuensenational tree lulo Solanum quitoensenational fruit borojó Alibertia patinoi Ancipitia anthrax Comparettia macroplectron Dracula bella Dracula diabola Dracula lotax Erythroxylum novogranatense frailejón Espeletia killipii Heliconia bourgaeana Hypericum myricariifolium Ipomoea pes-caprae Lepanthes ophelma Lupinus alopecuroides Masdevallia mejiana Miconia salicifolia Monnina salicifolia Odontoglossum crispum Opuntia wentiana Paphinia rugosa Paphinia seegeri Passiflora loefgrenii Pentacalia vernicosa Phragmipedium schlimii color-changing restrepia Restrepia chameleon copper-coloured restrepia Restrepia cuprea Restrepia nittiorhyncha Restrepia pandurata Senecio formosoides Stanhopea platyceras Stanhopea pozoi Stanhopea shuttleworthii Stanhopea stevensonii
Selected endemic fungi Name Species Image Cookeina tricholoma Favolus brasiliensis Oudemansiella platensis
Panoramas
See also Biodiversity of the Eastern Hills, Bogotá Conservation biology Biodiversity of Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve Biodiversity of Cape Town, New Caledonia, New Zealand Biodiversity of Borneo, environmental issues in Colombia Environmental personhood
References
Bibliography
External links Biodiversidad Colombia - Universidad de La Salle Colombia: Bajo Caguán-Caquetá Rapid Inventory [PDF] Colombia: La Lindosa, Capricho, Cerritos Rapid Inventory [PDF]