Welcome to EvoAndes.net!

Science has only just begun to unlock the mysteries of the Andes and the species that live there. A deeper understanding can only be acheived through multidisciplinary research. This includes biological inventories and taxonomic classifications, studies of the natural history and biogeography of Andean species, ecological and evolutionary studies, as well as studies of the historical processes, and geological and climatic events that have shaped the modern distribution of species and ecosystems. Ultimately, a greater knowledge and appreciation of Andean biodiversity will allow us to better protect it for future generations.

This webpage is designed to serve as a useful (though far from comprehensive) source of internet links to scientific and educational resources related to the Andes. A very short description of each link is provided, along with an indication of whether it is published in English (E) or Spanish (S). If any of these links have changed, or if you know of a link that should be included on this page, please contact me. This page and many of the links are under construction, so check back for updates.

• General botanical information and floras

• Plant taxa

• Fauna

• Organizations

• Geology

• Images of the Andes

Links

Description

Lan

General botanical information and floras

• Andean Botanical Information System

Excellent source of information on the Andean flora with emphasis on the central and southern Andes; includes many links to other resources

E,S

• Plant diversity and endemism in South America

From the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian, a highly informative and well referenced introduction to the geography, vegetation and conservation of the tropical Andes

E

• Flora of Chingaza

Photographic guide to the flora of Páramo de Chingaza, near Bogotá, Colombia

S

• Inventory of Maquipucuna

Inventory of vascular plants from the montane forests of Maquipucuna, Ecuador

E

• Inventory of Río Alto Mayo

Floristic inventory of the Bosque de Protección del Río Alto Mayo (San Martín, Peru)

E

• Páramos

Species checklist, gazetteer and references for plants of the páramo, the high elevation tropical montane ecosystem of the northwestern Andes

• Vascular flora of Ascotán

Article in the Chilean Journal of Flora and Vegetation on the vascular flora of the high elevation saltwater marshes of Ascotán, Chile

S

• Common flora of the Andes

List of some of the plants that are characteristic of the Chilean Andes, organized by common names

S

• Montane forests

From National Geographic, a brief introduction to Venezuela's montane forests

E

Plant taxa

• Andean roots and tubers

Publications from the International Potato Center in Peru on several Andean root and tuber crops

• the Espeletia page

Introduction to the Espeletia complex, a group of plants endemic to the northern Andes that has undergone a spectacular adaptive radiation

E

• Neotropical Blueberries

Extensive information on the plant family Ericaceae in the neotropics

E

• Peruvian orchids

Information on the orchids of Peru, organized by region and illustrated with numerous photos

E,S

• Polylepis forest

Brief introduction to the Polylepis forests of the Andes

• Proyecto Polylepis

Page set up by the American Bird Conservancy to promote the conservation of Polylepis forests

Fauna

• Mountain tapir

Introduction to the mountain tapir, an endangered animal found only in the high elevations of the northern Andes

E

• Spectacled bear

Information on the spectacled bear, the only species of bear native to South America

E,S

• Andean condor

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's introduction to the Andean condor

E

• Andean camelids

Publication describing the evolution and origin of domestic camelids; interesting information on guanacos, vicuñas, alpacas and llamas.

E

• Mammals, birds and parasites

Study in Manu National Park on mammal, bird and parasite diversity over an elevational gradient in the Peruvian Andes

E

• Birds of La Mucuy

Ornithological research from La Mucuy Bird Observatory, near Mérida, Venezuela

E

• Evolution of Andean hummingbirds

Short video clip from the PBS "Evolution" series on the diversification of Andean hummingbirds

E

Organizations

• ICAE

Formerly CIELAT, an environmental and ecological research institute associated with the Faculty of Sciences at the Universidad de los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela

S

• Humboldt Institute

Institute dedicated to the study and conservation of Colombian biodiversity

E,S

• Missouri Botanical Garden

Extensive botanical research in South America, including several projects in the Andes; home of the TROPICOS database

E

• New York Botanical Garden

Public garden and research institution; includes the International Plant Science Research Center; supports a broad range of research in tropical botany

• Programa Andes Tropicales

Organization based in Mérida, Venezuela promoting research, conservation and sustainable development in the Andes

S

• The Páramo Group

Project organized to promote the conservation and sustainable management of the Andean páramos

• CONDESAN

Consortium for the sustainable development of the Andean ecoregion

Geology

• The Cornell Andes Project

Project at Cornell University that seeks to study and understand Andean orogenesis, with emphasis on the central and southern Andes

E

• Crustal evolution in the southern central Andes

Article from the Journal of Geology

E

• Uplift history of the central and northern Andes (PDF)

Review article from the Geological Society of America Bulletin on the orogeny of the Andes. Link will download PDF file.

• High in the Andes

Article on volcanism in the Andes

E

• Tour of the central Andes volcanoes

Images of and information on the geology of many Andean volcanoes

E

• Colombian geology

Short introduction to the geology of Colombia with some nice images

E

• Understanding plate motions

Publication from the U.S. Geological Survey on plate tectonics, including a short section describing the subduction of the Nazca plate

E

• SNAPP

South America-Nasca Plate motion Project; GPS monitoring of Andean uplift

E

Images

• Chilean Andes

Photo of the Chilean Andes taken from the Space Shuttle

• GIS Andes

Commercial site but has some interesting images

E

• Central Andes

Image of the central Andes taken from the Galileo spacecraft

E