Systematic Review of the State about the Knowledge of the Vertebrates of the Podocarpus National Park

Abstract

The Podocarpus National Park is one of the most important and biggest protected areas of the tropical Andes of southern Ecuador. For a long time, this reserve has been the center of attention for a large number of researchers, who among other elements have tried to elucidate various topics related to the fauna it houses. However, there was no adequate systematization of these investigations so far. In order to strengthen the management of the protected area, a methodological process was structured for the collection, systematization and analysis of the existing information on vertebrates in this sector. A database of the collected studies was generated, with a total of 128 works; 64 on birds, 26 on mammals, 22 on amphibians, six on reptiles, two on fish and eight research works involving more than one faunistic group at the same time. The period with the largest number of publications corresponds to the decade of the 2000. Among the 16 locations identified where work has been done on the vertebrates of this protected area, stand out with the largest number of investigations, Tapichalaca and Cajanuma, with 33 and 24 studies respectively. This information constitutes the first approximation regarding the level of research achieved on vertebrates that maintains and protects this national park; this will allow the entities linked to the area to be more efficient in the planning of future research and to strengthen the management and conservation of the sector.