ABSTRACT
Chinchaysuyo, which was later identified as the Kingdom of Quito, was understood as one of the four "suyo" or empires — regions of the Inca, and afterwards known as "Ecuador." Ecuador is a small country, which is located in the north-western part of South America. The dry tropical forests of the region Tumbesina of the Southwest of Ecuador and the Northwest of Peru are the home of a great number of plants and unique animal species, and they mean a priority for conservation of biodiversity at global scale. Ecuador is considered as a member of the 17 megadiverse countries because of its high species concentration and its endemism, where three biodiversity hotspots were identified with the priority of conservation on a global level. The upper and lower montane ecosystems are acknowledged as areas of rich biodiversity with vegetation formations which are unique in the country and with high potential of phylogenetic resources.
