Most of the regions of Ecuador
were once covered by mighty forests.
Presently some forest types hardly exist anymore as human intervention
and development, especially on the coast and in the Andean
valleys almost completely destroyed them and introduced tree species
valued for their economic uses were planted in the last century to
replace the native ones. Primary forests undisturbed by man can
be now found only in some remote regions of the Amazon but they
as well are under attack by lumber companies searching often those areas
illegally for valuable tropical hardwood trees.
