companies, from the advance of the agricultural frontier and from poaching of large mammals and birds. The Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve was created on 9 August 1996. It is part of the National System of Protected Areas of Ecuador. The Bilsa Biological Station is now part of the Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve. Establishment of the reserve was important in slowing habitat destruction. In 2002 the Cube lagoon was declared a Ramsar site by UNESCO. As of 2005 the status was not known, but it was assumed that the forests were increasingly fragmented. Environment Mean temperatures range from , with highest temperatures from February to May. The upper parts of the mountains are constantly clouded by haze from the sea. The reserve is in the transition between the tropical rain forests, which receive up to of rain annually, and the dry forests with about annually. The northern forests are part of the Chocó–Darién moist forests ecoregion that extends from Panama along the Pacific coast of Colombia to northwest Ecuador. South of the region of Cojimies and Jama in the north of Manabí the rain forests give way to Ecuadorian dry forests. Flora The reserve is a biodiversity hotspot. The Bilsa Biological Station has recorded over 1,100 species of vascular plants. Some of which are endemic to the mountains and some have only recently been described. There is a large area of mature tropical rain forests along the coast, as well as secondary forests and areas in regeneration. Common trees include Virola dixonii, Quararibea soegenii and Symphonia globulifera. There is tropical forest similar to other parts of the Chocó in the foothills of the mountains, particularly in the northeast. Some of the species in the reserve are also found in the higher cloud forests of the Andes. There are also species endemic to the Chocó. The rain forests contain many species of Orchidaceae and liana. Trees include the canalón, anime, tangaré, caoba (mahogany), cuángare and palms such as pambil and tagua. Three new species of trees in the new genus Ecuadendron have been found recently. The dry forests contain trees such as fernán sánchez, guayacán, tillo, hobo de monte, amarillo, piñón and muyuyo. In the drier area there are cactus, holy wood (Bursera graveolens) and ceibo. Fauna There are 136 species of mammals, 491 of birds, 38 of reptiles and 54 of amphibians. Mammals Fauna recorded in Bilsa include large mammals now rare