According to this Washington University press release, “the Andes Mountains of South America are the most species-rich biodiversity hotspot for plant and vertebrate species in the world. Andean forests are helping to protect the planet by acting as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide and keeping some of this climate-altering gas out of circulation, according to new research published in Nature Communications.” the research draws upon “two decades of data from 119 forest-monitoring plots in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.”
“By locking in carbon, trees in forests around the world play a role in maintaining global climate stability. Some forests play a bigger role than others — the Andes prime among them, the study found.”
“In only 1% of the Earth’s land surface, the tropical Andes contain 15% of the world’s plant species, or about 45,000 species in total. Approximately half of these plants — about 20,000 species — are endemic, meaning they are only found in the Andes. In addition to harboring extreme levels of biodiversity, Andean forests provide and protect sources of food, water and power for more than 50 million people. However, global environmental change — including deforestation, human population growth and climate change — is endangering Andean biodiversity and ecosystem services.”