Andean cloud forest is the most devastated and threatened area within Ecuador. Consequently, studies of cloud forest plants must be undertaken before their genetic diversity is lost to extinction through habitat conversion. The Ericaceae family (blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons, and azaleas) is a prominent feature of tropical cloud forest in Ecuador and often dominates a major vegetation type. Fifty percent of the Ericaceae (92 species) growing in cloud forest in Ecuador maybe be considered endangered. Ericaceae also has great economic potential in Ecuador for food, horticulture, and floriculture which have not yet been exploited. This project, culminating in a taxonomic treatment of the family Ericaceae for the international project Flora of Ecuador, will enhance the capabilities of institutions in Ecuador to conduct research related to biological diversity and economic potential. It will provide basic information on species richness (i.e. biodiversity); it will provide a picture of the distribution of plants thus pinpointing centers of diversity (for local conservation); it will provide a reference for purposes of comparing areas and help Ecuadoreans in locating and designing new areas for protection and in preparing master plans for these areas; and finally it will provide training for local scientists and students in survey and collecting techniques, herbarium management, and botanical publication.
