Bolivia is considered among the 10-15 countries in the world with the greatest biodiversity.
Bolivia has 12 ecoregions (with several subecoregiones) and thousands of ecosystems. Some of these ecosystems are of particular value and importance for conservation because they are centers of biodiversity, endemism and their condition or degree of threat. Among these ecosystems such as rain forests are found in the Amazon and Andean forests.
According to surveys and inventories still incomplete in the country were registered so far about 14,000 species of native plants with seeds (not including ferns, mosses, algae), but it is estimated that more than 20,000 species. In addition, more than 1,200 known species of ferns and over 1,500 species of mosses and liverworts. Although the inventory of fungi is very preliminary, and are approximately 800 known species.
In Bolivia, there have been 356 species of mammals, about 1,400 species of birds, 203 species of amphibians, 266 species of reptiles and about 600 species of fish. They are known at least 100 endemic species of vertebrates. Probably 20-25% of vascular plants (about 4.000-5.000 spp.) Could be restricted to the country, which implies a special responsibility for Bolivia. The endemism of plants and animals are concentrated in a few ecoregions related to the Andes: Yungas, Forests, Dry Strip and inter Subandina.
Given this wealth in the international context, Bolivia is considered a "mega-diverse". Is among the ten richest countries in species of vertebrates. Possibly ranks fourth among world countries with greater wealth of butterflies. It is also among the top ten with the highest diversity of birds and mammals, among the eleven with greater diversity of freshwater fish and among the thirteen more amphibian species richness and tiger beetles.
On the other hand, are known around 50 native species and domesticated about 3,000 species of medicinal plants used locally or regionally. Bolivia is the center of origin of important species such as ajíes, locotos, peppers, potatoes, peanuts, beans, cassava and variety of palms.
The areas of the Amazon basin are rich in species, have high strength, are dynamic and are characterized by widely distributed species. By contrast, some areas have Andean species with restricted distribution, partly coinciding with areas of high human pressure, especially transition zones in the highlands of central valleys.
Ecoregions that, throughout history, have suffered major impacts are the Puna, and inter Dry Forests. For its biogeographic importance, fragility and potential are a priority for conservation most intact ecosystems, especially in large areas, such as forests and lowlands of the eastern slopes north, untouched ecosystems and large-related processes as hydroclimate rain forests of Yungas and south of the Amazon, the centers of species richness and endemism, as the Yungas, Subandean Amazon Forests and Forest Dry Interandean, centers of diversity of wild species of economic and biological corridors.
