The ecological connectivity between these territories and nearby protected areas is fundamental for the mobility of key species such as the jaguar, the anta (known elsewhere as the tapir), and the peccary, as well as for the natural regeneration of flora in Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs). However, these corridors face increasing threats from agricultural expansion, forest fires, and extractive activities that fragment the landscape and endanger both biodiversity and traditional livelihoods.

In response to these challenges, both TIOCs promote community-based monitoring and support conservation efforts, such as the jaguar conservation initiative in Monte Verde. They are also committed to sustainable land management models based on  Indigenous knowledge systems. In this context, the strengthening of biocultural corridors—which combine ecological restoration with cultural revitalization—emerges as a key strategy for regional sustainability and for the defense of Indigenous territories in the face of climate change and extractive pressures.

The connectivity study reveals that the Xingu works through “arteries” (preferential corridors) and “bottlenecks” (vulnerable points), both vital for the circulation of life. The analysis therefore aims to accurately map these areas, differentiating forest remnants according to their vital importance for the survival and resilience of the entire ecosystem.

The results provide a Strategic Matrix for decision-making, identifying areas with High-Performance Environmental Assets and Critical Restoration Areas (CRAs)—liabilities that constrain connectivity. As such, the study offers a roadmap for directing conservation and restoration investments in a financial and ecological strategic way. It is important to emphasize that the methodology applied is highly replicable and scalable, opening the possibility for its implementation throughout the Xingu Basin. This approach transforms legal compliance into meaningful ecological gains and strengthens the long-term sustainability of the entire basin.

Based on the Pan-Amazon Ecological Connectivity Study conducted by RAISG and on the land planning process for the conservation and restoration of ecological connectivity, key areas were identified that enable the continuous flow  of species and habitat connectivity within this crucial junction between the Andes, the Orinoco, and the Amazon. These areas are located mainly north of Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park—the gateway to the tropical rainforests —on the eastern side of Sierra de La Macarena National Park, and north of Tinigua and Cordillera de Los Picachos National Parks, a transitional area between the high  Andes and the foothill forests.

The loss of this connectivity compromises the health of both systems, affecting biodiversity, local livelihoods, and their capacity to adapt to climate change.

In Ecuador’s Andes-Amazon region, the identified corridors include priority areas for conservation and restoration that function as transition areas between the ecosystems of the foothills  of the Andes and the valleys of the Amazon. These areas face increasing pressures that threaten their ecological connectivity, primarily due to the expansion of road infrastructure, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, and the increase in extractive activities. Moreover, these zones overlap with the territories of several Indigenous nationalities, such as the Cofán, Shuar, Kichwa, and Secoya, whose ancestral land management practices serve as key pillars of both cultural and ecological connectivity. Their knowledge systems embody sustainable land stewardship deeply interrelated  with nature, making the preservation of these practices and ways of life essential to ensure the socio-ecological resilience of these corridors.

Significant progress has been made at the national level to protect natural ecosystems and maintain ecological connectivity within the Andean region. However, it is equally important to highlight the initiatives led by subnational governments, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, to maintain and strengthen ecological connectivity between these two biomes.

Additionally, this area is home to Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI in Spanish), which is why legal protection has been requested for these areas as indigenous reserves.

Current species distributions are being affected by global warming (with a projected temperature increase of 2-4°C by 2100), posing a critical conservation challenge. The steep thermal gradient suggests that species sensitive to low temperatures will need to move upslope between 500 and 700 meters to find suitable conditions (Safont et al. 2014). However, most tepuis do not provide sufficient elevation, meaning that the long-term persistence of these ecosystems will depend on refuge strategies and mitigation of climate change impacts.

Given this scenario, conservation efforts should prioritize the maintenance of the functional corridors that still connect tepuis, savannas, and lowland forests, while promoting ecological restoration in areas affected by dams or mining. This approach requires the integration of scientific and local knowledge to protect the ecological and cultural flows that make this region one of the most extraordinary hubs of Amazonian connectivity.