Caldas
Biodiversity Intelligence Dashboard
Threatened
77
CR + EN + VU
Critically Endangered
77
CR
Endemic Threatened
2
Found only here
Declining
0%
0 species
Distribution of 77 threatened species
Threatened % by group
No threat data available
2 endemic threatened species found only here
Outlook: Deteriorating
Caldas department in Colombia's Coffee Triangle represents a critical biodiversity hotspot within the Chocó-Magdalena and Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena regions. The department's location along the Central Cordillera creates diverse altitudinal gradients supporting cloud forests, montane ecosystems, and remnant dry forests in the Cauca River valley. According to IUCN Red List 2025 data, all 77 assessed species in Caldas are threatened, with every single species classified as Critically Endangered—an unprecedented conservation crisis. This includes 100% threat rates across all taxonomic groups: mammals (6/6), birds (5/5), amphibians (12/12), insects (14/14), other invertebrates (38/38), and molluscs (2/2). The department's coffee cultivation landscape, while economically vital, has fragmented natural habitats extensively. Deforestation for agriculture, urban expansion around Manizales, and climate change impacts on high-altitude ecosystems pose immediate threats. Mining activities in certain municipalities further pressure remaining natural areas. The Nevados National Natural Park protects some high-altitude páramo and cloud forest, but connectivity between protected areas remains limited. Caldas' position as a biological corridor between the Magdalena and Cauca valleys makes its conservation critical for regional species movement and genetic exchange throughout Colombia's Andean ecosystems.
Key Biomes & Ecosystems
Conservation Achievements
Caldas has established several important conservation initiatives despite the critical threat status of its species. The department participates in Colombia's National System of Protected Areas through Los Nevados National Natural Park, which protects high-altitude páramo and cloud forest ecosystems essential for water regulation and endemic species. Regional environmental corporation CORPOCALDAS has implemented watershed management programs and biological corridor projects connecting forest fragments across the coffee landscape. The University of Caldas maintains active research programs documenting regional biodiversity and supporting conservation planning. Additionally, some coffee cooperatives have adopted shade-grown practices and forest conservation measures, creating wildlife-friendly agricultural matrices that provide habitat connectivity between protected areas.
Source: IUCN Red List 2025-2, GBIF, national survey data