This reserve is a part of the Ecuadorian system of reserves and preserve and extends from the mountains of the Sierra to the western edge of the coastal rain forest in the Esmeraldas region. This region has not been extensively farmed and replanted with eucalyptus or pine trees, as so much of the interandean highlands have been, so the preservation of the plant species here is a very important effort. The plants here have evolved adaptations to high altitude (reduced water availability, low temperatures and high winds), but since the conditions here are not as severe as those at higher altitudes, the adaptations these plants are not as extreme as those of the paramo, at 3600–4800 meters.