Today we woke up early to get breakfast. By the dinning room there was a Capuchin monkey eating bananas. After breakfast we hung around the dinning area watching the birds. We were all going to go for a hike in the national park but Taylor was not feeling good and had to be taken to the emergency room. Instead the group split up some went hiking around the national park to see the waterfall, some went hiking around the bungalow, and the rest of us went into town. I went to town with Greg, Maddi, Cass, and Moira. We walked along the river and saw a lot of birds. There was also a really cute dog that looked like it was mixed with a golden retriever and corgi. Then we came back to the lodge and ate lunch. After lunch we hiked around the trails of the lodge. Diego said the high temps and moisture make it easy for plants to grow. There are 80% of plants in the canopy and 20% in the ground. Tait said when you crossover to temperate areas its the exact opposite, with 20% in the canopy and 80% in the ground. After our walk we went back to the dinning room areas and we worked on our blogs. Then we ate dinner. After dinner we heard a presentation about life at high elevation from Moira and John. They talked about how as altitude increases pressure decreases and low air pressure causes expansion. Living in this environment you need to cook things longer. There are many health risks in this environment such as lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion or weakness. Although there is a lower chance of heart disease in this area. Plants that grow in these developed tolerance to UV rays through natural section. This bad because radiation and stunts plant growth attracts chlorophyll a which is needed for photosynthesis. They talked about the Paramos which is a tiny belt in the Andes. It is an essential water source for Ecuador and Columbia due to the way it filters vegetation. They also discussed terrace farming which has less erosion rates and is very labor intensive. They also talked about Cotopaxi and how there is no way of knowing when it will erupt next. In conclusion, the Andes mountains make them prime for hydroelectric development and climate change is declining resources. Ecuador's population is growing to quick for water supply.
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