Ecuador's Yasuní national park under threat from oil exploration – in pictures

The Yasuní national park in Ecuador is still untouched by the oil industry, but President Rafael Correa has abandoned a radical conservation plan and cleared the way for oil companies to explore for oil that lies beneath the forest Photograph: Jenny Bates

Gas flaring, here in the oilfields north of the river Napo, could be the future of Yasuní Photograph: Jenny Bates

The Yasuní park has more species of trees in one hectare than exist in all of North America Photograph: Jenny Bates

Oil drilling stations in the area around Lago Agrio have brought roads, settlers and forest destruction – a similar fate is feared for Yasuní Photograph: Jenny Bates

Yasuní could have the greatest concentration of species on the planet, say biologists Photograph: Jenny Bates

Oil workings near Lago Agrio, which was primary forest only a few decades ago Photograph: Jenny Bates

So far, nearly 1,500 plants and 400 fish species have been found in the 1.2m sqkm Yasuní national park Photograph: Jenny Bates

Pipelines and people share the space near Shushufindi in the oilfields just north of Yasuní Photograph: Jenny Bates

Plants and animals have evolved to live in the heights of Yasuní's primary forests Photograph: Jenny Bates

Pipelines snake through communities in the heart of the oilfields north of Yasuní Photograph: Jenny Bates

Owls in the forest that surrounds the Tiputini biodiversity research station in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Photograph: Jenny Bates

Flowers bloom among the shacks and oil pipelines Photograph: Jenny Bates

Oil exploitation could be catastrophic for 'pocket' monkeys and the myriads of other species in Yasuní Photograph: Jenny Bates

Oil pollution around Lago Agrio has devastated the environment and adversely affected the health of people Photograph: Jenny Bates

The eye of the forest, a cayman shows up on one of the Yasuní rivers Photograph: Jenny Bates