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 BatesGas flaring, here in the oilfields north of the river Napo, could be the future of YasuníPhotograph: Jenny BatesThe Yasuní park has more species of trees in one hectare than exist in all of North AmericaPhotograph: Jenny Bates
Oil drilling stations in the area around Lago Agrio have brought roads, settlers and forest destruction – a similar fate is feared for YasuníPhotograph: Jenny BatesYasuní could have the greatest concentration of species on the planet, say biologistsPhotograph: Jenny BatesOil workings near Lago Agrio, which was primary forest only a few decades agoPhotograph: Jenny BatesSo far, nearly 1,500 plants and 400 fish species have been found in the 1.2m sqkm Yasuní national parkPhotograph: Jenny BatesPipelines and people share the space near Shushufindi in the oilfields just north of YasuníPhotograph: Jenny BatesPlants and animals have evolved to live in the heights of Yasuní's primary forestsPhotograph: Jenny BatesPipelines snake through communities in the heart of the oilfields north of YasuníPhotograph: Jenny BatesOwls in the forest that surrounds the Tiputini biodiversity research station in the Ecuadorian Amazon Photograph: Jenny BatesFlowers bloom among the shacks and oil pipelinesPhotograph: Jenny BatesOil exploitation could be catastrophic for 'pocket' monkeys and the myriads of other species in YasuníPhotograph: Jenny BatesOil pollution around Lago Agrio has devastated the environment and adversely affected the health of peoplePhotograph: Jenny BatesThe eye of the forest, a cayman shows up on one of the Yasuní riversPhotograph: Jenny Bates
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