Changes of Cinchona distribution over the past two centuries in the northern Andes

The genus is important for humanity due to its ethnobotanical properties, and in particular its ability to prevent and treat malaria. However, there have been historical changes of distribution in the tropical Andes that remain undocumented. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, several explorers recorded precise localities in present-day Colombia and Ecuador, countries which harbour about half of the species of the genus, including . We compare historical and twentieth-century records to evaluate whether elevational ranges, mean elevation and latitude varied between the two periods. A large expansion of 662.5 m in average elevation for and 792.5 m in elevational range for was found. These findings have implications for the conservation of economically important species and help us understand the impacts of the Anthropocene over time.