YANACOCHA RESERVE, Ecuador (AP) — Deep in the Ecuadorian Andes, an ancient forest stands as a final sanctuary against the encroachment of human activity. This is the Yanacocha Reserve, the last refuge for the Black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a tiny hummingbird teetering on the edge of extinction.
Measuring just 9 centimeters (3.5 inches), this emblematic bird of Quito is one of the most threatened species on the planet. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, its global population has dwindled to between 150 and 200 birds.
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A Sparkling Violetear hummingbird hovers at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Sparkling Violetear hummingbirds flutter at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Wilson Hipo, who works at the Yanacocha Reserve, walks past hanging bird feeders in Nono, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
A Collared Inca hummingbird perches at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
A Shining Sunbeam hummingbird spreads its wings as it perches on a branch at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Founded 25 years ago by the Jocotoco Foundation, the Yanacocha Reserve has become a centerpiece for Andean biodiversity.
“We realized we were conserving an entire ecosystem, not just one species,” conservationist Paola Villalba told The Associated Press.
The bird is easily identified by the striking white “trousers” of feathers around its legs, which contrast sharply with its deep, metallic black chest and bronze-green wings. Despite its beauty, its survival is at risk as high-altitude forests are cleared for grazing and agriculture.
Shirley Farinango, of the Birds and Conservation Foundation, notes that the pressure is most intense because the puffleg occupies a narrow ecological niche between 3,000 and 3,500 meters (9,800 and 11,400 feet) above sea level. This specific elevation, she said, is “prime territory" to be converted to agricultural land.
On the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 45 kilometers (27 miles) northwest of Quito, conservationists are now racing to restore this cloud-shrouded forest.
For the “smallest fairies” of the Andes, these dense trees are more than just a habitat — they are their last stand.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
A Sparkling Violetear hummingbird hovers at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Sparkling Violetear hummingbirds flutter at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Wilson Hipo, who works at the Yanacocha Reserve, walks past hanging bird feeders in Nono, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
A Collared Inca hummingbird perches at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
A Shining Sunbeam hummingbird spreads its wings as it perches on a branch at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Winter has its fans, but even those who enjoy playing in the snow probably dislike the chore of clearing up after a big storm that dumps several inches or even feet of snow and ice.
It's easy to dash to the closest hardware store to grab a bag of salt, but experts say there are a lot of environmental and other factors to consider when tackling all that ice and snow.
Here's what to know.
Rock salt, also known as sodium chloride, is the cheapest and most commonly used product. But it's not great for the environment and it's not the most effective option out there.
“There's a chart we reference that’s chemical effectiveness at certain temperatures. And really, when you get to about 15 degrees or colder, you can keep applying more and more rock salt and it’s not going to do any more than it already does,” said Martin Tirado, CEO of the Snow and Ice Management Association, a trade group for industry professionals.
In those conditions, other products — calcium chloride, magnesium chloride — release heat that helps the salt work better, Tirado said.
The different formulations vary in other ways, too, including how quickly they work, their corrosiveness and how they interact with moisture. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride can cost at least twice as much as rock salt.
But all contain chlorides that can pollute fresh water, damage shrubs, trees and grass and crumble concrete sidewalks, stoops and driveways.
Blends and coatings can reduce the corrosive nature and environmental hazards of these salts, experts say.
Calcium manganese acetate is one of the tamest de-icing products out there, developed specifically to replace rock salt and be more environmentally friendly. It is biodegradable, a corrosion inhibitor, and typically used as a liquid. But it is much more expensive and can still create issues with dissolved oxygen on bodies of water.
Pamela Bennett, a horticulture professor at Ohio State, said rock salt is the worst for plants. It gets them in two ways: through the roots and through the air.
Salt percolates through the soil. When plants start to draw in salty water in the spring, that dries roots, leading to dry leaves. Brown tips on leaves indicate the soil might have gotten too salty.
Salt can also reach plant foliage — in the winter, that's evergreens — directly when it's carried by mist and spray. That's an issue that's worse on major roads as a lot of traffic moves quickly.
“When you have a lot of road salt on the highways, cars are splashing and wind blows it. That salt turns into what looks like a burn,” Bennett says.
Most people walking their dog in snowy places have seen what happens when they walk across a heavy salt treatment — stopping suddenly and lifting a paw as if in pain.
“Their paw pads get dry or they get little cuts because those crystals are sharp, and then they’re chewing them because that’s the only way they know to make it feel better,” said Alison Manchester, an assistant clinical sciences professor at Cornell University. If they swallow enough salt, it can lead to vomiting, too.
For some people, animal safety is a strong reason to look to a nonsalt option against ice and snow.
Abrasives such as gravel and sand can help with grip, so pedestrians and tires are less likely to slip. But they also come with their own problems.
Sand that runs off into freshwater bodies — lakes, streams and rivers — can kill natural growth, Tirado said.
Sand can also accumulate in your soil, eventually becoming a problem for plant growth. It can even make a type of concrete when it mixes in clay-heavy soils, experts say.
Unconventional solutions are out there. You can buy a deicer that wraps its chlorides in beet juice or beet extract that coats the granules for a variety of benefits, including melting ice faster, working in colder temperatures and staying where it's put. And a Korean company, Star's Tech, is working with material taken from invasive starfish to produce a deicer that it says more slowly releases chloride material and thus avoids some of the corrosion and environmental problems of salt.
Experts say preparation and strategy can make clearing ice easier. That starts with watching forecasts to see how much snow is expected.
“People wait until after the storm to start shoveling,” Tirado said. “That’s fine if you’re having 1 to 2 inches. If you start getting 3, 4 or more inches than that, you can’t wait ... you need to go out multiple times. That way it keeps the paved surface more clear in a productive and proactive manner.”
Ground temperature matters. If it’s warmer, you may be able to use less than you think you need. Colder ground temperatures might require more.
Proper application of whatever you put on your sidewalk or driveway is important, too.
“The key here is to not use too much and scatter it too much,” said David Orr, director of the Local Roads Program at Cornell. “We also do probably need to get into the habit that it may not be perfectly bare and that can be OK.”
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FILE - Salt is applied to the steps as snow falls at Buffalo Bills Highmark Stadium before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, Dec. 7, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)
FILE - Ice Crusher, a calcium chloride blend road salt, is displayed for sale at Ankeny Hardware, Jan. 11, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
FILE - Salt and shovels are displayed for sale at Ankeny Hardware, Jan. 11, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn., ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
FILE - Salt is spread on a street in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
