Ecuador
Neotropical Secondary Forest Succession: Changes in Structural and Functional CharacteristicsBackgroundThis paper reiviews the main biotic and abiotic factors that influence patterns of secondary forest succession in the Neotropics after complete forest clearance due to human activities. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors look at patterns of species replacement and various processes that occur during succession and suggest that the sequence of processes may be predictable even if species composition is not. Open access copy available |
Face the Future: EcuadorBackgroundDue to high population levels and a constant reliance on natural resources for livelihoods, the Andes region in Ecuador has lost an estimated +90% of its primary forest. Since 1993, Face the Future and the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment have worked together to reforest this region. Goals & MethodThe objective of the project was to work towards reforesting the region through plantings. Farmers preferred species that grew well and had economic value, such as plant pines and eucalyptus. Native species were also planted, particularly within reserve areas. Open access copy available |
Impact of Pine Plantations on Soils and Vegetation in the Ecuadorian High AndesbackgroundIn the Ecuadorian Andes, pine plantations of different ages and management strategies were evaluated for soils and vegetation against natural forest and grazed grasslands. These plantations were situated on volcanic soils. Open access copy available |
Can tropical farmers reconcile subsistence needs with forest conservation?backgroundDespite efforts to protect tropical rainforests through various policy initiatives, forests continue to face pressure from smallholders' subsistence needs, especially in montane regions. This paper proposes a means to turn abandoned montane pastoral land into productive agroforestry land as a viable alternative to further encroachment on existing forests. Available with subscription or purchase |
Modelling the Effect of Forest Cover on Shallow Landslides at the River Basin ScalebackgroundThis study analyzes soil models that can be used to help predict soil erosion which are useful to prioritize reforestation areas of watersheds. Research Goals & MethodsThe researchers tested the models in a river basin in Ecuador. They collected data for soil moisture/matric potential, depth, and rainfall. Vegetation (overland flow resistance coefficient) and root cohesion data were derived from the literature, as was the evapotranspiration rate. Open access copy available |
Restoring dense vegetation can slow mountain erosion to near natural benchmark levelsBackgroundTropical mountain areas may undergo rapid land degradation as demographic growth and intensified agriculture cause more people to migrate to fragile ecosystems. To assess the extent of the resulting damage, an erosion rate benchmark against which changes in erosion can be evaluated is required. Benchmarks reflecting natural erosion rates are usually not provided by conventional sediment fluxes, which are often biased due to modern land use change, and also miss large, episodic events within the measuring period. Available with subscription or purchase |
Soil carbon differences among forest, agriculture, and secondary vegetation in lower montane EcuadorBackgroundChanges in land use and land cover may affect soil properties and processes. Conversion of forest to cultivation is assumed to result in a decrease in soil nutrients. In the lower montane region of Ecuador, shifting cultivation patterns mean that forest clearing is occurring simultaneously with recolonization of secondary vegetation on abandoned agricultural lands. Open access copy available |
Fruit Production of the Ungurahua Palm (Oenocarpus bataua subsp. bataua, Arecaceae) in an Indigenous Managed ReservebackgroundThis article reviews the biology and use of the Amazonian palm Oenocarpus batua, known in Ecuador as ungurahua. It is a mid-story palm that grows throughout the terra firme sites in the Amazon Basin and wet coastal areas of Ecuador, Trinidad, and Panama. Available with subscription or purchase |
Economic Botany of Spondias PurpureabackgroundThis article reviews the Neotropical fruit Spondias purpurea (Anacardiaceae) - "Ciruela" or "Ovo", describing the cultivation, yields, and economics of the fruit. Available with subscription or purchase |
Enriquecimiento de plantaciones de Pinus patula con especies nativas en el sur del Ecuador (Enrichment of Pinus patula plantations with native species in southern Ecuador)Open access copy available |
