Smallholders control an important portion of forestlands in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Timber is not the main source of income but contributes to complement relatively diversified livelihood strategies of smallholders. Timber extraction is stimulated by a vigorous network of intermediaries linked to the end-markets in the cities. Most small-scale operations are undertaken informally since smallholders require complying with still cumbersome procedures in spite of state efforts for simplifying the forestry regulations. Benefits for smallholders from timber extraction depend on how the harvesting operations are organized and whether they involve the participation of smallholders as well as on the species harvested, and whether these operations are conducted with a formal permit or not. This paper assesses the role of timber in smallholders' livelihoods, the influence of how timber operations are undertaken has on benefits distribution, and the role that urban markets have on shaping the dynamics of timber supply.

Abstract:The forest reforms unfolding during the last two decades in the western Amazon have embraced policy regimes founded on the principles of sustainable forest management. The policy frameworks adopted for smallholder forestry aimed to clarify forest rights including those of the indigenous people and smallholders, support the adoption of sustainable forest management and put a system in place to assure a legal timber supply. The emerging forest policy regimes have significantly shaped who has access to the forest, how the forest resources are used and the benefits that are utilized. We argue that forest reforms have not addressed some critical constraints facing smallholders in managing their forests either individually or collectively. Informal timber extraction persists with contradictory effects on smallholders and forests. Local participants continue to make a significant contribution in meeting a growing demand for timber through vigorous market networks that combine legal and illegal sources of timber supply. Some recent changes to forest policy frameworks emphasize approaches towards additional integrated forest management, simplification of regulations and incentives for improved forest management. We critically reflect on the scope, implementation and expected outcomes of these policy frameworks.

Cavo-tricuspid isthmus ablation for typical AFl can be safely and effectively performed with the AMIGO™. The learning curve seems to be short even for physicians with limited ablation experience.

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List of acronyms vii 23. Amazon: Executors by category and buyers by size 24. Comparison of purchase and processing volumes 25. Characteristics of colonist and Kichwa households 26. Land use (in hectares) in colonist and Kichwa plots 27. Deforestation in Kichwa and colonist plots for 2006-2012 28. Kichwa and colonist income for August 2011-September 2012 29. Description of forest income from timber and non-timber products for August 2011-September 2012 30. Characteristics of the different groups of households according to their timber harvesting strategies 31. Harvesting characteristics according to predominant type 32. Characteristics of the sale of timber according to the form of harvesting 33. Characteristics of the amount of timber sold with and without a harvesting program and according to ethnic groups and harvesting strategies in Napo between 2011 and 2012 34. Costs and benefits of small smallholders for August 2011-September 2012 (in USD) 35. Harvesting by type of species and land use (in m3) 36. Characteristics of colonist, Kichwa and Shuar households 37. Land use in hectares in colonist and indigenous (Kichwa and Shuar) plots 38. Deforestation in Kichwa and colonist plots for 2006-2012 39. Colonist and indigenous (Kichwa and Shuar) income for February 2011-July 2012 Forest use and timber markets in the Ecuadorian Amazon | v 40. Description of forest income from timber and non-timber products for February 2011-July 2012 41. Types according to household attributes and the strategy of forest resources harvesting 42. Characteristics of harvesting by form of harvesting 43. Characteristics of the sale of timber according to the form of harvesting 44. Characteristics of the amount of timber sold with and without a harvesting program according to ethnic groups and harvesting strategies in Orellana 45. Costs and benefits of small smallholders for February 2011-July 2012 (in USD) 46. Use by type of species and land use (in m 3) 47. Comparative information between Napo and Orellana 48. Identified types and number of selected cases a 49. Characteristics of the operations 50. Costs associated with timber legalization in USD 51. Legalization costs in the area under study for different volumes of harvested timber 52. Differences between average waste of cutting and sawing 53. Average yield in studied species 54. Average costs and sale price of harvested species (in USD /m 3) 55. Average costs and sale prices of harvested species in the case studies (in USD/product) of this study would not have been possible. Our acknowledgement is mainly directed to members of the Kichwa, Shuar and mestizo communities in these provinces. We further acknowledge the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, MAE), both at its Quito office as in Napo and Orellana offices for the support they offered with information and discussions that have contributed to improve our analysis. We would also like to thank GIZ Ecuador for its support throughout the research process, as well as the