The objective of the study is to analyze integrated coastal zone management in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and to discuss its challenges and opportunities in the face of constant changes in tourism and economic realities. The methodology used is based on the analysis of ten key elements to analyze national coastal management: policies, regulations, institutions, strategies, instruments, information, education, resources, managers, and participation. The main results indicate that Ecuador received support in terms of training and international financing for ICZM, but this has not been sufficient to guarantee correct management, due to a high discontinuity in economic and administrative political factors. All this has harmed the development of tourism and the dynamization of the economy in coastal areas. It is advisable to apply new policies where gastronomic and cultural aspects are strengthened.

Conflicts and ecological impacts in natural protected areas can arise for various reasons. The behavior of social stakeholders in the face of conflict is the object of study. Their reactions can be varied according to the personal interests of the parties. Conflicts can cause changes in the communities, incomprehensibly affecting the environment and ultimately transforming their lives. Although the environmental impacts have generally been well studied in protected areas, after reviewing the literature, it was observed that very few studies exist on the local economic conflicts that frequently arise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the socio-ecological conflicts and impacts generated by the filming of the American reality series Naked and Afraid, produced by the Discovery Channel in the Ecuadorian Amazon-a special case in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. The data was gathered from numerous primary sources, including field interviews with the regional stakeholders involved and a video analysis of the Discovery Channels' Naked and Afraid. The results of our study conclude several interesting insights into various social and ecological conflicts and their resulting impacts on the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. The first of these concerns the high impacts mainly associated with biotic components in the Reserve. The second set of interesting findings are social conflicts that were caused by the discontent of the Indigenous communities in relation to royalties and compensations left by the filming.

This paper focuses on contributing to the formation of future professionals of agriculture from a different perspective. As a result, the theoretical, empirical, and statistical analysis methods were used according to the research. These methods deal with the ecological worldwide problems such as; climatic change, greenhouse effect, global warming, water crisis, and, at the same time, how agriculture is affected by those problems. The use of various techniques and predators methods of production has contributed in worsening the situation. Alternative methods were presented to reduce the negative effect of agriculture on the ecosystems. This, therefore, would help to finally offer a didactic, dynamic, and participative model for the training of professionals through university - society relationship.

A diagnosis was applied on agricultural crops in the Shuar Yandia Yacu and San José de Armenia communities, in Orellana (Ecuador). Fourteen farms were chosen, seven in San José de Armenia and seven in Yandia Yacu. For sampling, they were divided into plots of 1x1 m for herbaceous and minor cultivable species, 5x5 m for shrubs and arable species of medium size, and 10x10 m for bigger cultivable and usable tree species. Data about composition and plant abundance were taken, by direct counting and participatory techniques, such as surveys and interviews. It was identified and classified by crop group, annual, perennial, use and utilitarian value. Indices of richness, diversity, similarity and cumulative frequency of the crops were calculated. As a result were found 97 agricultural species, the most representative families were Arecaceae, Solanaceae and Fabaceae, mostly fruit trees. The diversity and specific richness was registered low, representing approximately 5% of the registered agricultural species in the country. The annual food species with the highest accumulated frequency was corn (Zea maize L.), the perennial species of mayor importance was coffee (Coffea arabica L.), and the most important annual ancestral species was yucca (Manihotesculenta Crantz.). In conclusion there is a significant increase of monocultures, therefore it is necessary to recover and strengthen the production of ancestral crops to conserve the diversity of agricultural species in the Amazon region.

This paper focuses on the establishment of a system of in vitro cloning of henequen, of which the behavior of these plants in production conditions is unknown. With the objective of evaluating the agricultural yields in selected henequen and plants propagated in vitro, five harvests were carried out during the years 2005 to 2009. In the five harvest, the yields in fiber (tn/ha) were higher in the vitroplantas in regards to conventionally propagated plants. The first harvest was done three years after the plantation was carried out. In all crops, line 4 statistically surpassed lines 1 and 9 in terms of the fibre content, which showed a greater productive potential. The histological characterization of these plants showed a greater number of vascular bundle and strands of fibers in the vitroplants with regard to plants multiplied by the conventional method. This, however, showed a significant correlation with more fibre content in the first.