One Last Stand? Forests and Change on Ecuador's Eastern Cordillera

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Tropical montane forests are known for their ecological importance. Most montane forests in Ecuador have been converted to agriculture, and those that remain are concentrated on the eastern cordillera. Understanding of land‐use‐land‐cover change in this ecological zone is inadequate. Using remote sensing (Landsat tm, spot) and fieldwork, we document land‐use‐land‐cover change in two watersheds on Ecuador's eastern cordillera (Cañar Province). During the 1990s the region experienced a 0.58 percent annual rate of deforestation, but two areas within it show active signs of re/afforestation. Although conversion of forest to pasture for cattle grazing continues, human migration to the United States is likely to affect the trajectory of future land‐use‐land‐cover change.

International Labor Migration from a Tropical Development Frontier: Globalizing Households and an Incipient Forest Transition

“…Out-migration and resultant labor scarcity, combined with household migration earnings, historically have been associated with expansion of pasture land and cattle production (Georges 1990;Jokisch and Lair 2002;Mines and de Janvry 1982;Reichert 1981;Taylor et al 2006). As Sloan (2007) argues, in neotropical forest frontiers agricultural extensification is often the result of labor scarcity as the frontier hollows out.…”

Environment, transnational labor migration, and gender: case studies from southern Yucatán, Mexico and Vermont, USA

“…After consumption needs are first met, investment in productive activities, including agriculture, may occur as well (Findley 1997;Jokisch 2002). Some case studies have reconciled these two possible outcomes through an identification of growth in pasturelands and cattle production, as low labor input investment opportunities (Jokisch and Lair 2002;Taylor et al 2006). More broadly, household receipt of remittances can be hypothesized as having varying impacts on local environments and natural resources, both positive and negative.…”

Secondary production of caddisflies reflects environmental heterogeneity among tropical Andean streams

“…Vegetation cover transitions from tropical montane forest (TMF) at lower elevations to Pajonal with interspersed shrubs by 3400 m a.s.l. (Jokisch & Lair, 2002). The main land uses in the region are agriculture, forestry and pasture.…”

“…Coordinates system: PSAD 1956 UTM Zone 17S with more dry days on average between June and December and heavier rains in January and February (Vázquez, 2010;Padrón et al, 2015). Average annual rainfall in the Pallcayacu microcatchment is about 1300 mm (Mora et al, 2014) with a drier season from November to February and peak rainfall seen in JuneJuly (Jokisch & Lair, 2002;Mora et al, 2014).…”