Warning about conservation status of forest ecosystems in tropical Andes: National assessment based on IUCN criteria

Noh, Jin Kyoung; Echeverría, Cristián; Kleemann, Janina; Koo, Hongmi; Fürst, Christine; Cuenca, Pablo

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0237877

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Ecuador and Venezuela had the highest infrastructural expansion in and around PAs, assuming pressure on PAs due to missing buffer zones and corridors. Currently, 22% of the forest ecosystems in Ecuador are threatened according to the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems [34]. Sierra et al [35,36] and González-Jaramillo et al [37] conducted spatial analyses of deforestation on national level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deforestation in Continental Ecuador with a Focus on Protected Areas

Kleemann

Zamora

Villacis-Chiluisa

et al. 2022

Land

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Forest conservation is of particular concern in tropical regions where a large refuge of biodiversity is still existing. These areas are threatened by deforestation, forest degradation and fragmentation. Especially, pressures of anthropogenic activities adjacent to these areas significantly influence conservation effectiveness. Ecuador was chosen as study area since it is a globally relevant center of forest ecosystems and biodiversity. We identified hotspots of deforestation on the national level of continental Ecuador between 1990 and 2018, analyzed the most significant drivers of deforestation on national and biome level (the Coast, the Andes, The Amazon) as well as inside protected areas in Ecuador by using multiple regression analysis. We separated the national system of protected areas (SNAP) into higher and lower protection levels. Besides SNAP, we also considered Biosphere Reserves (BRs) and Ramsar sites. In addition, we investigated the rates and spatial patterns of deforestation in protected areas and buffer zones (5 km and 10 km outwards the protected area boundaries) using landscape metrics. Between 1990 and 2018, approximately 4% of the accumulated deforestation occurred within the boundaries of SNAP, and up to 25.5% in buffer zones. The highest rates of deforestation have been found in the 5 km buffer zone around the protected areas with the highest protection level. Protected areas and their buffer zones with higher protection status were identified as the most deforested areas among SNAP. BRs had the highest deforestation rates among all protected areas but most of these areas just became BRs after the year 2000. The most important driver of deforestation is agriculture. Other relevant drivers differ between the biomes. The results suggest that the SNAP is generally effective to prevent deforestation within their protection boundaries. However, deforestation around protected areas can undermine conservation strategies to sustain biodiversity. Actions to address such dynamics and patterns of deforestation and forest fragmentation, and developing conservation strategies of their landscape context are urgently needed especially in the buffer zones of areas with the highest protection status.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deforestation in Continental Ecuador with a Focus on Protected Areas

Kleemann

Zamora

Villacis-Chiluisa

et al. 2022

Land

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“…Behind the secondary forest is a primary forest with a stream, and pastures are predominant in the surrounding area (more than 100 m away from the trap in any direction). The sampling was done on the northwestern slopes of the Andes between the evergreen forest of the equatorial Choco lowlands and Piedmont evergreen forest of the western Andean Range (Noh et al 2020;Ron 2020).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First records of the genus Aristosyrphus Curran, 1941 (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Ecuador

Mengual¹,

Kilian²,

Pazmiño-Palomino³

2022

CheckList

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“…6) suggests that more significant carbon has a greater role in controlling mercury availability in the Piedmont Amazon of Ecuador. Hydro-geomorphological processes in Gomataon could also contribute to explain natural mercury availability compared to Sinangoé, as Gomataon resembles the ecosystems of the alluvial plains in the lower Amazon River Basin (i.e., oxbow lakes, swamps) (Noh et al 2020;Lebel et al 1998). Greater concentrations of TOC and THg in sediments would likely result in a more significant reduction of inorganic Hg 2+ to organic MeHg by methanogenic aquatic bacteria, which could translate into the increased mercury concentrations in fish from Gomataon.…”

Section: Toc and Mercurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury in aquatic ecosystems of two indigenous communities in the Piedmont Ecuadorian Amazon: evidence from fish, water, and sediments

Escobar-Camacho,

Rosero-López,

Ruiz-Urigüen

et al. 2024

Ecotoxicology

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Mercury is a highly toxic element present in water, soil, air, and biota. Anthropogenic activities, such as burning fossil fuels, mining, and deforestation, contribute to the presence and mobilization of mercury between environmental compartments. Although current research on mercury pathways has advanced our understanding of the risks associated with human exposure, limited information exists for remote areas with high diversity of fauna, flora, and indigenous communities. This study aims to deepen our understanding of the presence of total mercury in water, sediments, and fish, within aquatic ecosystems of two indigenous territories: Gomataon (Waorani Nationality) and Sinangoé (Ai´Cofán Nationality) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Our findings indicate that, for most fish (91.5%), sediment (100%) and water (95.3%) samples, mercury levels fall under international limits. For fish, no significant differences in mercury levels were detected between the two communities. However, eight species exceeded recommended global limits, and one surpassed the threshold according to Ecuadorian legislation. Piscivore and omnivore fish exhibited the highest concentrations of total mercury among trophic guilds. Only one water sample from each community’s territory exceeded these limits. Total mercury in sediments exhibited greater concentrations in Gomataon than Sinangoé. Greater levels of mercury in sediments were associated with the occurrence of total organic carbon. Considering that members of the communities consume the analyzed fish, an interdisciplinary approach, including isotopic analysis, methylmercury sampling in humans, and mercury monitoring over time, is imperative for a detailed risk assessment of mercury exposure in Amazonian communities.

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Warning about conservation status of forest ecosystems in tropical Andes: National assessment based on IUCN criteria

Cited by 12 publications

References 50 publications

Deforestation in Continental Ecuador with a Focus on Protected Areas

Deforestation in Continental Ecuador with a Focus on Protected Areas

First records of the genus Aristosyrphus Curran, 1941 (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Ecuador

Mercury in aquatic ecosystems of two indigenous communities in the Piedmont Ecuadorian Amazon: evidence from fish, water, and sediments

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