Human ecological parameters and their relevance in preserving biodiversity and improving livelihoods in the Biosphere Reserve Podocarpus - El Cóndor

在厄瓜多尔南部的农业前沿地区，这是一个具有异质种族、社会文化和社会经济结构的地区，对人类生态参数的深刻了解对于保护热带雨林、改善当地生计和确定可持续土地利用方案至关重要。在生物多样性丰富的地方，当地人通常对物种、生态系统、生态关系以及它们的历史或近期变化有详细的生态知识。在地方一级，功利主义和社会文化价值观，如当地的观念和信仰，是自然资源使用、管理和保护背后的驱动力。此外，经济和政治因素影响人们的决策。在当前森林砍伐、破碎化和物种灭绝的压力下，迫切需要深入研究生活在Podocarpus - El Cóndor生物圈保护区农业前沿区的Shuar、Saraguro和Mestizo三个民族的环境知识和感知、生计系统和土地权属制度问题。对这四个主题的分析和评价，对于一个巨大多样性的山地生态系统的可持续管理是必不可少的。在其第二阶段，项目将集中精力汇编和综合以往在萨拉古罗和梅斯蒂索社区进行实地研究所得的民族生态学、农业地理学、家庭经济数据。新的研究重点将放在楠格里察河谷Shuar群落中迄今尚未研究的人类生态参数。

In the agricultural frontier zone of southern Ecuador, a region with heterogenic ethnic, socio-cultural and socio-economic structures, profound knowledge of human ecological parameters is crucial for the conservation of tropical rainforests, the improving of local livelihoods and the identification of sustainable land use options. In biodiversity-rich places local people usually have a detailed ecological knowledge of species, ecosystems, ecological relationships and historical or recent changes to them. At the local level, utilitarian and socio-cultural values such as local perceptions and beliefs are the driving force behind use, management and conservation of natural resources. Additionally, economic and political factors influence people’s decision-making. Under current pressures of deforestation, fragmentation and species extinction, there is an urgent need to thoroughly study the issues of environmental knowledge and perception, livelihood systems and land tenure systems among the three ethnic groups (Shuar, Saraguro, Mestizo) living in the agricultural frontier zone of the Biosphere Reserve Podocarpus – El Cóndor. The analysis and evaluation of these four topics is indispensable for the sustainable management of a megadiverse mountain ecosystem. In its second phase the project will concentrate its efforts on the compilation and synthesis of ethnoecological, agrogeographical, household-economical data obtained from previous field research among Saraguro and Mestizo communities. A new emphasis of research will be put on selected human ecological parameters among the Shuar communities in the Nangaritza valley which have not been studied so far.