Title
Chapter Title: Deforestation and Waodani lands in Ecuador: Mapping and demarcation amidst shaky politics
Book Title: Deforestation Around the World
Author(s)
Stocks, A.;Noss, A.;Bryja, M.;Arce, S.
Published
2012
Abstract
One of the major forces of deforestation around the tropics is the chipping away of forested areas for pastures by agricultural peasants who are difficult to control by remote central governments (Colchester 1998) and by loggers who enjoy the same advantages of working in isolated areas as colonists and who tend to bring roads into the forest. The major danger
to many forests is fire, made more likely by the agricultural colonization that follows road construction (Nepstad et al. 2001). In the Ecuadorean Amazon fire is not a major threat, probably because of the year-round rainfall regime that maintains high levels of humidity, and road construction is driven first by oil exploration and exploitation activities that in turn facilitate access and settlement by colonists and loggers (Bromley 1972; Viña et al. 2004).
Ecuador’s 1964 Law of Agrarian Reform and Colonization classified large portions of Amazon as unoccupied, allowing colonists to claim 50 ha plots along roads, directly promoting deforestation by requiring proof of improvements to establish legal land titles (Bilsborrow et al. 2004; Bremner & Lu 2006; Fuentes 1997; Kimerling 1991).
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.
![]()
Back
PUB14804