Few studies exist that document how high-elevation Andean ecosystems recover naturally after the cessation of human activities and this can limit the implementation of cost-effective restoration actions. We assessed Andean forest (Polylepis stands) and páramo grassland recovery along an elevation gradient (3,600–4,350 m.a.s.l.) in the Yanacocha Reserve (Ecuador) where natural …
This article looks at a system designed and implemented by members of an indigenous community in central Ecuador, which, by localising food production, distribution and consumption, ties together a series of efforts that provide a safeguard against the precarious nature of local employment and fluctuating food prices. Results so far …
The weather pattern known as La Nina, blamed for floods in Australia and drought in parts of Latin America, is expected to persist through the first quarter of 2011, the World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday. La Nina, which cools the Pacific Ocean, could possibly even continue into April or …
The evolution of antibiotic resistance (AR) increases treatment cost and probability of failure, threatening human health worldwide. The relative importance of individual antibiotic use, environmental transmission and rates of introduction of resistant bacteria in explaining community AR patterns is poorly understood. Evaluating their relative importance requires studying a region where …
Over the past decade, biologists working in Ecuador's Yasuni National Park and the adjoining Waorani Ethnic Reserve, a 17,000-kilometer section of the Amazon Basin that was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989, have documented Yasuni's remarkable biodiversity, providing evidence that its forest has the highest number of species on …
Footage>> Pollution • Ecuador/USA Nearly 200 filmmakers from all over the world have signed a petition protesting an American court’s strictures against the director of the critically-acclaimed documentary, Crude: The Real Price of Oil . On May 15 a New York court ordered director Joe Berlinger to hand over unused …
Long-term neurotoxicity risks resulting from prenatal exposures to pesticides are uncertain, but a previous study of Ecuadorian schoolchildren suggested that blood pressure and visuospatial processing may be vulnerable to these exposures. Harari et al. conducted a cross-sectional study of cardiovascular and neurobehavioral functions among 84 Ecuadorian children 6
oil exploration Argentine veterans cry war As diplomatic tensions between the UK and Argentina escalate following oil drilling plan near the Falklands, Argentine war veterans have threatened to invade the South Atlantic archipelago controlled by the UK. A war vets’ association in Bruenos Aires demonstrated in front of the British …
The threats facing Ecuador's Yasuní National Park are emblematic of those confronting the greater western Amazon, one of the world's last high-biodiversity wilderness areas. Notably, the country's second largest untapped oil reserves—called “ITT”—lie beneath an intact, remote section of the park. The conservation significance of Yasuní may weigh heavily in …
Environmental pollutants from many different sources contaminate water, air, and land, putting humans and ecosystems at risk, and often pitting people against industry. By viewing competing interests and their implications within a broad ecosystem analysis, ecohealth approaches strive to protect health while balancing the needs of various stakeholders and contributing …
The present study offers evidence on alternative financing approaches for on-site household sanitation from case studies in six countries: Bangladesh, Ecuador, India, Mozambique, S
The Andes have daily (rather than seasonal) temperature extremes, unpre- dictable weather from one year to the next, and a myriad of environmental niches scattered across the elevations. To survive in such an adverse environment, highland farming evolved to be robust, with complex soil and water management, a rich diversity …
Ecuador aims to double hydroelectric power use over the next decade and increase grid capacity to attract mining investment but must overcome local opposition, a senior official said on Thursday. Ecuador wants 86 percent of its electricity needs to be covered by hydroelectric power by 2020, up from 43 percent …
In those South American countries where forest plantations are important or have potential for development, investment in them is one option for creating jobs.
Biological corridors have conventionally been seen as a means of countering habitat fragmentation and facilitating species movements between protected areas. The NGO, Corporaci
Ecuador, a member of OPEC, is willing to preserve a tropical forest with reserves of 900 million barrels of oil if rich countries pay it about $360 million a year to keep the petroleum in the ground. Under the proposal, the international community would pay Ecuador an annual fee equal …
Across the globe an emerging El Nino weather pattern threatens to cause droughts and floods and trigger a spike in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning forests. El Nino is a warming of tropical Pacific waters that affects wind circulation patterns. Its effects on the global climate vary from one …
