Eco-Travel - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 64

population growth is forcing human encroachment into the páramo
grasslands of the steep Andean slopes.
Amazon Deforestation
& Development
Deforestation in Ecuador's upper Amazon Basin is severe and wide-
spread, arguably the most significant and scariest threat to the bio-
logical integrity of this planet. Some estimates put the rate of
deforestation at close to 151 acres per minute, or 1,170 square miles
per year. At this rate, the rainforest has less than 15 years left. Much
of the Oriente remains somewhat intact, although fragmentation is
significant and poses the greatest threat to biological preservation in
the region. The destruction of the rainforest parallels development of
the oil industry from the 1970s and is accelerating despite conserva-
tion efforts.
The pattern of modern devastation began with the discovery of oil.
Roads were built through the forest, backed by heavy foreign invest-
ment. Historically, the oil industry gave little consideration to envi-
ronmental and cultural consequences, although this is changing. The
next stage is colonization. As the country's population continues to
expand without a stable socioeconomic structure to support it, the
government encourages people to take free land in the Oriente if they
properly “utilize” it.
Once the access roads are built, colonists create the most permanent
long-term damage, with uncontrolled forest cutting and agricultural
practices incompatible with the productive capacity of the region. Soil
nutrients become exhausted within a few years, resulting in contin-
ued agricultural expansion. This, combined with ongoing coloniza-
tion, exacerbates deforestation at an exponential rate.
Fortunately, integrated conservation and development programs
that include sustainable forest-product development, education, and
ecotourism are helping a bit. Ecotourism is viewed by many as being
on the forefront of sustainable economic activities and amajor tool for
community development. As a traveler visiting these areas, you have
the opportunity to promote a strong incentive for preserving the re-
maining areas.