Abstract
Since the pioneer studies of Carl Troll considerable work has been done on the geoecology of tropical highlands in Latin America. Less emphasis has been devoted to the study of human activities in different altitudinal belts. In particular, little work has been undertaken on this topic in the Sierra region of Ecuador, located in a transition zone between the permanently humid paramo and the seasonally arid puna. This paper is based on a field investigation of a study area in the Patate-Pelileo region located in the Eastern Cordillera of Ecuador carried out during the summer of 1981. The chosen site lies in a transition zone between the semi-arid Cuenca of Ambato and the humid eastern slopes of the Cordillera. Five major altitudinal belts of agricultural activity are represented between the valley floor of the Patate River (2,000 m) and the upper slopes of surrounding Cerros (about 3,700 m). Apart from the different types of agricultural resources and their altitudinal range, the hillside belts of agricultural systems exhibit a number of distinct seasonal agricultural calendars, productivity, and land prices.
Published Version
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