Land use driven conditions for habitat structure: A case study from the Ecuadorian Andes

Abstract

This paper addresses the impact of land use on local conditions for habitat structure in the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. It is recognised that agricultural expansion, by disturbing natural land cover, often negatively affects living conditions for wild organisms. In the chosen study area, a village territory dominated by dairy farming, land use dynamics and spatial habitat structure are illustrated at village and field level. The socioeconomic and biophysical character of the site is described using field cartography, household interviews, aerial photos and a digital terrain model. The effects of agriculture on spatial habitat structure are investigated by relating field specific land cover data to land use and land rights information. Simple landscape indices are used to quantify the effect of changes in spatial habitat structure on local conditions for wild organisms. Results indicate that land use and its negative effects on habitat structure correspond closely with variations in biophysical limitations that result from the mountainous topography. At a finer scale, land use patterns are influenced by land tenure and related household-specific parameters.