Ecuadorian Amazon Research Articles

The Oil Amazon Subregion: Colonization, Conflicts, Extraction and Local Identities

The northern region of the Amazon of Ecuador is known as the oil subregion, an ecological space that represents the main development and modernity project executed by the State. Strategy that integrated vast areas of humid forests into a model of progress, modernity and global markets. This way of imagining the jungle and its inhabitants legitimized abusive intervention practices, forms of exploitation of nature and a chaotic territorial occupation, however, it determined a particular identity of the Amazonian settler-peasant. Competition for resources and territories has generated multiple social and environmental conflicts and violent encounters with native populations.

The socio-economic and environmental impacts on gravel mining in rivers: a case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region

The socio-economic and environmental impacts on gravel mining in rivers: a case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region

The socio-economic and environmental impacts on gravel mining in rivers: a case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region

The socio-economic and environmental impacts on gravel mining in rivers: a case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region

Inventing the savage: the Sapara people of the Ecuadorian Amazon in 19th-century travel writing

In this article, we examine the discursive construction of the Sapara people of the Ecuadorian Amazon in the writings of travelers who explored the region in the second half of the 19th century. We focus mainly on the ways in which these writings reflect prevailing ideologies of the time, according to which “civilized” human societies could be distinguished from “savage” ones. In doing this, we analyze the representation of different aspects of the Sapara culture, such as agriculture and working habits, gender relations and sexual practices and the art of war and leisure. We frame our analysis in the theoretical proposal of Irvine and Gal for the ideological construction of cultural difference through the semiotic processes known as rhematization, fractal recursivity, and erasure.

Public Policies and Health Services in Establishments with Difficult Geographical Access

This analysis focuses on the effectiveness of government policies in the field of health, specifically in a difficult-to-access region of the Ecuadorian Amazon, classified as type A. It also seeks to uncover the categories and dimensions that intervene in this process. According to the data obtained, 78.8% of the public officials surveyed perceive that public policies present an insufficient level. Of these, 36.4% rate health services as regular, 45.5% consider that infrastructure and equipment are deficient, 33.3% believe that the service portfolio is insufficient, and 66.7% believe that leadership is insufficient. It is concluded that if public policies are oriented and focused more effectively towards difficult-to-access areas type A and B, it will be possible to improve health services, guarantee the service through better infrastructure and equipment, and promote better leadership by the highest authority and the technical administrators of health centers.

Yajé como política. Territorio, petróleo y pandemia en los siekopái de la Amazonía ecuatoriana

AbstractThis article shows the political adaptations of the yajé ritual in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It focuses on the siekopái's practices of resistance, negotiation, and self‐affirmation around three contemporary issues: the recognition of their ancestral territory, the demand for reparations for environmental damage resulting from oil exploitation, and the management of care during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We argue that the inclusion of the yajé ritual in these contexts corresponds to a contested shamanic tradition, and that the deployment of its political potential is due to communal reasons and the shamans' negotiating skills in the invisible world. We conclude that the adaptations indicate an institutional flexibility that has allowed the siekopái to survive to this day in a changing and threatened environment.

The socio-environmental aftermath of gold mining in the Amazon: the case of Yutzupino in Napo, Ecuador

This study addresses the social and environmental repercussions on Amazonian communities due to gold mining following the conclusion of official concessions. Framed within the literature on natural resource extraction, sustainability, and social impacts in developing countries, the work employs qualitative methods, including interviews with residents and field observations in the community of Yutzupino in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It reveals that post-concession mining, often informal and illegal, sharply triggers social and environmental degradation. The research emphasises the need to incorporate sustainability principles into mining concessions to prevent such effects. This analysis enhances understanding of the complex socio-ecological aftermath of mining in vulnerable environments. It proposes recommendations for mitigation, underlining the importance of dialogue between communities, governments, and mining companies.

Five years on the road

We have reached our fifth edition, marking five years of disseminating information about the mammals of Ecuador. The cover of this edition portrays the long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), one of the smallest carnivores of the continent and a little-known species in Ecuador. The cover symbolizes our central theme, as we include three publications related to this species in this edition. The first is the report of a confirmed record in the southern region of the province of Esmeraldas, which opens the debate on whether this species, which is typically Andean in this country, may naturally inhabit the humid forests of the Chocó. This hypothesis had been mentioned previously (Parker III & Carr, 1992) but had not been confirmed. To complement this topic, we add two scientific notes that contribute to our knowledge of the natural history of Neogale frenata. One deals with its swimming ability, a behavior that had only been documented in the northern part of its distribution, in North America (Sheffield & Thomas, 1997); the other provides details of an attack on a poultry farm, a behavior previously attributed to this species but poorly documented in the scientific literature. This edition also brings two contributions to the little-known natural history of the country's bats. One is the first catalog of ectoparasites (Diptera: Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) found on 22 bat species in coastal Ecuador. The other is a note on the capture of a sucker bat (Thyroptera tricolor) in a web of Eriophora sp. (Araneae: Araneidae) in Yasuní National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We also include an article on research trips designed for listening to humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southeastern Pacific region and two articles that contribute to the knowledge of the species richness of two little-studied areas: the Cordillera Chongón Colonche, in the central-coastal region of the country, and the Reserva Biológica Tapichalaca, in the province of Zamora Chinchipe, in southeastern Ecuador. This fifth issue of Mammalia aequatorialis is the most extensive that we have published since the birth of the journal, motivating us to continue with the belief that we will be able to publish two issues per year in a short time. Thank you very much for joining us during these first five years. Diego G. Tirira Editor-in-chief

Diagnostic accuracy of qPCR and microscopy for cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural Ecuador: A Bayesian latent class analysis.

Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is hampered by under-ascertainment of direct microscopy. This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of qPCR on DNA extracted from filter paper to the accuracy of direct smear slide microscopy in participants presenting with a cutaneous lesion suspected of leishmaniasis to 16 rural healthcare centers in the Ecuadorian Amazon and Pacific regions, from January 2019 to June 2021. We used Bayesian latent class analysis to estimate test sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios (LR), and predictive values (PV) with their 95% credible intervals (95%CrI). The impact of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on predictive values was assessed as a secondary objective. Of 320 initially included participants, paired valid test results were available and included in the diagnostic accuracy analysis for 129 from the Amazon and 185 from the Pacific region. We estimated sensitivity of 68% (95%CrI 49% to 82%) and 73% (95%CrI 73% to 83%) for qPCR, and 51% (95%CrI 36% to 66%) and 76% (95%CrI 65% to 86%) for microscopy in the Amazon and Pacific region, respectively. In the Amazon, with an estimated disease prevalence among participants of 73%, negative PV for qPCR was 54% (95%CrI 5% to 77%) and 44% (95%CrI 4% to 65%) for microscopy. In the Pacific, (prevalence 88%) the negative PV was 34% (95%CrI 3% to 58%) and 37% (95%CrI 3% to 63%). The addition of qPCR parallel to microscopy in the Amazon increases the observed prevalence from 38% to 64% (+26 (95%CrI 19 to 34) percentage points). The accuracy of either qPCR on DNA extracted from filter paper or microscopy for CL diagnosis as a stand-alone test seems to be unsatisfactory and region-dependent. We recommend further studies to confirm the clinically relevant increment found in the diagnostic yield due to the addition of qPCR.

Abiotic and biotic factors influencing heavy metals pollution in fisheries of the Western Amazon

The escalating industrial and artisanal extraction of natural resources in the Amazon Basin has centered it into the spotlight of global environmental concern. This study deals with the environmental problems of heavy metals pollution and biomagnification, which stem from mining, agricultural, petrochemical, and industrial discharges. We conducted an extensive investigation, analyzing 360 fish specimens representing 58 species, to assess the concentrations of 11 metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, He, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg) along the Ecuadorian sections of the Napo and Pastaza watersheds. Stable isotope analyses (δ15N and δ13C) were employed to determine their trophic positions and potential biomagnification risks. Sampling was carried out during two distinct hydrological seasons to capture seasonal variations in metal concentrations. Furthermore, we estimated species-specific daily heavy metal intake levels. The results of our study revealed that 15 fish species and 53 individual specimens exhibited heavy metal concentrations surpassing recommended standards, with elevated levels of Al, As, and Hg posing significant risks to human consumers with daily intakes of 0.46 kg/day. Notably, our investigation unveiled concerning trends, including increased metal concentrations, Hg biomagnification within fish populations from the Pastaza watershed, and an association between smaller fish size and higher metal content. This study provides a crucial baseline for monitoring future environmental changes and understanding the persistent impacts of heavy metal pollution in the Ecuadorian Amazon region and the broader Western Amazon. It underscores the urgent need for sustainable environmental management practices to mitigate the escalating threat to these vital ecosystems.

Micronucleus Induction in Vicia faba Root Tips by Crude Oil-Polluted Soil from Ecuadorian Amazon

In the past four decades, the Amazon rainforest has emerged as a crucial zone for crude oil extraction in the South American region. In the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, hydrocarbon blocks (called “bloques”) cover vast zones, including agricultural and livestock farms, protected natural regions and the territories of uncontacted indigenous tribes. This study proposes a micronuclei assay on Vicia faba following a 24 h exposure to various soil samples collected from Bloque 57 in Ecuador. Sampling was conducted between the Dayuma and Aguarico zones, approximately 30 km from Nueva Loja city. The research aimed to assess the impact of different soil samples, particularly those from areas affected by crude oil spills, to induce micronuclei and mitotic index changes in V. faba roots. Results: The soil pollution caused by crude oil is not the sole factor contributing to cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in V. faba. Most samples from areas polluted by crude oil outside the small-scale farm showed no significant difference in micronuclei rate compared to negative control and Amazon unpolluted soil. Conversely, samples from the small-scale farm displayed a statistically significant genotoxic effect. Furthermore, samples collected from open-air wastewater pools demonstrated higher levels of cytotoxicity compared to the controls and those from small-scale farms. The mitotic index was lower in seedlings exposed to wastewater in open-air pools, especially for the 20 cm deep samples. This phenomenon could be linked to bitumen-like substances and oils floating on the surface, attaching to the small roots and causing suffocation.

Calibration and fitness-linked correlates of personality in Conambo, Ecuador

We present a study testing the existence and correlates of personality concepts in the village of Conambo, Ecuador, which is home to horticultural-foragers located in the Sápara Territory of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Lexical terms to describe the three focal personality concepts from the HEXACO taxonomy—Sociability, Immodesty, and Un-emotionality—were interpreted from Spanish into the Indigenous languages of Achuar and Quichua. These terms were employed in a photo ranking task wherein 76 adult community members ranked the relative standing of same-sex others on each personality concept. Inter-ranker agreement was high for Sociability and Immodesty, but low for Un-emotionality. We tested the associations among individual differences in (i) Sociability and Immodesty, (ii) hierarchical status and fertility, which are hypothesized fitness-linked benefits of high Sociability and Immodesty, and (iii) physical strength, which is a hypothesized calibrator of status-oriented personality strategies. Using Bayesian models and psychological networks including age controls, we found good evidence that men's physical strength associated positively with Sociability, Immodesty, and status. Among both sexes, Sociability and Immodesty exhibited strong positive correlations with status, but evidence was weaker that the personality traits associated with fertility. Status associated positively with fertility among both sexes. We conclude that two personality concepts imported from the HEXACO and Big Five taxonomies, Sociability and Immodesty, exist with common meaning in the minds of Conambo villagers and appear adaptively patterned in relation to physical strength and fitness-linked outcomes. We argue that the photo ranking task employed in this research produces personality assessments with high validity and should therefore be adopted in future studies of individual differences in face-to-face groups.

Functional traits and performance of woody species on oil- affected soils of the Ecuadorian Amazon

Introduction: Plant functional traits are widely used to predict community productivity. However, they are rarely used to predict the performance (in terms of growth diameter, growth height, survival, and integral response index) of woody species planted in degraded soils. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the functional traits and the performance of 25 woody species planted in disturbed soils affected by oil extraction activities in Ecuadorian Amazon. Methods: Eighteen permanent sampling plots were established and five 6-month-old seedlings of each 25 species were randomly planted in each plot (125 individuals per plot), at a distance of 4×4 m. Eight quantitative functional traits (leaf size, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf phosphorus concentration, leaf minimum unit, leaf dry matter content, stem specific density and leaf tensile strength) were determined for each species. Results: The woody species with high performance shows greater leaf size, specific leaf area and Stem Specific Density than those showing low performance. Leaf nitrogen concentration and stem specific density had a direct relationship with the integral response index. The leaf size, leaf phosphorus concentration, leaf dry matter content and leaf tensile strength sows a negative relationship with the integral response index. Conclusions: Our study showed that the performance of woody species o disturbed soils can be predicted satisfyingly by leaf and stem functional traits, presumably because these traits capture most of environmental and neighborhood conditions.

Diverse Xylaria in the Ecuadorian Amazon and their mode of wood degradation

BackgroundXylaria is a diverse and ecologically important genus in the Ascomycota. This paper describes the xylariaceous fungi present in an Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest and investigates the decay potential of selected Xylaria species. Fungi were collected at Yasuní National Park, Ecuador during two collection trips to a single hectare plot divided into a 10-m by 10-m grid, providing 121 collection points. All Xylaria fruiting bodies found within a 1.2-m radius of each grid point were collected. Dried fruiting bodies were used for culturing and the internal transcribed spacer region was sequenced to identify Xylaria samples to species level. Agar microcosms were used to assess the decay potential of three selected species, two unknown species referred to as Xylaria 1 and Xylaria 2 and Xylaria curta, on four different types of wood from trees growing in Ecuador including balsa (Ochroma pyramidale), melina (Gmelina arborea), saman (Samanea saman), and moral (Chlorophora tinctoria). ANOVA and post-hoc comparisons were used to test for differences in biomass lost between wood blocks inoculated with Xylaria and uninoculated control blocks. Scanning electron micrographs of transverse sections of each wood and assay fungus were used to assess the type of degradation present.Results210 Xylaria collections were sequenced, with 106 collections belonging to 60 taxa that were unknown species, all with less than 97% match to NCBI reference sequences. Xylaria with sequence matches of 97% or greater included X. aff. comosa (28 isolates), X. cuneata (9 isolates) X. curta and X. oligotoma (7 isolates), and X. apiculta (6 isolates)., All Xylaria species tested were able to cause type 1 or type 2 soft rot degradation in the four wood types and significant biomass loss was observed compared to the uninoculated controls. Balsa and melina woods had the greatest amount of biomass loss, with as much as 60% and 25% lost, respectively, compared to the controls.ConclusionsXylaria species were found in extraordinary abundance in the Ecuadorian rainforest studied. Our study demonstrated that the Xylaria species tested can cause a soft rot type of wood decay and with the significant amount of biomass loss that occurred within a short incubation time, it indicates these fungi likely play a significant role in nutrient cycling in the Amazonian rainforest.

Edible Fruits from the Ecuadorian Amazon: Ethnobotany, Physicochemical Characteristics, and Bioactive Components.

In the Ecuadorian Amazon region, there are various types of edible fruits that have distinct qualities and benefits. Understanding the uses, properties, and functions of these fruits is important for researching products that are only available in local markets. This review aims to gather and summarize the existing scientific literature on the ethnobotany, physicochemical composition, and bioactive compounds of these native fruits to highlight the potential of the region's underutilized biodiversity. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA methodology, utilizing databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed, Redalyc, and SciELO up to August 2023. The research identified 55 edible fruits from the Ecuadorian Amazon and reported their ethnobotanical information. The most common uses were fresh fruit consumption, preparation of typical food, and medicine. Additionally, nine native edible fruits were described for their physicochemical characteristics and bioactive components: Aphandra natalia (Balslev and Henderson) Barfod; Eugenia stipitate McVaugh; Gustavia macarenensis Philipson; Mauritia flexuosa L.f; Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh; Oenocarpus bataua Mart; Plukenetia volubilis L.; Pouteria caimito (Ruiz and Pav.) Radlk.; and Solanum quitoense Lam. The analyzed Amazonian fruits contained bioactive compounds such as total polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. This information highlights their potential as functional foods and the need for further research on underutilized crops.

Describing the Urban Jungle: A Multicriteria Urbanization Index for the Amazon

The Amazon has a population that is largely urban. However, research is limited regarding representations and analysis of the urban Amazon. This article represents and describes Amazonian urban areas by applying a multicriteria urbanization index. Using the Ecuadorian Amazon as a case study, we constructed this index considering spatial indicators of fractal dimension, number of paved streets, urban luminosity, population density, and Euclidean distances from each urban patch to the closest deforested area, to the closest oil pollution point, and to the closest mining pollution point. The multicriteria urbanization index was classified in five classes (degrees) of urbanization: very low, low, medium, high, and very high levels of urbanization. Most of the urban areas have a low degree of urbanization; notwithstanding, there are areas with a medium degree of urbanization encompassing consolidated cities and suburbs, with a high potential for extension in the future. There are also areas of high and very high urbanization related to the oil industry, including cities which have a high impact on the territorial system of the Amazon. This investigation serves as an introduction to multidimensional spatial and quantitative analyses of the urban Amazon. We suggest monitoring the urban advance in the Amazon using the index developed in this investigation, to support better territorial planning in this region of the world having high strategical importance.

Mapping the truth about mining: Corporate cartography and its contestations

Conflicts over extractive projects often hinge on questions about which and whose knowledge counts, and whose realities and knowledges are ignored in decision-making. This has led scholars to scrutinize ‘corporate science’ and the ways in which mining corporations produce forms of ignorance through the deliberate distortion and manipulation of knowledge on the socio-environmental impacts of mining. In this article, I examine these dynamics through a case study of the expansion of mining in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with a focus on the role of corporate cartography and counter-mapping. Based on an analysis of the ‘lines of becoming’ of various maps and ethnographic engagements with map-makers, I argue that our inquiry into corporate science and ignorance should go beyond the notion of ‘ignorance as strategy’. To fully understand the production of ignorance in the extractive industries, we should look more comprehensively at the ways of knowing and unknowing that have become customary in this sector. Drawing on power/knowledge-ignorance and the work of decolonial critical geographers, I show that a focus on the rather mundane and standardized practices and procedures enriches our understanding of the way in which corporate actors – and in particular their consultants – produce and reproduce colonial forms of (un)knowing.

Biochar effects on NTFP-enriched secondary forest growth and soil properties in Amazonian Ecuador

Deforestation in the Amazon has resulted in large areas of depleted soils on abandoned pastures and agricultural sites that present a restoration challenge central to protecting biodiversity and ecosystem function in the region. Biochar – charcoal made from waste materials – can improve soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, but the few tropical field trials to date do not give consistent results regarding tree growth. This study presents three years of soil performance and tree growth of a secondary forest shading nontimber forest product (NTFP) plantations of Ocotea quixos (Lauraceae), Myroxylon balsamum (Fabaceae), and their mixture. Open kiln and traditional mound biochars were added at 10 t ha−1 at two sites with contrasting soil types. Biochar additions resulted in pronounced effects on soil properties that varied over time and with depth in the soil profile. Biochar additions generally increased soil organic matter, electrical conductivity, and plant nutrients (in particular K, Ca, and N), but there were interactive effects of NTFP treatments, and stronger responses on the poorer soil type. Biochar amendments resulted in increased tree growth, with a 29 ± 12% increase in aboveground biomass (AGB) on plots amended with kiln biochar and a 23 ± 9% increase in plots with mound biochar compared to controls. Tree species also varied in growth responses to biochar additions, with the largest increases observed in Jaccaranda copaia and Piptocoma discolor. Significant interactions between biochar and NTFP treatments were also seen for tree growth responses, such as Cecropia spp., which only showed increased biomass on mound biochar plots planted with Ocotea quixos. Overall, our results demonstrate a stronger effect of biochar in less favorable soil conditions, and an overriding effect of the legume NTFP in richer soils, and suggest that additions of biochar and legumes are important options to increase productivity and ecological resilience in tropical forest restoration.

The multiple injustice of fossil fuel territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon: Oil development, urban growth, and climate justice perspectives

Alongside growing awareness of the historical and ethical dimensions of climate change impacts, little is known about those territories both sources of fossil fuel extraction as well as not beneficiaries of its benefits, usually located in developing countries. Our study frames climate justice in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region (EAR), defined as “urban jungle”, due to urbanization processes linked to oil exploitation. By highlighting the multiple injustices for local communities, the general aim is showing how these areas are at the same time peripheries of fossil fuel extraction and national benefits, while also being entangled with the socio-environmental impacts caused and increased by oil activities. The methodology is based on spatial analysis carried out in GIS environment, combining different features (oil production, urban infrastructure, socio-environmental impacts), at different spatial and temporal scales. Results show that, since the beginning of oil exploitation in 1972 and until 2020, about 6.4 billion barrels were produced in the EAR, in 34 oil blocks located in the central-north sector. Moreover, between 1985 and 2020, oil exploited EAR has continued to be the most urbanized part, surrounding and involving indigenous territories and ethnic population in voluntary isolation. Finally, the results highlight the high density of recorded oil spills, pits and gas flaring sites in historically exploited oil block, and the extensive distribution of seismic lines in all the EAR, far from human rights obligations of enjoying a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. In conclusion, our analyses highlight the multiple injustices of these territories. Hence climate justice should embrace these territories in its perspectives, by involving them in the climate justice discourse and promoting the rights for a non-toxic environment. By doing so, scholars, stakeholders and policymakers might frame clear and just phasing out fossil fuel strategies.

Modeling mate choice in a small-scale community: Applying couple simulation in the U.S. and Conambo, Ecuador

The near totality of human mate choice research occurs in large-scale, urban, industrial populations. It is unclear to what extent lessons learned from such populations reflect generalizable features of human mating psychology as opposed to localized responses to the demands of these historically unusual environments. Here, we use couple simulation, an agent-based modeling technique, to compare models of mate choice across both a U.S. sample (n = 1678) and a sample of k = 15 couples from Conambo, Ecuador—a relatively remote community of horticultural-foragers in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The Conambo sample provides a unique opportunity to evaluate models of mate choice in that (1) this sample represents approximately 50% of the households within this community and (2) all of the participants in this sample are acquainted with one another. Participants in Conambo completed a ranking task in which each participant ranked each opposite-sex adult in the community in terms of their quality as a spouse. We used these rankings to simulate the mating market in Conambo under alternative models of mate choice. We find that these models are able to reproduce Conambo marriages at a high degree of accuracy and perform comparably across both the Conambo sample and U.S. samples. Specifically, the resource allocation model performs best in reproducing mate choices in both the U.S. and Conambo samples. These results suggest that at least some aspects of human mating psychology generalize across both large-scale industrialized and small-scale populations.