Conservation of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services in a pastoral landscape of the Ecuadorian Andes

Abstract

High Andean cloudforests are home to a variety of unique wildlife, and are important providers of ecosystem services to people in the Andean regions. The extent of these forests has been severely reduced by agricultural expansion, threatening the future of Andean biodiversity, and the future of the Andean people who rely on forest-provided ecosystem services. However, agriculture is also important for food and for livelihoods, so a balance needs to be found between agricultural production and the conservation of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services. Retaining forest vegetation can mitigate the impacts of forest conversion to pasture on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Remnant and regenerating forest vegetation in pastures contributes to the conservation of many forest plant species, as well as to the maintenance of several ecosystem services. Both biodiversity and ecosystem services increase in pastoral landscapes as tree cover increases. However, pasture productivity diminishes as tree cover increases, so that incorporating forest vegetation into pasture potentially compromises agricultural yields. The aim of this thesis is to identify how Andean farmers can maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services on their land whilst minimising any trade-offs with farm productivity.