Mangrove ecosystems are of significant environmental and economic importance. Large populations worldwide depend on mangroves for their resources and food supply. Following mangrove data of 1997, Ecuador had an area of 2,469 km² of mangroves. This area has suffered some reductions due to farming, industrial activities, and urbanization in recent years. At the same time, local communities depend on the collection and commercialization of mangrove products as their primary income source. Infrastructure projected in mangrove areas needs a remarkable treatment with a holistic approach to consider technological, social, environmental, and economic aspects. The project will focus on the community 6 de Julio of the zone of Naranjal-Ecuador. One of the primary income sources of this community is the collection and commercialization of the mangrove crab, which is collected at the nearby mangrove areas authorized by the Ministry of Environment, for which the community needs to abide by the regulations and closure periods to guarantee the sustainability of the activity. The primary research's objective is to study the best infrastructure options to help with the crab collection activity. So, it is safer and cleaner and aims to diversify activities such as touristic or educational that can become an alternative income source during the closure periods and reduce the dependence on the crab collection.
For centuries, fast-growing species such as reeds and herbs have been used by ancient cultures to build a wide range of objects from handicrafts to huts and rafts. Several communities worldwide still use these kinds of plants as part of their traditional materials and building techniques. One of these species is totora (Schoenoplectus californicus) which grows in lakes and ponds in the Americas from California to Chile and some Pacific Islands. The most important examples of the use of this plant in the world are the group of floating islands of the Uros in Lake Titicaca and indigenous communities of the Andes, where local peoples have been using totora for more than 500 years applying mechanical joining techniques such as weaving and lashing to build their houses, boats, and utensils. This study focuses on developing new strategies supported by current technological possibilities for joining totora stems using mechanical means to produce building elements and study how the different parameters influence the mechanical properties of the parts made with these techniques.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.