Charapa Turtles (Podocnemis unifilis), an Opportunity to Improve Community Tourism and Contribute to Their Conservation in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador

Abstract

Biodiversity at the species and ecosystem level is an important basis for tourism, especially for tourism economies in landscapes optimal for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, which are addressed under the Convention on Biological Diversity. In the last two decades, the Podocnemis Unifilis turtle has presented problems represented in a decrease of individuals in their populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The objective of the study was to describe the characteristics and current situation of the charapa turtle (Podocnemis Unifilis), to analyze the perception of the community of the Indillama River towards this species and finally to establish a proposal for its conservation with a socio-economic contribution from the community tourism segment. The methodology used consisted of a bibliographic review, semi-structured interviews and expert judgment. The main results indicate that the charapa turtle has had population problems in the last 30 years due to various anthropogenic pressures. The inhabitants of the Río Indillama community perceive this species mainly as a source of economic income (sale of individuals and their eggs) and food by consuming their eggs and adult individuals. Finally, we present a proposal for conservation through tourism that provides experiential activities for the collection of P. unifilis eggs, nesting and release (sponsorship) of individuals, providing economic benefits to local communities. This will contribute to its conservation and local socioeconomic development.

Jane Jacobs’s Criteria for Urban Vitality: A Geospatial Analysis of Morphological Conditions in Quito, Ecuador

“…In the second method, the three selected indexes have been tested in the study area through GIS software using a comparative methodological design [60]. In the third method, a compilation of opinions provided by experts such as residents, municipality workers, and researchers on the specific topic of La Mariscal neighborhood has been developed to certify the validity of the study [61] (Table 1). To answer the second research question regarding which representation system is more precise for measuring urban vitality at a block scale, the second and third methods have been implemented.…”

Approaches, Trends, and Gaps in Community-Based Ecotourism Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications between 2002 and 2022

“…This is due to the general conceptual ambiguities and overlaps that persist in the terminology on various alternative tourism variants given the similarity of their approaches [24] and even due to the similarity of their denominations. This situation is reinforced given that both CBET and CBT have gained increasing relevance in conservation and sustainable development programs in protected and/or rural areas [37][38][39], converging in discourses and strategies on environmental, cultural, and social sustainability through community participation; see, for example, [39][40][41][42]. Therefore, in the present research, we will use the term community-based ecotourism to designate all proposals that integrate both environmental, cultural, and social sustainability, as well as community participation, redistributive justice, local development, and control of the tourism sector [26,35].…”