Known and Newly Documented uses of Rainforest Plant Species in the Pastaza Region, Ecuador

Abstract

Knowing the uses of forest plant species is important for the conservation and sustainable use of forest ecosystem provisioning services. Based on an extensive literature survey, this paper reviews the uses of 540 rainforest species from the Pastaza region (Ecuador) and builds further the existing knowledge by field research that identified 39 new uses of local rainforest plants. Following a systematic categorization of the known and newly identified uses, it was found that the local plants are predominantly used as materials, medicines and foods (>80% of the sample), while the tree species dominate in various categories of local uses. The information given in this paper may help in building a local strategy for the sustainable use of plants and the conservation of endangered species, as well as in valuing the forest ecosystem provisioning services.

Perceptions of Local Inhabitants towards Land Management Systems Used in the Rainforest Area of Ecuador: An Evaluation Based on Visual Rating of the Main Land Use Types

“…Simón Bolívar Parish (SBP), which is located in the Pastaza Province of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region (Figure 1)-a place with a high biodiversity in the tropical forest-was chosen as the area of study. According to Gavilanes et al [34], the province is quite abundant in species, as it hosts 540 plants species, of which 507 are native and 12 are included in the endemic group [34]. The choice of this area for study was based on a specific distribution, where the primary (natural, native) forest accounts for 84.31% of the total area of SBP [35], and which is representative for the rest of the rainforest area from Ecuador.…”