Les Hamacs Shivasmile

The landscape is shaped by a major irrigation system connected to main drainage arteries. Before emptying into the Gulf of Guayaquil, the Rio Ruidoso River, long a forty kilometers east-west, attracts many rivers including the Rio Churute. At their confluence, extending south and west a vast mangrove forest of 35,000 ha, the estuary formed is covered by hair waterway Managed (Churute del Estero, Estero Soledad Chica) or not (Rio Taura and tributaries ). The mangrove forest is bordered to the north-east by the Laguna El CanClone and associated marsh, all covered 8800 ha. This vast wetland was designated Ecological Reserve in July 1979, included in the Ramsar List and the national network of protected areas (SNAP). Further north, stands a chain of hills composed of compact siliceous rocks and red clay. In December 1987, 5,500 ha of primary forest protecting Cerros, several peaks are around 700 m (Cerro Pancho Diablo: 696 m, Cerro Simalón: 684 m), were included in the protected area. It was the same with all the lands beyond an altitude of 100 m. Ecological Reserve of Mangrove Churute extends from nearly 50,000 ha.

Family Pincay before planting cocoa

During the years 1960-1970, the turnover of land in the subdivision Velasco Ibarra is low. The departure of farmers sharing a lot of land remaining mostly economic bankruptcy or divorce between the spouses. In both cases new families are investing the sites, access is facilitated by a law prohibiting the consolidation of lots. Since 1980, the average farm size is reduced significantly in favor of family reunion and sharing of succession. The large number of direct heirs and frequent marriages between children of "settlers" undermining the unity of the subdivision by promoting division and fragmentation of land.

The agricultural subdivision Velasco Ibarra (1961) is located in southern Ecuador, on the left bank of the estuary of the Rio Guayas, about fifty miles south of Guayaquil. The sedimentary plain alternating marine and continental is the subject of intensive farming (rice, sugarcane, plantains, cocoa). Cultivated land is shared between ancient haciendas and sugar estates established in the 1960s from operations of colonization and agrarian reform.

on the way to plant your two trees!

Diagnosis of territory: Spring 2006

In the early 1930s, the forest covers 75% of Ecuadorian territory against 38% today (FAO, 2005; Vázquez, Ulloa, 1997). Over the past four decades, clearing permanently transforming six and half million hectares across the country (FAO, 2005; INEFAN, 1996). The forms they are not immune to strategies and logics of actors (García, 2006; Le Tourneau, 2004; Droulers et al. 2001; Fearnside, 1991). These power plays within the social body are accented by a land pressure created by the scarcity of resources and ownership concentration (Roper, Roberts, 2006). From the perspective of the landscape, the materiality of the territories conquered from the forest, the more visible patterns, which then rotate and mix (Clairay, 2005), reflect a changing society (Dubreuil et al. 2005).

On the Ecuadorian coast, the share of forest area increased from 61% of the territory in 1958 only 6% in 1988 (Sierra, 1999). In the Guayas coastal region the most populated of Ecuador, dry forests have virtually disappeared (ibid.). The few places as they protect the "hills" of Churute qualify for a legal classification for the past few years. At the foot of Cerro Simalón, one of the highlights of the Ecological Reserve Churute fifty batches of thirty hectares of forest have been previously granted to families of modest suburbs of Milagro. Forty-six years after their entry into the subdivision, we met these families, their descendants or their successors. From the evidence collected, we traced the various stages of development of agricultural territory. Patterns of cognitive representations of the forest converted and the role of trees in pastoral practices of the settlers were also discussed. The set has to verify if indeed the treed landscape dynamics in response to changes of social order.

As part of our first planting season, twelve families of farmers have benefited from a grant equal to 90% of the total cost of the plants. Five thousand trees have been installed at the edge of plots, along logging roads or in the form of shrubbery. The selected species are predominantly native species: Tabebuia rosea, Swietenia macrophylla, Cedrela odorata and Cordia alliodoro.

Teaching life sciences and earth to students of the institution Chavez has also been a priority of our work. We have offered workshops fun, organized a school trip in the Ecological Reserve of Mangrove Churute, we built a garden on school grounds.

observation and sketching insects collected during field trips

Inventory planting (Year 1)

Our third visit to Churute was an opportunity to take an inventory of plantings in 2007. The results are very uneven. Success rates vary between 22.5 and 62.7% depending on the species and between 0 and 88% depending on the farms.

More than 1 400 plants were destroyed during the first weeding by cutting back with a machete. The awkwardness of Macheteros does not excuse the level of destruction. Besides three planters were admitted voluntarily destroyed their plantations. They are excluded from the program Rio Ruidoso. The installation is also crucial. Thus, plantations located on the foothills of Cerro Simalón have particularly suffered from summer drought, the mortality rate exceeds 40%; flooding in January have them suffocated nearly 300 plants.

Of the 5 000 seedlings delivered to growers Churute in February 2007, 2 300 are turned into trees. The overall success rate of our first campaign thus exceeds 45%.

When planting, we had had five species.

Swietenia macrophylla is characterized by a high success rate (78.1%), a very good health and a satisfactory plant growth. Most feet now exceed 1.60m in height.

The conditions seem much less favorable to Cedrela odorata. During the year, nearly four feet five have disappeared from the landscape. This relative failure is due to the presence of Hypsipyla grandella. Since the emergence of the larva, the farmers practice of pollarding which often reduce to nil the chances of marketing once the plant matures. When the plant is healthy and is installed on well drained land, the growth of C. odorata is sustained up to 4 m high.

Among the selected species, Tabebuia rosea appears to be most sensitive to drought. It is true that his preferred location, the rocky foothills, puzzled about the success of the project. Delays shoot are also important to stress (0.8 to 1m in height).

Cordia alliodora shows very encouraging results both in terms of plant development (around 2m tall) and completion (68.7%).

When the wooded area of Tectona grandis is maintained (regular weeding) and enjoys a privileged location (border of drained and irrigated plots), the plant rises dramatically, up to 7 meters. Otherwise, T. grandis does not exceed 1.50m.

All photos are here http://proyectorioruidoso.blogs.letelegramme.com/album/photos_projet/page1/

The video is thus: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5v2fu_el-proyecto-rio-ruidoso