Abstract
This article examines the implications of forest management on biodiversity at a local level and the relationships between deforestation and its geographic and demographic contexts at a regional level in the Ecuadorian Chocó region . We evaluated the implications of logging practices on biodiversity through the comparison of two 5-ha vegetation quadrats in two areas with and without forest management . Results of the local evaluation showed that the managed forest had higher tree density, larger basal area, and more commercial tree species per hectare than the unmanaged area . Yet, forest gaps were notably large in both research sites . We analyzed the relationships between deforestation and its spatial and demographic contexts at the regional level using Landsat satellite data from years 1993 and 2001, geographic information systems, and regression analysis . Results of the regional evaluation suggest that population density, costs of traveling, and distance to rivers are significantly related to forest loss in the region
Recommended Citation
López, Santiago; Sierra, Rodrigo; and Tirado, Milton
(2010)
"Tropical Deforestation in the Ecuadorian Chocó: Logging Practices and Socio-spatial Relationships,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 51:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol51/iss1/1