Local development and conservation in the eastern Andean slope: Llanganates-Sangay ecological corridor - Anzu valley

Abstract

In the current territorial context, local sustainable development is the efficient and balanced use of available resources target to economic, human, cultural and environmental development. From this definition the basis for the development of a strategy for sustainable local development in rural communities are stated. Investigation started from the state of conservation diagnosis of the eastern slopes of the central Andes, Sangay Llanganates ecological corridor in the valley of Anzu. Traps camera, footprints, surveys and interviews with villagers were recorded and presence and mastofauna diversity was established. Socioeconomic- mic typology was determined on six rural communities’ surveys, with multivariate methods and statistical inference. A workshop with the Universidad Estatal Amazónica criteria was determined to achieve ecological sustainability. 35 macro mammals species from 8 orders and 20 families were recorded, 10 are threatened; among them figure symbolic species like Andean bear and Amazonian and Andean tapir, puma and woolly. Rural communities depends on 55 to 61,47% from local resources; they declare cultural relationship with conservation and species knowledge to improve aggregate value. An agenda for sustainable development must have the cooperation between communities and university, monitoring from areas adjacent to national parks Llanganates & Sangay, until partially protected woodland habitat connecting with communities regarding with conservation of sub and tropical Andean ecosystems, for strengthening local initiatives.