AN AGENDA FOR CONSERVATION RESEARCH AND ITS APPLICATION, WITH A CASE-STUDY FROM AMAZONIAN ECUADOR

The watershed of the Upper Nape River (UNR), in the western portion of Nape Province in Amazonian Ecuador, holds one of the most species-ric h tropical forests known on Earth. It is an area in which agricultural development and associated forest destruction are at loggerheads with conservation of biodiversity. This essay briefly describes the major factors that influence and threaten biodiversity in the UNR watershed. A scientific agenda is proposed to integrate research with conservati on practice at the regional level in Ecuador. A collaborative programm e is being developed to provide pertinent empirical information on whi ch to base and evaluate management decisions. Conservation will have a more scientific foundation when community and regional leaders, land managers, and scientists, jointly develop quantifiable objectives for biodiversity management. The recent declaration of a national park in the UNR watershed provides opportunities for the integration of scienc e and conservation practice.