Protecting a Garua forest in Ecuador: The role of institutions and ecosystem valuation

Inventing or sustaining cultural systems and institutions that provide peop le with an adequate standard of living while preserving forest ecosystems a nd their biological diversity is a great challenge facing humanity now and in the coming century. This paper describes an effort to use participatory research and environmental education to affect forest preservation by a com munity in southwestern Ecuador. The sustainability of lowland agriculture i n this area is partially dependent on fog-capture by the hill forests. Once the community of Loma Alta understood and valued fog-capture, they used th eir own system of governance and decision making to preserve the forest. Th e case study is presented in a theoretical framework of general interest to social and natural scientists concerned with tropical forest preservation. It has particular relevance for integrated conservation and development ef forts.