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Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Environmental Change in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of South Ecuador pp 235–244Cite as

Sustainable Agriculture and Conservation Payments Are Key Factors in Mitigating Tropical Forest Loss

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 221))

Abstract

Driven by an ever-increasing demand for agricultural provisioning services, large areas of tropical forest have been lost worldwide during recent decades. The conversion of forests into agricultural land results in rarely quantified losses of social and ecological services and triggers soil erosion, sedimentation, and climate change. Conceptual considerations identify a strong need for improved and sustainable agriculture to solve this problem. A combination of intensified agriculture, conservation payments to avoid forest loss, and land-use diversification may provide a solution to land-use conflicts. Improved concepts must lead to the production of enough food to keep food prices at a reasonable level. Future research must thus focus on concepts to intensify agricultural production while ensuring sustainability by avoiding the detrimental consequences of the intensification such as the loss of biodiversity, erosion, subsequent land degradation, and the pollution of water reservoirs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forest Management, Center of Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Baltazar Calvas, Thomas Knoke & Luz Maria Castro

  2. Institute of Silviculture, Center of Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Patrick Hildebrandt, Michael Weber, Bernd Stimm & Reinhard Mosandl

  3. Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, Latin-American Chair for Protected Areas and Biological Corridors “Kenton Miller”, CATIE 7170, Turrialba, 30501, Costa Rica

    Sven Günter

  4. Center for Studies and Development of Amazonia (CEDAMAZ), National University of Loja, Loja, Ecuador

    Nikolai Aguirre

Authors
  1. Baltazar Calvas
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  2. Thomas Knoke
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  3. Luz Maria Castro
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  4. Patrick Hildebrandt
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  5. Michael Weber
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  6. Bernd Stimm
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  7. Reinhard Mosandl
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  8. Sven Günter
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  9. Nikolai Aguirre
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Baltazar Calvas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Faculty of Geography, Philipps University Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, Marburg, 35032, Germany

    Jörg Bendix

  2. , Department of Plant Physiology and Bayre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, Bayreuth, 95440, Germany

    Erwin Beck

  3. , Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Kochstr. 4/4, Erlangen, 91054, Germany

    Achim Bräuning

  4. , Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecolo, Technical University of Dresden, Piennerstr. 19, Tharandt, 01737, Germany

    Franz Makeschin

  5. , Institute of Silviculture, Technische Universität München, Am Hochanger 13, Freising, 85354, Germany

    Reinhard Mosandl

  6. , J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and, Georg August University Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, Göttingen, 37073, Germany

    Stefan Scheu

  7. , Geographic Institute of the University o, University of Bern, Hallerstr. 12, Bern, 3012, Switzerland

    Wolfgang Wilcke

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Calvas, B. et al. (2013). Sustainable Agriculture and Conservation Payments Are Key Factors in Mitigating Tropical Forest Loss. In: Bendix, J., et al. Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Environmental Change in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of South Ecuador. Ecological Studies, vol 221. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38137-9_17

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