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ECUADOR: a Case Study ECUADOR:ECUADOR: AA CaseCase StudyStudy HowHow havehave humanshumans changedchanged theirtheir environment?environment? HowHow havehave humanshumans changedchanged theirtheir environment?environment? HumanHuman beingsbeings overover thethe coursecourse ofof historyhistory havehave changedchanged theirtheir physicalphysical surroundingssurroundings toto meetmeet theirtheir manymany needsneeds andand wants.wants. AsAs technologytechnology hashas developeddeveloped andand populationspopulations havehave increased,increased, humanshumans havehave putput moremore pressurespressures onon theirtheir environments,environments, somesome withwith negativenegative oror positivepositive consequences.consequences. EcuadorEcuador Ecuador is a country in South America, approximately the size of Colorado, that has experienced many environmental changes. The country is considered a biodiversity hotspot because it has great genetic and biological diversity. Ecuador is one of the top 20 countries with the greatest diversity in species--amazing for such a small nation. Ecuador has more diversity in plants, insects, and amphibians than the United States, a country roughly 30 times its size. The environment in all four regions of Ecuador has been affected in various ways by humans. Ecuador’s Four Regions: The Oriente, Highlands, Coast, and Galapagos Islands. TheThe HighlandsHighlands The Highlands is home to modern Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, resting 9,200 ft. above sea level in the Andes Mountain Range. With a growing population, the need for food is increasing. Much land is devoted to agriculture in Ecuador to feed its population of over 13 million. The main crops include rice, corn, potatoes, and soybeans. A potato field Terraced land outside Quito TypicalTypical HighlandHighland foodfood includesincludes beef,beef, potatoes,potatoes, corn,corn, andand eveneven friedfried GuineaGuinea Pig.Pig. Rose plantations are a booming business in Ecuador. Large, irrigated greenhouses allow roses of all varieties to mature for one year before being packaged and transported by truck to Quito for export. A young woman picking roses Man responsible for applying pesticides to the roses. CuencaCuenca isis Ecuador’sEcuador’s secondsecond largestlargest citycity inin thethe HighlandsHighlands behindbehind Quito.Quito. ItIt waswas colonizedcolonized byby thethe IncasIncas andand thenthen byby thethe SpanishSpanish inin thethe 1500s.1500s. ItIt hashas keptkept muchmuch ofof itsits EuropeanEuropean colonialcolonial architecture.architecture. Families do laundry in one of the four major rivers that run through Cuenca. One of Cuenca’s busy streets. The Andes are visible in the background. TheThe CoastCoast TheThe coastcoast isis aa veryvery diversediverse regionregion homehome toto Ecuador’sEcuador’s largestlargest citycity ofof Quayaquil,Quayaquil, vastvast agriculturalagricultural lands,lands, andand coastalcoastal resources.resources. A view of the crowded port city of Quayaquil. Irrigated Banana Plantation Ecuador’sEcuador’s agriculturalagricultural centercenter isis inin thethe coastalcoastal region.region. ManyMany cropscrops areare growngrown includingincluding bananas,bananas, oneone ofof Ecuador’sEcuador’s largestlargest exports.exports. A cacao fruit--What chocolate is made of! Bananas FishingFishing isis veryvery commoncommon alongalong thethe coast.coast. ThereThere areare alsoalso manymany shrimp,shrimp, tilapia,tilapia, andand crabcrab farmsfarms builtbuilt alongalong thethe coast.coast. OftenOften mangrovemangrove forestsforests havehave beenbeen destroyeddestroyed toto makemake roomroom forfor aquaculture.aquaculture. A fisherman checking his nets A bundle of captured crabs TheThe OrienteOriente WithinWithin Ecuador’sEcuador’s territoryterritory lieslies partpart ofof thethe AmazonAmazon Basin.Basin. SinceSince thethe 1960s1960s moremore peoplepeople havehave movedmoved toto thethe OrienteOriente causingcausing manymany environmentalenvironmental challenges.challenges. Environmental Issues Include: Deforestation Habitat Destruction Mining Hunting Oil Excavation A new road winds from the Andes into the Amazon. The building of roads has encouraged more settlers to relocate to this region, intensifying environmental concerns. AfterAfter oiloil waswas discovereddiscovered inin EcuadorEcuador inin 1969,1969, thethe governmentgovernment leasedleased blocksblocks ofof landland toto oiloil companies.companies. FewFew environmentalenvironmental lawslaws existexist oror areare enforced,enforced, soso muchmuch environmentalenvironmental damagedamage hashas occurredoccurred fromfrom thethe excavationexcavation ofof oil.oil. The indigenous people and oil companies have clashed over land rights. Also, many people have developed health problems due A pipeline from the Amazon to to exposure to the oil, causing more conflict. the Pacific Ocean. MoreMore touriststourists areare comingcoming toto thethe AmazonAmazon asas moremore roadsroads andand airportsairports areare makingmaking itit easiereasier forfor themthem toto reachreach thethe region.region. PeoplePeople fromfrom acrossacross thethe worldworld comecome toto experienceexperience thethe AmazonAmazon andand meetmeet itsits people.people. A hiking trip with local guides Learning to shoot a blow gun from a local hunter TheThe GalapagosGalapagos IslandsIslands A friendly sea lion TheThe GalapagosGalapagos IslandsIslands areare worldworld famousfamous forfor beingbeing homehome toto manymany endemicendemic speciesspecies-- oror speciesspecies thatthat areare foundfound nono wherewhere elseelse onon thethe planet.planet. A giant tortoise can live to be 150 years old. Their population was threatened by sailors who kept them alive for up to one A blue-footed boobie year without food aboard so they would always have fresh meat. TheThe islandsislands areare 600600 milesmiles fromfrom mainlandmainland EcuadorEcuador soso theythey havehave beenbeen largelylargely protectedprotected fromfrom humanhuman interferenceinterference untiluntil recently.recently. TodayToday thethe humanhuman populationpopulation isis growinggrowing quicklyquickly----26,00026,000 peoplepeople livelive onon thethe islandsislands now.now. A Marine Iguana--It is the only iguana in the world that can live on land and in the water. It can swim 60 feet deep and A colorful crab! hold its breath for up to an hour. Providing basic needs for people including transportation (roads, airports, cars, boats), housing, and waste management have caused damage to the environment. Also, new species, like goats and cats, that endanger Galapagos species have been accidentally introduced by people. Thousands of tourists from around the world visit every year. Some stay on Sea lions lounge on the boats of land while others stay on cruise boats local fishermen and women. that travel island to island. PeoplePeople inin thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates havehave alsoalso changedchanged theirtheir environment.environment. The Imperial Dam in California, Windmills for energy outside of controlling the flow of the Palm Springs, California. Colorado River for downstream consumption. Humans have and will continue to change their environment. Today we must STOP and THINK how we can make more responsible changes with fewer negative consequences on our environment. Ski chairlift at Mammoth Resort, Irrigated Fields of Yuma, California. Arizona..
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