While entering the canopy of the coastal Pacific forest of Ecuador, you feel the change of temperature from the beating sun on the asphalt to the cool oasis of the protected forest. The surrounding air feels clean and refreshing in the Ecuadorian heat. The rich colorful soil allows for the flourishing of many species of plants and for such a biodiverse space to exist. Our heads turn in awe at certain beautiful flowers and the sounds of howler monkeys echo through the forest. The stratification of the trees with overlapping vines feels chaotic, but it's truly complex and dynamic. As we encroach farther into the deep forest, we encounter the real giants, the old growth trees. Their strong unaffected presence demonstrates what makes this forest a primary forest. Many of these trees are hundreds of years old and tower over this land. While I’ve walked through many forests, the feeling of walking through an undisturbed ecosystem was incomparable.
The dense overlay of each type of tree and plant makes for a complex and chaotic ecological system which fulfills beneficial habitat for howler monkeys, ocelots, birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects.
As we made it through the other end of Professor Luis’s property, we were given a view of the neighboring properties. On one side, we have pastoral land with eroding earth and little vegetation. The other side contained a teak tree farm that depicted a monoculture system that will flourish till its clearcut. While this land appears more environmentally conscious, its lack of plant diversity contributes to soil degradation and loss of further biodiversity. Professor Luis Andrade shared how these neighbors believed that his land was not well maintained, they call it “unproductive”.. The overbearing branches poking out into their properties upset them as well as made them feel that it made their properties look worse. They would recommend for Luis to create a farm or capitalize on this land. Although Professor Luis shared this untouched and undisturbed land was beautiful because of the lack of harm and human disturbance towards it.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student admiring the height and cork board textured bark of a "moral boba" tree (local name), one of the original and native tropical hardwood species found in the Pacific forest. These giant trees are precious for their hardwood and have mostly been deforested from the region.
Professor Luis pointed out certain trees that he has seen there since he was a kid, as a native to Chone, Ecuador. He shared the sentimental influence this land has on him and his drive to conserve the remaining primary forest. Luis Andrade is a professor of geography and tourism at the Technical University of Manabi in Calceta and is an advocate for regenerative agriculture. Luis almost lost part of this land when the Ecuadorian government needed to put a power line through it. He discussed how government officials came to investigate the property and plan for the installation despite his disapproval. They were greeted with monkeys coming down from the trees and their noises filling the forest. Luis shared how this interaction caused a change of heart and the discussion of the fate of his land was no longer mentioned.
Harmful Land Use and Deforestation
When Professor Luis inherited this land from family, he had the intent of preserving and educating others on what the land around them originally looked like. The majority of the coastal rainforest region of Ecuador has been deforested, practically erasing the image many people hold of the lush rainforest that was once prevalent in this region. Today only 2% of the forest remains in the province of Manabi. Resource extraction and land degradation is driven by the expanding demands for agricultural commodities (Southgate & Whitaker, 1992). The ecosystems that are sustained through the canopy structure of a rainforest is vital for the survival of biodiversity. While solutions are often given, such as replanting and recreating these areas, there is no substitute for a primary forest.
A friendly encounter with one of the forest's habitants. With each group Professor Luis tours through this jungle, he emphasizes the importance of our role as undisturbing guests and friends of the forest.
Primary forest - an old growth forest that has experienced little to no recent human disturbance, such as commercial logging, infrastructure development, or ranching.
These human interactions aren’t referring to humans inhabiting primary forests, such as the many indigenous groups who manage and conserve their homelands. Primary forests also refer to the mature stage of forest succession with a large diversity of native plants.
Professor Luis Andrade explaining to Cal Poly students the conservation of the forest and his work to reforest areas using native trees.
Conservation Strategies
More attention has been brought to the mitigation benefits of preserving these regions in comparison to other climate solutions. Protecting primary forests lessens the harmful impacts of climate change by avoiding emissions created by land use, supporting a stable carbon reservoir, and creating a carbon sink. In fact, primary forests have been found to store around 35% more carbon than that of secondary forests (Mackey, 2020). They also provide crucial ecosystem services such as producing clean freshwater, preventing erosion, cooling local areas, regulating water flow, and supporting many species to thrive.
Replanting young trees is a step forward in conservation efforts. However, the priority should be given to preserving old growth forests due to the biodiversity value and essential ecosystem services. The vital habitat provided by old growth forests is necessary for the preservation of biodiversity and eliminating the possibility of mass extinction for countless species. For young trees to reach the level of carbon sequestration that old growth forests reach, it will take centuries to achieve.
Our group worked with local students to plant trees in the perimeter of the forest to help the regrowth and protection of this precious ecosystem and its inhabitants.
RFI’s Mission
After walking through this captivating forest, as university students of Cal Poly SLO, we understood our mission in our project with RFI. Our goal, through our week and a half long visit, was to assist in creating an entrance for the primary forest. We wanted to build something that added to the beauty of this land and helped gain the attention from the public. With the use of bamboo as a natively grown regenerative material, it would also shine a light on the extraction of bamboo due to its presence in this old growth ecosystem. It shows how the use of bamboo in construction is vastly different and not nearly as detrimental to land as extraction of concrete, for instance. Ecosystems are still able to flourish even with the extraction of bamboo. Canopies will still persist.
Through our summer program, we were able to experience every step of the assembly of this structure from cutting down bamboo in Los Arboleros Farm to chiseling and varnishing bamboo to the effort of putting together this structure. We were able to dedicate our construction days to the skills and tasks that we felt most ambitious to accomplish. Whether it was a laborious intensive day of moving soil or replanting trees to creating seating areas, it was all significant to allow us to create a project we were proud of.
The most fulfilling and memorable portion of this project was seeing the community that came together at the end. While so many loved ones came to celebrate Professor Luis' work, many others just passing in their cars would pull over just to learn what we were doing. At the end of the construction, we celebrated with authentic pan de yuca and hot chocolate. The enthusiasm of the public showed the true interest in understanding why this area was being preserved.
Cal Poly SLO students and Construction Management professor Bryan Knakiewicz with RFI architect and instructor Jorge Loor standing proudly in front of the bamboo entrance project for Professor Luis's primary forest.
“In the end, we conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught. - Baba Dioum”
Blog Written by Mia Muzquiz.
Mia is a Cal Poly SLO senior in majoring in Spanish and Biological Sciences. Mia came on her first RFI program in June 2023 and then served as a Campus Rep intern for the school year 2023-2024. Now she works as a Media Intern collecting and producing stories of our work.
Sources
B Mackey, C. Kormos, and S. Hugh. “Understanding the importance of primary tropical forest protection as a mitigation strategy”. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, vol 25, 2020, pp. 763-787
D Southgate and M Whitaker. “Promoting Resource Degradation in Latin America: Tropical Deforestation, Soil Erosion, and Coastal Ecosystem Disturbance in Ecuador”. Economic Development and Cultural Change, vol 40, no 4, 1992, pp. 787-807