Compliance with the Municipal Agro-Environmental Legislation in Francisco de Orellana, Ecuador

The Decentralized Autonomous Municipal Government of the Francisco de Orellana canton is made up of the following rural parishes: Alejandro Labaka, Armenia, Dayuma, El Dorado, El Edén, García Moreno, Guayusa, Inés Arango, La Belleza, Nuevo Paraiso, Taracoa and the Urban Parish of El Coca. The Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador (2008) establishes the rights of nature and protects the biodiversity of the Amazon ecosystem. This is complemented by the provisions of the Organic Code of Territorial Organization, Autonomy and Decentralization (2010), the Organic Code of the Environment (2017) and also the Organic Law for the Integrated Planning of the Special Amazon Territorial District (2018). This article reviewed compliance with municipal agro-environmental legislation in the Decentralized Municipal Autonomous Government of the Francisco de Orellana canton. This analysis was based on the publication of the Organic Law for the Integrated Planning of the Special Territorial District of the Amazon in the Official Registry Supplement 245, dated May 21, 2018. A qualitative methodology was used. Data were collected through analysis of public policies, regulations, legislation and ordinances, and interviews with the main actors of the Decentralized Municipal Autonomous Government. The results suggested that the Municipal Government seeks to protect the biodiversity of the Amazon ecosystem by adopting sustainable development and conservation policies, but it is clear that ordinances are needed for agro-environmental education, garbage classification, recycling, organic gardens, and greater integration into municipal agro-environmental projects. Keywords: agriculture, Amazon, environment, biodiversity, municipal, Ecuador. Resumen El Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal del cantón Francisco de Orellana está integrado por las Parroquias Rurales: Alejandro Labaka, Armenia, Dayuma, El Dorado, El Edén, García Moreno, Guayusa, Inés Arango, La Belleza, Nuevo Paraiso, Taracoa y la Parroquia Urbana de El Coca. La Constitución de la República del Ecuador (2008), establece los derechos de la naturaleza y protege la biodiversidad del ecosistema amazónico, esto se complementa con lo establecido en el Código Orgánico de Organización Territorial Autonomía y Descentralización (2010), el Código Orgánico del Ambiente (2017) y ademas la Ley Orgánica para la Planificación Integral de la Circunscripción Territorial Especial Amazónica (2018). Este artículo revisa el cumplimiento de la legislación agroambiental municipal en el Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal del cantón Francisco de Orellana, este análisis se realiza a partir de la publicación de la Ley Orgánica para la Planificación Integral de la Circunscripción Territorial Especial Amazónica en el Registro Oficial Suplemento 245, de fecha 21 de mayo del 2018. La metodología utilizada se basó en un análisis cualitativo usando técnicas y herramientas como la obtención de datos, análisis de las políticas públicas, normativa, legislación, ordenanzas y entrevista con los principales actores del Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal del cantón Francisco de Orellana. Los principales resultados sugieren que el Gobierno Municipal busque precautelar la biodiversidad del ecosistema amazónico, adoptando políticas de desarrollo sostenible y de conservación, pero es evidente que son necesarias ordenanzas encaminadas a la educación agroambiental, clasificación de la basura, reciclaje, huertos orgánicos, y una mayor integración en proyectos agroambientales municipales. Palabras clave: agricultura, Amazonía, ambiente, biodiversidad, municipal, Ecuador.

Interceptação em uma floresta ripária secundária urbana em Santarém- PA, Amazônia, Brasil

The interception of rain by riparian forest trees plays an important role in the urban Amazon ecosystem. It affects all hydrological processes, as well as the spatial and temporal redistribution of moisture. The aim of this study was to evaluate rainfall interception in an area of urban riparian forest at the source of the Irurá stream, Santarém-PA. The monitoring of precipitation in the open area and precipitation in the internal area occurred with the use of Ville de Paris type rain gauges and gutters. Runoff through the trunk was monitored within a 10 m x 10 m plot. During the study period, 2,659.6 mm of rain was accounted for rainfall above the canopy, 89.3% reached the forest floor as internal precipitation and only 0.5% as runoff through the tree trunk. The trees of the urban secondary riparian forest from the source of the Irurá stream intercepted 272 mm, that is, 10.2% of the total precipitation, representing an important role for the hydrology of the area, both because it allows a high volume of water to return to the atmosphere, as by minimizing the increase in urban runoff. In this study it was possible to quantify and qualify the important role of the components for the recharge of groundwater from the urban spring.

River as a Legal Person

<p>The concepts of recognizing elements of nature as having legal personality have been appearing for many years as proposals for a new approach to ecology. Recent years have brought specific solutions in this regard. Attempts to recognize rivers (but not only rivers) as separate legal entities can be found in various places around the world. This is not a common trend, only a few such cases can be identified in the applicable legislation. The article is devoted to the analysis of the best-known examples of this type of activity. In 2017, the legal system of New Zealand recognized the Whanganui River as a legal person. Talks are ongoing about further solutions of this kind. Apart from environmental protection reasons, the basic motives for this type of solution are cultural considerations – connected with Maori beliefs and values. In the legal systems of India and Colombia, the courts have attempted to recognize the rivers (Ganges and Yamuna in India, the Atrata River, and the entire Amazon ecosystem) as legal persons. The motives for this type of activity were primarily ecological – protecting priceless parts of nature from destruction.</p>

First study on infestation of Excorallana berbicensis (Isopoda: Corallanidae) on six fishes in a reservoir in Brazilian Amazon during dry and rainy seasons

We analyzed the infestation levels of Excorallana berbicensis on Acestrorhynchus falcirostris, Ageneiosus ucayalensis, Geophagus proximus, Hemiodus unimaculatus, Psectrogaster falcata and Serrasalmus gibbus in a reservoir in the Araguari River basin, northern Brazil, during the dry and rainy seasons. For P. falcata, the infestation levels due to E. berbicensis were greater during the rainy season. For all the species studied, the peak parasite prevalence was in the month of highest rainfall levels and there were two peaks of parasite abundance: one in the month with highest rainfall level and the other in the month of transition from the rainy season to the dry season. In these hosts, around 70% of the E. berbicensis specimens were collected during the rainy season. The body conditions of the hosts also did not suffer any seasonal influence. Despite the differences in seasonal rainfall levels, there was no fluctuation in transparency, turbidity, pH, electric conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen levels in the water, due to the stability of these parameters during the seasonal cycle investigated in this artificial Amazon ecosystem. This was the first report on the seasonality of infestation by E. berbicensis associated with fish.