title: Afforestation or intense pasturing improve the ecological and economic value of abandoned tropical farmlands.
abstract: Increasing demands for livelihood resources in tropical rural areas have led to progressive clearing of biodiverse natural forests. Restoration of abandoned farmlands could counter this process. However, as aims and modes of restoration differ in their ecological and socio-economic value, the assessment of achievable ecosystem functions and benefits requires holistic investigation. Here we combine the results from multidisciplinary research for a unique assessment based on a normalization of 23 ecological, economic and social indicators for four restoration options in the tropical Andes of Ecuador. A comparison of the outcomes among afforestation with native alder or exotic pine, pasture restoration with either low-input or intense management and the abandoned status quo shows that both variants of afforestation and intense pasture use improve the ecological value, but low-input pasture does not. Economic indicators favour either afforestation or intense pasturing. Both Mestizo and indigenous Saraguro settlers are more inclined to opt for afforestation.
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Knoke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing (LCRS), Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bendix
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Perdita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pohle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, Dresden University of Technology, 01737 Tharandt, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hamer
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology and Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerique
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Desarrollo Ambiente y territorio, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO, 170516 Quito, Ecuador.
authors.forename: María L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.affiliation: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, Dresden University of Technology, 01737 Tharandt, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tischer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing (LCRS), Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Brenner
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Baltazar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calvas
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity, Forestry and Ecosystem Services Research Program, National University of Loja, 110101 Loja, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Economía, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, 1101608 Loja, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Luz M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Windhorst
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stimm
authors.affiliation: Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), 7170 Turrialba-Cartago, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Günter
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Palomeque
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.affiliation: TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mosandl
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology and Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D017753:Ecosystem; D004484:Ecuador; D016468:Forestry / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D028223:Pinus / Q000254:growth & development*; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development