Plain Language Summary: Local people in both frontier and intensifying landscapes in Ecuador desire forest restoration that provides multiple benefits.

By Gabriela Barragán and Jeanine M. Rhemtulla.

Read the full paper here.

Despite the growing global interest in forest restoration to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty, large-scale projects often overlook the needs and priorities of local communities. Our research aims to understand how people from different landscapes in Ecuador hope to benefit from forest restoration and how these insights can inform the formulation of restoration goals. 

We facilitated meetings and engaged local people in participatory mapping activities in two types of landscapes: degraded forests in the Andes, and relatively intact forests in the Amazon. We asked the participants to choose and rank the areas they considered for restoration and to explain their reasons. We categorized their responses according to a classification of the benefits that forests provide, known as “ecosystem services.” Finally, we explored people’s motivations. At the landscape level, we found that local people in both types of landscapes showed a higher interest in and priority for services related to forest regulation, such as clean water and air, rather than material resources, such as timber or food. However, when examining the results for each restoration site, we found that people valued a broader range of diverse benefits, including material resources and cultural significance. Our results showed that local people from different landscapes were interested in multiple and diverse ecosystem services resulting from restoration. Finally, we found that local people were motivated to restore forests to recover and maintain these essential services before they became scarce.

Our findings highlighted the importance of engaging local communities early in the design of restoration goals and projects. By understanding and integrating their diverse needs and priorities, we can ensure that restoration goals not only address global challenges but also enhance the well-being of people who depend on these forests. This approach can lead to more successful and sustainable restoration efforts that are beneficial for both nature and local communities.