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Community Restoration Network
Tropical Forest Restoration at Jardín Botánico las Orquídeas
Project Location:
Puyo, Ecuador
Project Manager/Coordinator:
In 1980, an Ecuadorian accountant named Omar Tello purchased
7 hectares of rainforest pastureland with a vision of restoring the
site to a healthy tropical forest. For the first ten years, Omar and
his wife worked to restore the land themselves, by trial and error,
and without support from universities, NGOs or the government.
In fact, local governments and organizations have expressed little
interest in the scientific or touristic potential of the project.
Project Duration:
Ongoing since 1980
Secondary forest in the reserve after 25 years of restoration
Ecosystem to be Restored:
Andean tropical forest at the headwaters of the Amazon River
Area to be Restored:
7 hectares
Primary Cause of Degradation:
From local accounts, it is estimated that the land was first cleared
around 1920-1930 for sugar cane cultivation, and later shifted to
cattle ranching. When Omar Tello purchased the land in 1980, it
was found in a very degraded condition, with little or no top soil
and primarily a monoculture of gramalote pasture grass
(Axonopus scoparius).
Condition of the land upon acquisition in 1980
Project Goal:
The focus of the restoration was to create a fully functioning secondary forest with a diversity of plants, insects, and
birds comparable to a primary forest.
Restoration Treatments Used:
To reforest the plot of land, selected seeds were gathered from nurseries and surrounding forests, and first cultivated
in seed beds before being transplanted. Soil rehabilitation and fertilization was conducted on a wide scale beginning in 1980, covering the entire extension of the land within the restoration area. Soil mixtures were created from
locally acquired materials, mostly sawdust and sugar cane husks. Wood scraps were added when necessary to increase organic matter and prevent erosion, and manures from chicken and guinea pigs were added to raise nitrogen
content. New individuals and species were added several times a month for twenty years following the beginning of
the restoration; for the following ten years, new species and individuals have been added with less frequency. Active
soil rehabilitation was also continued from 1980 - 2000; after this time, fertilization was only performed on selected
species.
Community Involvement:
For the first several years of the restoration, little education and outreach were conducted due to the fact that the
restoration was still very much under the process of trial and error. Beginning after 15 years, the reserve was opened
to the public. Tourists, national and international, school groups, and interested local individuals and groups began
to arrive. The reserve became locally well known and would be featured in magazines and promotional materials for
tourism, as well as popular guidebooks. Occasional volunteers, thesis students, and donors also found the reserve. In
the last few years, more concerted efforts have been made to publicize the restoration and seek students and researchers in the fields of biology, botany, ethnobotany, entomology, and ecotourism.
Benefits to Local Ecology:
Continuous hand rehabilitation of the soil was necessary throughout the early years of the restoration in order to
build up organic matter. After 5-10 years, plants began to grow with higher rates of success as top soil noticeably
increased. The first tree species to grow successfully were Pourouma bicolor, Cecropia sciadophylla, and Pollasta
discolor. In the years that followed, hand rehabilitation of the soil was continued, more species were able to grow,
and the first species to make seeds were Ocoteo and Jacaranda, after approximately 10 years.
Starting at around 16-20 years, a sharp increase in insect diversity was measured, including a variety of pollinating
species and predatory species such as spiders. Additionally, a greater abundance of reptiles and amphibians could be
observed, as springs began flowing in areas that had previously been dry.
Twenty years after the inception of the reserve, rehabilitation and fertilization of the soil on a large scale was
stopped. An adequate layer of top soil existed, trees were present to anchor the soil, and leaf litter fell in order to provide nutrients to the soil. Additionally, insect diversity and trophic levels could regulate plant herbivory by insects.
Today, almost 30 years since the creation of the reserve, the majority of plant species can reproduce naturally, and a
layer of topsoil comparable to that found in primary forests exists, 30-60 cm. Hand fertilization is still necessary with
certain tree species, namely the slower growing hardwood species such as Swietenia and Ceiba sp.
Directions for the Future:
Two sides of the reserve are now bordered by a neighbourhood of the city, and another side is bordered by a road.
Only one side, the south, is bordered by pasture and a small remnant of secondary forest, serving as a biological corridor that reaches down to a riparian area and larger section of secondary forest. Omar Tello and the Jardín Botánico
las Orquídeas are seeking assistance from NGOs and private organizations to acquire and restore the 25 hectares of
land bordering the reserve. This enlargement will allow for the creation of better habitat for the animals that have begun to occupy the reserve in the last few years, while safeguarding the region against future development pressures.
Funding/Support:
Omar Tello and his immediate family have conducted this project with very
little outside support. They have recently begun soliciting financial support
from NGOS and private organizations to expand the reserve.
References/Contacts:
Bare, M. and O. Tello. 2010. Restoration of a Tropical Forest: The Orchid
and Botanical Garden of Puyo, Ecuador. Ecological Restoration 28:81-85.
http://www.jardinbotanicolasorquideas.com/
The Community Restoration Network is a sub-tier of the Global Restoration Network
(GlobalRestorationNetwork.org), a project of the Society for Ecological Restoration International.