Much of the above analysis contains implicit and explicit suggestions for specific areas of improvement in both public and private sector action regarding the urban forest ecosystem in Quito. These recommendations include technical areas of improvement (e.g., species selection, maintenance techniques) as well as administrative reforms (e.g., information management, planning efforts), social action (e.g., public education, community organization) and political efforts (e.g., advocacy, legal reform).
Rather than repeat these specific points, this case study will close with some synthetic comments and general observations regarding the future direction of an integrated programme of management of the urban forest ecosystem of the Quito metropolitan area:
· The Urban Forest Socio-Ecosystem: A Focus on Linkages
Like all systems, the urban forest socio-ecosystem consists of numerous interdependent and interacting components, both living and non-living, human and non-human. More effective human intervention in urban forestry can be achieved by focusing on strengthening and extending linkages of all kinds within the system. Important linkages exist between the components of the Quito urban forest ecosystem which have the potential to involve a greater number of plants as intermediaries, for example in nutrient cycling or budgets of water and energy.
Finding and maximizing these linkages in the system makes sense in Quito from a number of points of view. With minimal public and private resources available for the urban environment, institutions of all kinds must seek ways to "kill two birds with one stone" by sharing resources, lowering costs, and maximizing efforts which serve dual functions. The municipality of Quito is well positioned to undertake the major coordinating role in this effort, and has demonstrated its leadership in many areas already. The private NGO sector will also continue to be a key player in the near to mid-term future, to keep pressure on public institutions, and foster supplementary actions on the part of citizens themselves. However, citizen-based efforts need to be broadened from their current center in environmental organizations, to reach more grassroots organization at the neighborhood level, as well as other city-wide groups working in related issue areas.
· The Urban Forest Socio-Ecosystem: The Need for Diversity
Another defining principle of both social and ecological systems is that of diversity, a characteristic which contributes to system flexibility, dynamism and robustness in the face of disturbance. In developing a vision for the future of the urban forest ecosystem in Quito, a strong commitment should be made to maintaining and enhancing diversity of both social and ecological components of the metropolitan area.
In the biophysical realm, mention has already been made of the possibilities for moderately increasing biological diversity through an optimum mix of native and exotic plant species, increased wildlife, and careful integration of domestic animals into urban agro-ecosystems. Landscape diversity should and can also be retained in a range of urban density and land covers in Quito, while recognizing the importance of maintaining linking corridors between similar zones. Vegetation management itself must retain a diversity of approaches, and must be informed by the requirements of the distinct land uses and landscape characteristics in urban versus peri-urban zones.
In the area of social processes, diversity within the urban system must also be respected. For example, the alternative roles played by distinct public and private actors in Quito are all useful and necessary to effectively manage the urban forest ecosystem. Managing the complexities of urban vegetation will never be the job of a single institution in Quito, nor can a single approach to the urban ecosystem accommodate the needs of an extremely heterogeneous population. This need for diversity is crucial even when differences result in disagreements concerning what is to be done on the ground. Urban areas are spatially and socially dynamic places and such conflict, whether it is between urban and rural values, upper and lower income groups, private entities and the State, or based on the disparate interests of different genders or ethnicities, is inevitable and even necessary.
· Planning First, Planting Last
Many of the existing problems in the Quito urban forest ecosystem could be easily resolved by a more universal commitment to planning ahead, at both the strategic and programmatic level. In the zeal to see immediate results of some kind, many public officials as well as private groups in Quito have focused most of their energy on the planting of trees or other vegetation in the city without sufficient prior planning, often with disastrous results. Spending time up front to select species carefully, design public streets and infrastructure to permit coexistence with plants, or educate citizens on the importance of urban trees before mounting huge tree planting campaigns, repays itself back several-fold in the energy and resources saved in the long run.
Clearly, for many private and public actors with an influence on the urban forest ecosystem in Quito, the advantages to unplanned action (be they political, economic or cultural) currently outweigh the costs of taking extra time and effort to assess a situation thoroughly before acting. Greater political will and strong public leadership is needed which insists on taking a long-term view in the urban environment in general, and regarding urban vegetation in particular. Often in the case of the urban environment of Quito, this public commitment is a direct function of the action taken by private citizens and organizations to ensure their concerns are addressed.
· Action Based on Information, Research Based on Action
In Quito, as in other cities of the developing world, there is a lack of good information about any aspect of the urban forest socio-ecosystem upon which to make reasoned decisions, or formulate sound plans for action. This severe deficit of information must be addressed by increased efforts to collect data by public and private institutions alike in the city, including city agencies, universities and visiting researchers.
However, action in the urban forest ecosystem of Quito cannot and should not await the arrival of complete or perfect information about its characteristics or functioning. Nor can research in this field have the luxury of remaining strictly in the realm of the theoretical. The priority should be on striking a balance between investigating and doing, and creating a workable plan which accommodates both "scientific" data and non-linear social processes.
