Matallo, H., Casas-Castañeda, F., & Migongo-Bake, E. 2002 Use of live fences of Nopal (Opuntia) and associated crops to rehabilitate and protect sloping land in Loja, Ecuador.. Mountain Research and Development 22(1): 22-25.

Notes: A live fences project in Ecuador sought environmental recovery, with an agro-ecological focus, and within a framework of social and economic development. Cultivation of the Opuntia cactus and the cochineal insect (Dactylopus (Dactylopius?) coccus), environmentally and culturally adapted to the region, permitted the recovery of several degraded areas and generated income for rural dwellers, especially during periods of drought. Among the most important project impacts were: recovery of traditional knowledge, cultural values, ancestral skills, and inveterate attachment to communal properties; determination of the ecotones of the cactus for production of cochineal, fruits, forage, and live barriers; and recovery of areas eroded by overexploitation and inadequate management.