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Analysis of institutional authors

Cedillo, HugoAuthor

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December 5, 2025
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Determination of Typologies of Andean Suburban Agroecosystems in Southern Ecuador

Publicated to: Sustainability. 17 (21): 9760- - 2025-11-01 17(21), DOI: 10.3390/su17219760

Authors:

Quichimbo, Pablo; Guanuche, Santiago; Jimenez, Leticia; Banegas, Sandra; Cedillo, Hugo; Vanegas, Raul
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Affiliations

Univ Cuenca, Dept Recursos Hidr & Ciencias Ambientales, Cuenca 010105, Ecuador - Author
Univ Cuenca, Fac Ciencias Agr, Campus Yanuncay, EC-010114 Cuenca, Ecuador - Author
Univ Politecn Salesiana, Sede Matriz Cuenca, Calle Vieja 12-30 & Elia Liut, Cuenca 010102, Ecuador - Author
Univ Tecn Particular Loja, Fac Ciencias Exactas & Nat, San Cayetano Alto S-N, Loja 1101608, Ecuador - Author
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Abstract

The identification of producer typologies is a crucial tool for understanding the heterogeneity of agroecosystems and designing targeted policies. Andean agroecosystems, particularly those in rapidly suburbanizing areas, have been understudied in this regard, creating a critical knowledge gap. This study addressed this void by determining the typologies of smallholder agroecosystems in the suburban periphery of Cuenca, Ecuador, by applying an unsupervised machine learning technique, Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) Clustering, to survey data from 293 farmers. Our analysis revealed three distinct typologies, highlighting a socio-economic and productive gradient defined by income sources, market access, and agrochemical use. The typologies range from economically vulnerable households to more commercially oriented and environmentally sustainable ones, underscoring the complex interplay between livelihoods strategies and environmental management. This research provides one of the first empirical typologies of suburban Andean agroecosystems, demonstrating the value of unsupervised learning for capturing farm heterogeneity in data-scarce contexts. The findings offer a robust evidence base for moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches, enabling the design of differentiated agricultural and territorial policies that enhance sustainability, equity, and resilience at the rural-urban interface.
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Keywords

Andean agricultureAreaDiversityFarming system dynamicsPeasantrySmall farmersSubsistence agricultureUnsupervised machine learningUrbanization

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Sustainability due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency Scopus (SJR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position , thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Geography, Planning and Development.

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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-03:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 6 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

    It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

    • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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    Leadership analysis of institutional authors

    This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Ecuador.

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    Awards linked to the item

    This research was funded by "Vicerrectorado de Investigacion e Innovacion de la Universidad de Cuenca (VIIUC), Cuenca-Ecuador", grant number DIUC_XVIII_2019_68_QUICHIMBO_PABLO, research project "Re-territorializacion de las practicas locales agroalimentarias en areas semi urbanas del canton Cuenca".
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