Environmental Concern in Rural Andean Communities: Comparative Study in Central Ecuadorian Highlands

High Andean ecosystems face increasing pressures that threaten the sustainability of rural livelihoods, prompting communities to demand culturally appropriate governance responses. This study examines the structure of environmental concern in two rural communities, Riobamba and Guaranda, in the central Ecuadorian Andes. Applying a tripartite model of egocentric, altruistic, and biocentric concern, we assess its validity through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and evaluate the influence of age, gender, ethnicity, and economic activity using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results reveal distinct patterns: biocentric concern predominates in the more urbanized Riobamba, while Guaranda shows a stronger egocentric orientation, accompanied by moderate altruistic concern. Agricultural activity and residence in less urbanized environments are associated with lower levels of environmental concern, whereas age, gender, and ethnicity show no significant effects. The results suggest that although there are differences in the forms of environmental concern, these dimensions are not isolated. Instead, they are part of the same hierarchical phenomenon. This analysis supports the idea of a general concept of a relationship with nature. These findings underscore the importance of implementing environmental policies that respect the holistic worldview of Andean communities. They also highlight the need to develop culturally sensitive measurement tools to avoid potential biases and ensure alignment with local realities.