Valoración de servicios ecosistémicos de la captación de carbono orgánico y capacidad de retención de agua del suelo, en zonas intervenidas y no intervenidas del páramo de Pesillo en el cantón Cayambe

Abstract

This research is focused on the assessment of the ecosystem services of organic carbon capture and soil water retention in the Páramos de Pesillo, Cantón Cayambe. With the purpose of knowing the difference between the intervened and non-intervened sectors. The type of work carried out was experimental, where analysis of physical parameters was carried out; such as pH, gravimetric humidity, apparent density, percentage of organic matter and percentage of organic carbon in the soil; obtaining 180 samples from different places such as grasslands, agriculture, livestock and pasture, to determine parameters and evaluate the changes that exist through laboratory analysis. Through the analyzes carried out, it was determined that there is a difference between the intervened and non-intervened areas, due to the manipulation of the soil in the different activities carried out, resulting in the retention of water in the soil being greater in the pajonal area not intervened due to the high porosity that it has and the apparent density it presents; the amount of organic carbon stored is greater in untreated sites due to the amount of organic matter that accumulates and decomposes, and the climate also helps to preserve this organic matter by providing nutrients to the soil. Surveys were conducted among the residents of Pesillo to hypothetically determine the amount that should be paid for the ecosystem services provided in the Pesillo páramo, resulting in $ 11.45 dollars per year