Evaluación de concentración de carbono orgánico en zonas intervenidas y no intervenidas en la Comunidad Ancestral Armero, Cantón Quito, 2023.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of organic carbon in the intervened and non-intervened soils of the Armero Ancestral Community, located in Quito Canton. In addition, it focused on carrying out an exhaustive evaluation of the ecosystem services present in this community, in order to obtain a detailed knowledge of the variations in the concentrations in the different sectors analyzed. This study was carried out experimentally, using the cylinder method for sample collection during the field phase. In each repetition, a total of 15 samples were obtained, which were subsequently homogenized and combined into 12 composite samples representative of the analyzed sites. These composite samples were subjected to an exhaustive analysis to determine various physicochemical parameters, including pH, conductivity, bulk density, porosity, volumetric and gravimetric moisture, organic matter and soil organic carbon. Undisturbed soils, such as native forests and grasslands, exhibit higher results in terms of organic matter and organic carbon. This is due to the favorable climatic properties and the accumulation of organic matter, as well as its decomposition, which is fundamental in these undisturbed soils. Surveys revealed that 75% of the population was unaware of the "Organic Law on Land Use, Land Use and Soil Management". However, they expressed interest in learning more about this legislation. Regarding knowledge about the importance of organic carbon in the moorland ecosystem, it was observed that 63% of the respondents were not familiar with this topic, while the remaining 37% were already aware of its importance. The statistical analysis performed indicated that the organic carbon levels of the intervened soil are equal to that of a non-intervened soil, the values are not as significant in the amount of organic carbon.