Evaluación de la concentración de carbono y retención del agua del suelo en zonas intervenidas y no intervenidas en suelos andinos en el páramo del volcán Ruco Pichincha Sector Cruz Loma, Cantón Quito en el período 2022-2023

Abstract

The following research aims to determine the Carbon Concentration Assessment and identify the anthropic activities that take place in the soil of the Rucu Pichincha Volcano Paramo, Cruz Loma Sector, Quito Canton, in order to evaluate the carbon concentrations of the soil of the páramo and to know if the anthropic activities carried out in the sector affect the quality of the soil. The work was carried out of an experimental and descriptive nature, where physical-chemical analyses of three treatments were developed at different altitudes (First, Second and Third), in different types of intervened and non-intervened soils, recognizing the anthropic activities carried out in the sector by the influence of local and foreign tourists, the samples were collected on the surface of the soil with the help of a shovel and with the help of a hole at 30cm depth forming compound sub samples. The analysis of the physical-chemical results showed that the pH in the soils of the Rucu Pichincha moorlands maintains a hydrogen potential that is closer to neutrality, that is to say, its pH varies between 6.05 and 7.71. On the other hand, it was found that the bulk density varies between 0.69% to 1.30% and the percentage of porosity found in these soils varied between 51.32% to 73.78% and also that they have a percentage of humidity that varies between 9.26% to 59.46%. The percentage of SOM in these types of moors varies from 3.22 to 7.97%. The amount of COS in milligrams per hectare varies from 73.01 to 143.18. Finally, the conductivity of the soils of the Rucu Pichincha páramo was measured and ranged from 115.84 to 562.34 microsiemens per centimeter (µS/cm). Thanks to these results, it was possible to demonstrate that all the activities carried out in the Rucu Pichincha Paramo, i.e., anthropic activities, have a significant influence in determining the COS of this paramo.