Evaluación de la flora en la cuenca del río Namakin de la provincia de Morona Santiago

Abstract

This study presents the floristic survey conducted in the Namakin river basin of the Province of Morona Santiago. This assessment was carried out in order to determine the baseline of a management plan for the area. Accordingly, species of superior plants were identified and classified following the UICN criteria and establishing their level of danger. Afterwards, several recommendations were put forward for the management of the flora in the area. The basis of the Namakin corresponds to a vegetal formation of “evergreen slope forest” at an altitude between 950 and 1400 m above the sea level. The research area covered approximately 10.000 hectares. The working sample was 7.200 square meters, divided in six zones. The zones with the highest levels of conservation and diversity were Santa Inés, Namakin 1, Suritiak, located in the middle and lower course basin of the river Namakin. The species with the highest level of importance value are the palms Pambil, Iriatea deltoidea, and Terent Wettinia mainensis. We recommend the management of such species as Tagua, Phytelephas tenuicaulis, Ungurahua Oenocarpus bataua, Chonta, Bactris gasipaes, Chambira Astrocaryum chambira, Morete Mauritia flexuosa, and Palmito Euterpe precatoria. Today there is no hardwood in the area even though people are interested in softwood such as Copal Dacryodes cupularis y D. peruviana, Canelos Aniba guianensis, A williamsii, Endlicheria robusta, E rubriflora, Ocotea aciphylla, O insularis. The most important families by the number of species are: Orchidaceae, Araceae y Gesneriaceae. There is also endangered endemic species such as Epidendrum falcisepalum, ORCHIDACEAE.