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Analysis of the conservation model of territorial forest and vegetation protection in Azuay, Ecuador

Abstract:

In Ecuador, the changes in vegetation coverage seem to be directly influenced by the deforestation rates, and by the change in use of soil with forestation capabilities to farming soils, causing the loss of native forests, as well as the goods and services they help provide to the local communities. The objective of this article is to get a preliminary diagnostic of the management of the Forest and Protecting Vegetation Areas (ABVP) in the towns of the province of Azuay, through the reviewof: Development and Territorial Management Plans (PDYOT) available in the city level governments; statistics of town areas as given by the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), Maps of ABVP's emitted by the Ministry of Environment, and the Department of National Forests, which are available at the National Department of Information (SNI). Getting to the conclusion that more than 60% of the ABVP in the entire province are centralized in the cities of Cuenca (42%) and Pucara (19%), and also existing in a town which has not reported the existence of ABVP called Guachalapa; The most frequent anthropogenic activity in the towns that pushes the ABVP's is the expansion of the farming areas (8 towns), followed by the cattle farming activities (6 towns); the reforestation is one of the most frequently proposed projects to achieve the recovery and conservation of the ABVPs, followed by updating activities for the ABVP Forest Management Plans.