Estimación de carbono almacenado en los páramos del área protegida Ichubamba Yasepan, cantón Guamote, provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

This research aimed to estimate carbon storage in the moorland of the Ichumaba Yasepan protected area in Guamote town, Chimborazo province in order to establish the types of ecosystems and the amount of carbon stored in high mountain ecosystems. The identification of the types of ecosystems began with the taking of points in the area. Different processes were carried out through Ar Gis 10.8 program to obtain the thematic map and the calculations of the sample by cells. The design of plots and the collection of vegetative material were established in the 2 types of ecosystems, by means of plots for sampling, using the Gloria methodology adapted with another author, the sample analysis was worked with 18 samples of necromass, 18 aerial biomass samples, and 16 soil samples. The samples were processed in the FRN soil laboratory. The statistical analysis was elaborated in comparative tables, analyzing a total in each one and building a tabulated database in the InfoStat statistical program. Two types of ecosystems were identified: moorland grasslands and moorland shrublands in the Landsat8 images, classifying the images using the Maximum Likelihood Classification tool. The carbon stored in the Ichubamba Yasepan moorland for shrub vegetation indicates 170.8 tons C/ha at least 1, and the grassland vegetation indicates 178.7 C/ha at least 1, with a total of 349.5 C/ha at least 1 of carbon storage. It was recommended to carry out longer-term evaluations to demonstrate the change in the structure of the vegetation cover, opening the possibility of new categories of ecosystems and new percentages of carbon present in the Ichubamba Yasepan moorland.