Composición y cobertura florística en diferentes estados de conservación en el páramo del área protegida “Ichubamba Yasepan” cantón Guamote, provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

Ichubamba Yasepan Agricultural Cooperative mainly works on livestock production; despite its importance and fragility, there is no adequate management, resulting in a negative impact. This research aimed to determine the floristic diversity at different conservation states. Two different types of moorland were taken, one preserved and one grazed. The plots were located at random, considering that there is vegetation typical of the area. Part of the GLORIA methodology was taken to design the plots. Botanical samples were established and produced through taxonomic comparisons with studies from the ESPOCH herbarium, characterized according to family and species, in the conserved moorland, 22 families and 33 species. The species with the highest numerical value regarding DR%, FR%, and IVI corresponds to Calamagrotis intermedia. In the grazed paramo, 13 families and 24 species are recorded, the species with the highest numerical value in RD%, RF%, and IVI Lachemilla orbiculata. In the conserved paramo, it was found that according to Simpson's method, the value of the diversity index corresponds to a high diversity. In contrast, the Shannon index corresponded to a medium variety. On the other hand, in the grazed moorland, it was found that according to the Simpson and Shannon method, it can be inferred that there is high diversity in the first case and medium in the second. The Bray-Curtis index showed that the two paramo states studied are similar. In conclusion, it resulted in 2 species that stood out the most when carrying out the floristic characterization of the ecosystem, Calamagrostis intermedia and Lachemilla orbiculata. In addition, livestock negatively impacted the moorland vegetation and, at the same time, constituted a severe problem for the area's management.