Evaluación florística del ecosistema herbazal y arbustal siempreverde subnival del páramo (hsnn03), para proponer estrategias de conservación en la parroquia Santiago de Quimiag, cantón Riobamba, provincia de Chimborazo

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the flora of the subnival Evergreen Herbal and Shrub ecosystem of the Páramo (HsNN03) to propose a conservation strategy in Santiago de Quimiag Parish, province of Chimborazo, between 3900 m and 5000 m.a.s.l. For the investigation, grasslands and shrubs were separated into two types of strata. For the herbaceous stratum, 9 plots of 5x5 m and subplots of 1m^2 were installed. For the shrub vegetation, 6 transects of 20x5 m were made with a distance of 250 m between them, and data on height, coverage, DAP were taken and at the same time samples were collected that were identified in the herbarium of the Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), after that the taxonomic and diversity analysis was carried out, in addition for the ethnobotanical study, information was obtained from the main actors of the communities and in turn conservation strategies were proposed. As results, a total of 74 individuals were identified among herbs and shrubs that belong to 29 families, of which the most predominant family is Asteraceae with 28% of the species inventoried at the herbaceous level, the most abundant is Lachemilla orbiculata with 5342 individuals and the most abundant shrub species is Gynoxis acostae with 41 individuals. Lachemilla orbiculta presented the highest Importance Value Index (IVI), with 58.86%. Regarding the diversity index, this ecosystem presented a value of 1.66, which according to Shannon, it represents medium diversity. For ethnobotanical uses, 26 species were recorded, the majority of which have medicinal use with 62%, 31% as forage, 23% Environmental and 20% various. From these results, 4 strategies were built, aimed at the dissemination of environmental education and remuneration for the conservation, recovery and protection of the ecosystem services offered by the ecosystem, built to reverse anthropic and environmental impacts.