BENEFICIOS DE LA FLORA DE LOS BOSQUES RIPARIOS EN FINCAS AGRÍCOLAS Y GANADERAS, SANTO DOMINGO DE LOS TSÁCHILAS-ECUADOR

Abstract

In concern to the expansion of the agricultural frontier this study was conducted the diversity and uses of the flora of remnant riparian forests on 3 farms and 3 livestock farm from “Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas”, the work was done because most ethnobotanycal studies of Ecuador are focusing their efforts in protected areas neglected interesting remnant woodlands in productive areas. The study area was located between Santo Domingo and Patricia Pilar just in Santo Domingo-Quevedo road. In the farms studied we used 12 plots of 5 x 20 m, were we collected over 200 samples of vegetables up to 1m in height (herbal) per farm. Surveys were conducted for farmers on the local name, use and importance to the plants they had. We also analyzed the diversity and abundance of flora, and the surveys, drawn from the most economically important plants, medicinal, social, cultural and ecological. The major uses were for plants were: medicinal, culinary and ornamental. The farmers showed little interest in the ecological importance of plants and ignorance about the meaning they have plants for refuge and sustenance for wildlife present in these areas. Based on the monitoring and evaluation, it was determined that the landowners and residents of the farms have greater knowledge and interest in plants that give them direct, while the inhabitants of the ranches they had any more of them, because their interest premium for their usefulness as feed for livestock. The study found that the farms were those that had increased abundance of medicinal plants, culinary and ornamental to the side of the rivers, while in the presence of wild-type cattle of this herbal was low and little interest for farmers. Farms with higher levels of knowledge about medicinal plants were agricultural, while in livestock, interest was focused exclusively on herbal grazing and / or fodder, this is because cattle farms they come to graze to the edge same on the banks of water and rivers that cross their lands. This inhibits and prevents the restoration of these banks own herbal and future establishment of a wildlife prevalent in riparian areas are used to this type of vegetation and ecosystems.