The genus Cedrela in Ecuador has four species: C. odorata, C. montana, C. fissilis and C. nebulosa. Cedrela was one of the economically most important timber in the past, due to its wood properties. The genus has a long history of overharvesting and selective logging; as a consequence a substantial genetic degradation have occurred in Ecuador. Currently, three species of Cedrela are included in the IUCN Red List. C. odorata and C. nebulosa are listed as vulnerable species and C. fissilis as endangered species. In spite of their conservation status and priority, few studies related to geographical distribution have been done. Then, the geographic distribution at local level had been carried out to provide a valuable tool to the conservation and management of these species. Field sampling and herbarium compilation showed C. montana is restricted to the Ecuadorian highlands in the western and eastern Andean montane region between 805 to 3200 masl (meters above sea level). Cedrela nebulosa is located in Andean region about 1400 to 2300 masl. C. odorata is the most widely distributed, occupying areas in the Amazon (200-1300 masl), Pacific (330-825 masl) and insular regions (350 masl). While, Cedrela fissilis is only found in the Amazon Region about 200 to 510 masl. This basic information about current distribution and abundance of cedar species is primordial to generate sufficient tools to formulate the strategies of management and conservation of these species in the country. The widespread distribution of C. odorata have been found in the Amazonian and Pacific regions, indicating that it is adapted to tropical rainforest and tropical monsoon climates. To prove if there are adaptations to both habitats morphological, ecological and phylogenetic studies must be carried out.
Conservation and sustainable development of forests are mitigation mechanisms against climate change due to the forest carbon sink capacity. Therefore, biomass estimation allows to assess forest productivity and control carbon budgets. In Ecuador, biomass and carbon sequestration studies are scarce. Thus, we estimated and forecasted changes in biomass of Ecuadorian forests through the Mathematical Spatial Model of Global Carbon Cycle and the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index. The mathematical model describes the processes of growth and decay of vegetation in terms of carbon exchange between the atmosphere, plants and soil under anthropogenic impacts. The vegetation map and the biomass of 2017 (4,86 Gt) were developed with remote sensing methodology in ENVI 5.3 and ArcGIS 10.3 programs. The observed biomass decrease between 2000 and 2010 was due to the high deforestation rate. Thanks to conservation and reforestation policies and the compensatory effect between the atmosphere and forests, a biomass increase is expected until 2060. According to the vegetation map, Amazon region has a better plant vigor, followed by Andean and Coast regions, where scattered vegetation predominates. This information is useful for planning environmental practices such as forest conservation and reforestation in order to increase carbon storage.
The carbon sink capacity of the forest makes forest conservation a mitigation mechanism against climate change. Therefore, carbon sequestration studies allow to assess forest productivity and control carbon budgets. Thus, the changes in environmental parameters (carbon amount in humus and phytomass) as effect of the increase of CO2 emissions, deforestation and erosion were calculated for countries of the Central and South between 2000 and 2060 through the Spatial Mathematical Model of the Global Carbon Dioxide Cycle in the biosphere. The majority of countries show a decrease in total carbo of humus and phytomass between 2000 and 2010, which is attributed to the extreme deforestation that they suffered. Subsequently, there is a moderate increase in countries that has better polices in favour of environmental protection. Finally, in all countries an exponential increase until 2060 is observed, which is expected thanks to forest conservation, reforestation policies and the compensatory effect between the atmosphere and forests. The highest values of total carbon belong to one country in the Caribbean (Belize with 21,5%). This analysis is useful for planning environmental practices in order to increase carbon storage.
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