Implicaciones espaciales de la vegetación de ribera para la protección y mejoramiento de los ecosistemas fluviales Andinos

Abstract

Anthropic activities like agriculture and raising cattle are principle causes of alteration in Andean riparian ecosystems, affecting both habitat quality and water resources. These processes make it imperative to quantify the levels of native vegetation retention necessary in buffer zones, to work towards conservation and management strategies in these riparian ecosystems. This study calculates ten benthic indexes and the functions and biological quality of water and stream banks. Additionally, it calculates quantitative responses from different percentages of native vegetation coverage within a 30m buffer of the river bank, from 9 different segments in the catchment of Loja. The results suggest that it is necessary to maintain riparian buffer zones with 80 % of native vegetation coverage to achieve a positive impact in the conservation of these mountain riparian ecosystems. Overall, we propose strong regulations concentrated on the management of riparian zones and the uses of these areas inside hydrographic watersheds.