Estudio sobre los usos tradicionales del fuego en las zonas rurales de la parroquia Alajuela, noroeste de Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: The development of this titling work had the objective of determining the traditional use of fire carried out by farmers in different areas of vegetation cover of the Alajuela parish of the Portoviejo Canton. The methodology consisted in the preparation of vegetation cover maps using the ArcGis10.4 geostatistical program. In addition, images from the years 2019 to 2022 from the Sentinel 2 satellite were used to prepare fire severity maps and semi-structured surveys were applied to key people who make use of fire. The results indicated that most of the fires are of low severity (5%), followed by fires of moderate-low severity (1.5%). The months with the highest incidence are October, November and December caused by the cleaning and burning of land. We recommend that the authorities should monitor the area and much more after a fire, in order to understand the ecological processes of regeneration. This study can be the starting point for the improvement of the ecosystem through appropriate practices and training for the population.