Estimation of the ecosystem services of forests in the Andes of South Ecuador. Knowledge base for environmental valorization.

This project aims to contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources in the mountain areas of the Andes. To achieve changes in land use in order to preserve water and soil resources, a scientific knowledge base on the impacts of land use, such as afforestation projects, is required. Although it is known that through afforestation a positive impact on erosion processes, soil fertility, the regulation of the quantity and quality of water can be achieved, much remains to be investigated on the incentives and benefits for the actors that depend for their quality of life and support of the family of these resources. A first step to reach a scientifically sustained evaluation of the implementation of payment mechanisms for environmental services is to estimate the different ecosystem services of forests. This project wants to space the impacts of afforestation on (i) the production of sediments (ii) the runoff (iii) the carbon fixation on the soil and (iv) the carbon fixation in the biomass in two pilot basins. Through an economic analysis of the income of the afforestation versus the agricultural use of the Earth and in combination with the study of the historical changes in land use by space -the -time analysis of an updated geodate base, the basis for the valorization of these ecosystem services are provided. This interuniversity collaboration with the K.U.Leuven will create the human capacity necessary to carry out scientific research at an internationally recognized level and disseminate scientific knowledge to society to contribute to the decision -making in the planning of the land use, with the aim of preserving natural resources for future generations.

IX RESEARCH PROJECT COMPETITION, IV RESEARCH PROGRAM COMPETITION AND IV POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT COMPETITION