Browsing by Author "Palacios Ortiz, Mishel Andrea"

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Desarrollo de un modelo de pronóstico de sequías para proyectos de reforestación con especies forestales cedro y gañal - aplicación para la zona de Llaviuco y Mazán, parte alta de la cuenca del río Paute
(2017) Arévalo Coello, Erika Tatiana; Palacios Ortiz, Mishel Andrea; Célleri Alvear, Rolando Enrique; Maza León, Andrea Paola
Droughts are a climatological phenomenon that have an impact on the environmental and socioeconomic development of a region. Currently, the Ecuadorian national government promotes reforestation programs; however, if a drought event takes place during the first stages of the programs the whole process could fail. For this reason, it is important to do research on drought forecasting as to be able to plan and manage a well-suited reforestation program. The aim of this study is to develop a drought forecasting model for reforestation projects with species Cedrela montana and Oreocallis grandiflora. The study area was Llaviuco and Mazán forests at the El Cajas National Park. The model was developed using Markov chains. For this, rainfall data from the Piscícola Chirimachay and Sayausí Matadero pluviographic stations were used. At the same time, it was analyzed the resistance of the species exposed to four drought intensities: normal, moderate, severe and extreme. Subsequently, an early warning system based on both the drought forecast and the response of the species for decision-making in restoration projects was designed. The results showed that: i) based on the drought forecast matrix, when an extreme event occurs, the event remains throughout the whole process ii) in an extreme event, there is a belated germination process and a fewer number of germinated species, iii) for the two studied species, the traffic lights show that less than 50% of the seeds germinate in conditions of extreme drought. This study could be useful for institutions in charge of restoration and environmental management programs.
Effects of storage on seed germination and viability for three native tree species of Ecuador
(2020) Palomeque Pesántez, Fanny Ximena; Patiño Uyaguari, Claudia Guicelly; Marin Molina, Franklin Geovanny; Palacios Ortiz, Mishel Andrea; Stimm, Bernd
Many forests restoration programs and efforts depend on seeds. Particularly in the Andes, further information regarding seed germination requirements and seed storage behavior is necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of storage conditions on the germination percentage, the viability and the coefficient of velocity of germination for seeds of three native tree species (Cedrela montana, Weinmannia fagaroides and Oreocallis grandiflora). Under controlled conditions, the seeds were exposed to three levels of seed moisture content and storage temperatures (5 °C, 10 °C and room temperature at approx. 19 °C) for 3, 6 and 12 months. The results showed that at 3–6 months of seed storage under temperatures of 5 and 10 °C, the seeds had a high percentage of germination, viability and germination speed for C. montana and W. fagaroides compared to those stored at room temperature. At 12 months of storage, there was a marked reduction in seed germination in all treatments for both species. Furthermore, the seed germination and viability of O. grandiflora was not influenced by any of the above storage treatments. However, at the end of the experiment a slight decrease was observed, hence this species might be tolerant to medium- and long-term storage conditions. Though limited to just three co-occurring species, the study provided insight into the variability in responses to storage, with preliminary indications of appropriate storage conditions to maximize storability of seeds for restoration programs. Importantly, the study demonstrated the need for empirical testing of storage responses (temperature and duration) of seeds before subjecting untested species to a particular storage regime.
Farmers’ perception and strategies for their adaptation to climatic variability in high Andean
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-09-27) Palacios Ortiz, Mishel Andrea; Célleri Alvear, Rolando Enrique; Sucozhañay Calle, Adrián Esteban
The lack of information on how climate affects agricultural systems and farmers' response to climate variability is a major obstacle to developing efficient water and resources management plans. The perception of farmers is fundamental, since they are the ones who subsist in the field, face the changing conditions, and their information is necessary for decision making. In this research we provide information on the farmers' perceptions and their adaptation strategies to climate variability in an Andean mountain area (3000 m a.s.l.), representative of the complex interactions between agroecosystems, local communities, and environmental changes. These areas have a highly variable climate and are strongly affected by extreme meteorological events. We interviewed all members of a social organization (comuna) whose livelihoods are agricultural and livestock activities. Results show that the changes that most affect farmers are strong variations in the dynamics of rainfall, temperature and the increment in the occurrence of frost. The increased frequency of extreme events makes them highly vulnerable because they entirely depend on small-scale agriculture. Livestock farmers have left agriculture mainly because they could not adapt to climate change, especially to the occurrence of frost, that now can occur in any month of the year; indeed, they have lost all their crops in a single event, ruining their production and seasonal income. The comuna has an irrigation system thanks to external funding and this is the only adaptation strategy that benefits all farmers. Due to economic constraints, they are unable to adapt to changing conditions and might opt to abandon the fields.