Browsing by Author "Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny"

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Edaphic properties under vachellia macracantha in an elevation gradient of dry scrub in southern Ecuador
(2023) Gusman Montalvan, Elizabeth Del carmen
Understanding plant-soil interactions within an ecosystem can be valuable for land management. At species level, legumes promote biotic interactions and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) conservation within dry tropical ecosystems. The objective of this research was to determine if Vachellia macracantha (Humb. & Bonpl. Ex Willd) Seigler & Ebinger influences the edaphic properties in relation to an elevation gradient and distance from the plant stem. The species under study did not show an influence on the edaphic properties in relation to the distance from the plant stem, however, with respect to the elevation gradient, variation was observed in the texture, bulk density, moisture, pH, and stocks of C and N (p-value <0.0001). Soil organic C stocks were measured from 4.68 kg m−2 (1200 m.a.s.l.) to 9.13 kg m−2 (1800 m.a.s.l.). We consider elevation as a key driver, since it integrates climatic variables (temperature and precipitation), decomposition and net primary productivity and expresses the erosive processes that intervene in the spatial distribution of soil types.
Efecto del gradiente altitudinal sobre las reservas de carbono y nitrógeno del suelo en un matorral seco en Ecuador
(2018) Solano Pinzon, Miller Hernando; Ramón Contento, Pablo Ancelmo; Gusmán Montalván, Elizabeth Del carmen; Burneo Valdivieso, Juan Ignacio; Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salome; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
The study of the distribution and reserves of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the soil is of crucial importance for all terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in dry mountain areas where there is a high spatial heterogeneity due to the differences in soils, climate and vegetation along altitudinal gradients. The objective of this investigation was to determine if altitude affects the soil C and N reserves of a neotropical dry scrub ecosystem in the south of Ecuador. We selected an altitudinal transect ranging from 1200 to 1800 m a.s.l. where eight plots were sampled at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm). The results show that the reserves of C and N varied along the altitudinal gradient, with the highest values sampled at 1800 m a.s.l. and the lowest at 1200 m a.s.l. This variation in the reserves is mainly related to the decrease in temperature and the increase in precipitation with altitude, as at higher elevations decomposition rates of organic matter is usually slower. Our results suggest that elevation should be included in models and esti- mates of reserves of C and N at a local and regional scale in this type of ecosystem, which would allow identifying the most vulnerable areas to the effects of climate change. In addition, the information generated in this study could be useful to assign conservation priorities to this type of ecosystem. Overall, our results contribute and add information to the scarce literature found on the C and N in these arid ecosystems of Ecuador.
Enseñanza de la introducción de la ciencia del suelo en modalidad a distancia en Ecuador
(2018) Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salomé; Capa Mora, Edwin Daniel; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha del Cisne
La enseñanza de la Ciencia del Suelo a través del sistema de educación superior Modalidad Abierta y a Distancia permite, llegar prácticamente a todos los rincones del país e incluso cruzar fronteras, por ello los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar si las barreras geográficas son limitantes para el aprendizaje de los estudiantes y evaluar la participación de los estudiantes en diversas actividades propuestas. También se consideró las actividades obligatorias propuestas y el rendimiento de los estudiantes del componente Manejo Sustentable del Suelo de la Titulación de Gestión Ambiental de todos los sectores del país, inclusive de los centros ubicados en el extranjero y se utilizaron diferentes estrategias para su aprendizaje. Los resultados del presente estudio indican que existen factores que influyen en el rendimiento de los estudiantes que van más allá de la ubicación geográfica y que la barrera territorial no es un impedimento para enseñar ésta y otras ciencias en modalidad a distancia; pero también nos muestra que las estrategias o actividades obligatorias dan mejor resultado que aquellas que son opcionales. Esos resultados nos motivan a seguir indagando sobre este tipo de educación para mejorar su calidad.
Estilos y estrategia de enseñanza-aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios de la ciencia del suelo
(2019) Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salomé; Vega, Nataly; Capa Mora, Edwin Daniel; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha Del cisne; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
This study sought to determine learning styles by sex and degree, as well as the most effective teaching strategies in higher education in Ecuador. With a focus group made up of edaphology students from the Private Technical University of Loja (UTPL), a descriptive study was conducted using the Honey-Alonso Learning Styles Questionnaire (CHAEA). The research also explored which teaching strategies had the greatest impact. Preferences by degree and sex were moderate to low for the four learning styles, and the most effective strategies were videos, lectures, and field-laboratory-classroom work. It was shown that students do not learn in just one way, but have different learning styles, and therefore strategies should be applied that respond to a wider range of learning capacities.
Evaluación de cinco variedades de Lactuca sativa bajo condiciones hidropónicas a la intemperie en Zhidmad, Ecuador
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2024-08-05) Jadan Juela, Jhon Fernando; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
La lechuga es una hortaliza ampliamente cultivada en condiciones hidropónicas a nivel nacional y mundial. No obstante, existen muchas variedades y cada una tienen sus requerimientos para ser cultivada. Esta investigación se desarrolló con el objetivo de evaluar el crecimiento y desarrollo de cinco variedades de lechuga cultivada en sistemas hidropónicos con la técnica de la película de nutrientes (NFT por sus siglas en ingles). La investigación se llevó a cabo en la comunidad San José de Zhidmad, perteneciente al cantón Gualaceo, donde se evaluaron cinco variedades de lechuga: Great Lakes, Red Salad Bowl, Regina, Romana rubia y Seda, en un cultivo hidropónico en sistema NFT a la intemperie, bajo un diseño experimental de bloques al azar con cuatro repeticiones (4 módulos). Cada bloque contenía cinco tratamientos correspondientes a las variedades, con 12 plantas o unidades de observación por variedad. El experimento tuvo una duración de 50 días, distribuidos en 2 etapas distintas: una fase inicial de 15 días en semillero y una fase posterior de 35 días en el sistema hidropónico, en donde se evaluaron variables de crecimiento y desarrollo (altura, diámetro de planta y tallo, número de hojas y longitud radicular) y de rendimiento (peso fresco y seco). En el transcurso del experimento, se infectó el cultivo con Fusarium sp, como consecuencia, se registró una mortalidad del 20,8% a los 20 días después del trasplante, que aumentó al 93,7% a los 35 días después del trasplante, esto condicionó la duración del estudio (35 días bajo hidroponía). Como resultado se pudo observar que para las variables (altura, número de hojas y longitud radicular), no existió diferencias significativas entre variedades. Sin embargo, para el resto de variables (diámetro de planta, diámetro de tallo, peso fresco y peso seco), la variedad Romana rubia mostró los valores más altos en este estudio
Evaluación de la producción de hojarasca y del contenido de nutrientes en su fracción dominante en pino (Pinus patula) y aliso (Alnus acuminata) en el sur del Ecuador
(2017) Amaya Rodas, Christian Patricio; Villegas Lituma, Bruno Enrique; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
The study of nutrient cycling through litterfall represents an important approach to understand the functioning of forest ecosystems. The litterfall is the main input of nutrients to the soil in forest environments. In this context, into two Pinus patula Schldl. et Cham. forest plantations and two native Alnus acuminata Kunth. forests, located in the southern Andes region of Ecuador, the production of litterfall. In here, was estimated, the temporal production patterns, were evaluated the nutrient content of the dominant fraction of the collected litterfall was evaluated. For this purpose, this work studied quarterly litterfall production using 16 traps (0.09 m2), both for forest plantations and for native forests in order to collect the forest material. Subsequently it was separation into fractions and chemical analyzes of its dominant fraction. The average litterfall production was 10800 kg ha-1 year-1 and 7218 kg ha-1 year-1 in pine (P. patula) and alder (A. acuminata) respectively. The peak of the greatest litter production was during the period from August to October and the lowest production was from February to April, for forest plantations and for native forests. The dominant fraction corresponded to the dominant leaves of each species, with differences in nutrient concentration, with a higher concentration in alder (A. acuminata), which shows differences in the chemical quality of the leaf component among forest plantations and native forests.
Evaluación de los efectos de un incendio en las propiedades hidrofísico-químicas del suelo y biomasa vegetal en una zona de páramo en el área de amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional Cajas
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-11-24) Cáceres Lazo, Juan Carlos; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
The information on fires in the ecuadorian tropical Andes contributes to the management, conservation and post-fire restoration of zones, in particularly in the buffer zones of the National Park Cajas. Vegetation fires are a common phenomenon in several ecosystems; this being linked to the development of the rural population and population growth, sometimes considered as a natural component and even necessary within the ecology of certain ecosystems. However, in the Andes, ecosystems are modified by repetitive anthropogenic disturbances, in Ecuador between the months of July and September of 2019 the fires consumed 16126,92 ha in 1503 documented events. In the province of Azuay in the buffer zone of the National Park Cajas, within the lagoon sector "Dos Chorreras", on October 2, 2019, a fire occurred affecting a grassland area of 39,2 ha, which in turn constituted the study area of the research. Within this sector the impacts of the fire on the hydrophysical-chemical properties of the soil and plant biomass were evaluated by means of the study of two transects: Transect 1 (T1): area affected by the fire and Transect 2 (T2): area not affected by the fire. Soil samples were taken from the transects and from the aerial part of the vegetation, which were used to determine the following properties: saturation point, field capacity, permanent wilting point, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity , soil organic carbon content and aerial plant biomass, with significant heterogeneity in the parameters studied. These properties constituted the primary information that served for the evaluation of the effect of the fire in the study area. Finally, this work can serve as a baseline to expand the time frame of the study of the impacts of fires on the soils and vegetation of the study area and thus improve the understanding of such long-term impacts in paramo areas.
Evaluación del desarrollo vegetativo de Rubus glaucus Benth (mora de Castilla) determinado por dos sistemas de cultivo
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-08-07) Pauta Salinas, Alexander Damian; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
This research was carried out on a 100 m2 plot, located in the San Bartolomé parish, Sigsig canton, Azuay province, Ecuador. The objective was to identify the cultivation system (conventional or semi-hydroponic) that best favors the growth and vegetative development of the Castilla blackberry, and to characterize the nutrient content in the leaves under the two systems. A two-month-old crop planted in two systems was used: a conventional cultivation in soil with edaphic fertilization and drip irrigation, and a semi-hydroponic substrate in 70% rice husk and 30% river sand with nutrient solution. With a completely randomized design and eight repetitions, stem length and width, number of leaves per stem, number of basal and secondary shoots, and foliar concentration of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S were measured. The results did not present significant differences between the number of leaves and the stem length, however, the semi-hydroponic system presented a significant growth in stem diameter, as well as the number of basal and secondary shoots per stem. On the other hand, the two systems appeared very similar nutrient concentrations at the foliar level, remaining within the recommended ranges, except for nitrogen, which is in an excessive range in the conventional system, and phosphorus, which is found in insufficient concentrations in the two systems.
Exploring ethnopedology in the Ecuadorian Andean highlands: A local farmer perspective of soil indicators and management
(2024) Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
The aim of this study was to investigate the management practices and productive soil indicators as perceived by smallholder farmers in the highlands of Ecuador. By doing so, we sought to gain a better understanding of soil fertility in this area and compare it to know physical-chemical soil parameters. To achieve this goal, we conducted 555 semi-structured surveys with farmers in the Ecuadorian highlands. These survey results were then compared with data relating to carbon, texture, and soil pH values obtained from the GEOPORTAL platform of the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (scale 1:25000), the information was collected since 2018 by the authors. Our results indicate that farmers have a reasonable understanding of soil fertility and the main factors that affect it. In response to pollution problems, farmers have developed local strategies to aid in soil conservation and improve fertility. Furthermore, most of the knowledge that farmers possess about soil fertility has been gained from their relatives. Based on our results, we conclude that linking local soil knowledge with scientific knowledge will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of soil fertility, being more relevant for small farmers texture, color, deep, stoniness and workability. This will be important for developing effective management practices that can help to sustain soil fertility in the Ecuadorian Andean Highlands.
Impacto de las estrategias de aprendizaje en educación a distancia sobre el desempeño estudiantil en un curso introductorio de la ciencia del suelo
(2021) Jiménez Álvarez, Leticia Salomé; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Capa Mora, Daniel
This research aims to determine if learning strategies influenced the participation and performance of students from a Soil Science course in distance modality. The participation and qualifications of 783 students from an Environmental Management course of a university in southern Ecuador were used. The data were organized in four periods between 2012 and 2018 and analyzed with descriptive statistics (means and frequencies), considering the strategies implemented in each period, such as forums, chats, questionnaires, works, and evaluations. The implemented synchronous and asynchronous strategies influence the students’ participation but not always their performance. Furthermore, the greater number of activities sent is not always beneficial. For this reason, it is essential to prioritize and clarify the activities sent to students with adequate planning and explanation of them. The unique characteristics of Soil Science, added to the challenge of distance learning, constitute a real challenge, so continuing to do research on education aspects of this science will contribute to improving the students’ academic performance.
Incremento de la motivación a partir de la creación de recursos multimedia en un curso de la ciencia del suelo
(2020) Capa Mora, Daniel; Ortiz León, Carlos; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Jiménez Álvarez, Leticia; Maldonado Vivanco, Juan Carlos
The teaching of Soil Science requires dynamic tools that allow the student to participate continuously throughout the academic cycle. The objective of this research is to integrate technology into learning strategies with technology to improve student performance. The strategies were implemented for 16 weeks in a course of 34 students, and mainly two were applied, which were the preparation of a video and a poster; In the video, the groups that met the assigned requirements were motivated to work with the help of technicians in the production and editing of videos. In the end, a survey was carried out on the students to know which, according to their perception, were the best strategies developed. Data were analyzed descriptively. Both the making of the video and the poster pleased the students because it meant a greater option to learn. This study shows that student motivation can increase as they feel involved with innovative projects that use appropriate resources, tools and strategies. This implementation is useful not only for the course of Soil Science, but even for other fields, depending on the nature of the group and the subject.
Influence of low-impact development in flood control: a case study of the Febres Cordero stormwater system of Guayaquil (Ecuador)
(2022) Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
Urban flooding is a major problem in many coastal cities. The rapidly shifting patterns of land use and demographic increase are making conventional approaches to stormwater management fail. In developing countries such as Ecuador, a lack of monitoring, financial constraints and absence of proper policies exacerbate flooding problems. This work assesses the implementation of two Low Impact Development strategies (LIDs), namely, green streets and rain barrels, as nature-based so- lutions to mitigate flooding problems. The use of the “Stormwater Management Model” (SWMM) helped to contrast the new approach with the current state of the drainage system, including normal and extreme scenarios. With an implementation of 1.4% (19.5 ha) of the total area with LIDs, the reduction of runoff for short events (200 min) is around 20%, and for extreme events (within 24 h) is around 19% in comparison to the conventional approach. Flooded nodes were reduced to 27% for short events, and to 4% for extreme events. The peak flooding system had a reduction to 22% for short events and 15% for extreme events. These highlights help to increase city resilience, and authorities and stakeholders should engage in climate actions to reduce flood risks complementing drainage operations with nature-based solutions. Moreover, calibrated results in this article serve to increase awareness among municipal authorities regarding the importance of maintaining flooding records to improve modelling results for decision-makings processes.
Introductory learning on soil science through a MOOC course
(2018) Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salomé; Ortiz, Carlos; Maldonado, Juan Carlos; Capa Mora, Edwin Daniel; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha del Cisne; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
The purpose of this research was to describe the resources used in the design of an introductory massive open online course (MOOC) on soil science, to evaluate the effect of resources on student performance and evaluate the development of the course. The course was structured for six weeks, including different educational resources, with qualified activities like tasks and tests, and optional as forums and suggested activities. The data collected from 1,020 students of different careers or disciplines, of which the respective descriptive performance analysis was performed, was expressed as percentage. In addition, a qualitative and quantitative optional evaluation was carried out to evaluate the course that was aimed for students. The results indicate that the strategies used influence the positive performance of students and the evaluation indicates that the student- teacher interaction is key for the success of the course. This exploratory study explains the process for the design and implementation of an online course on soil sciences in an efficient way.
Nutrient dynamics in an Andean forest region: a case study of exotic and native species plantations in southern Ecuador
(2019) Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salomé; Veintimilla, Darío; Potthast, Karin; Tischer, Alexander; Günter, Sven; Mosandl, Reinhard; Hamer, Ute
Information about nutrient dynamics is of upmost importance in order to contribute to the restoration of degraded forest environments in the Andes of southern Ecuador. This study aims to investigate the differences of nutrient dynamics between a native alder (Alnus acuminata) and an exotic pine (Pinus patula) tree species in this region. Based on litterfall, forest floor and mineral topsoil (0–20 cm) of two pine and two alder plantations, we studied the litterfall production and its seasonality; temporal variations of nutrient concentrations, stoichiometric ratios and potential nutrient return (PNR) of leaf-litterfall; mean residence times (MRT) of nutrients in the forest floor; and assessed soil biogeochemical properties. Our results showed that total litterfall production in pine was twice as high as in alder. Litterfall biomass seasonality was similar for both species and highly associated to periods with less precipitation. Pine exhibited the highest seasonality of nutrient concentrations and stoichiometric ratios. PNR of N, K, Ca, and Mn exhibited the major differences between the species. The annual PNR of N and Ca were higher in alder, while those of K and Mn were higher in pine. Pine exhibited higher MRT values for C, N, P, S, Cu, and Zn, while alder showed the higher for Mg, K, Mn, and Ca. In soils, alder exhibited higher concentrations and stocks of nutrients, but not for C. Although, the soil microbial biomass was similar under both species, microbial activity was different. C and net N mineralization were higher in alder, and nitrification dominated over ammonification processes. In general, our findings show a faster cycling of nutrients in alder than in pine.
Producción hidropónica de Lactuca sativa var. Seda bajo tres distancias entre plantas mediante sistemas NFT establecidos dentro y fuera de invernadero
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2024-08-07) Proaño Mendoza, Sebastián Federico; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny
Hydroponic farming is a technique used to increase the productivity and quality of crops in reduced spaces, the present study focuses on the hydroponic production of Lactuca sativa var. Seda, under different distances between plants using the nutrient film technique (NFT) established both inside and outside the greenhouse. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of three plant distances (21 cm, 16 cm y 11 cm) on lettuce production, as well as to compare the results between indoor and outdoor crops. The studied variables were: variables of plant growth (plant height and number of leaves) and variables of crop yield (fresh and dry weight). Statistical analysis of the data revealed statistically significant differences between the distances. The treatment with greater distance presented a higher yield in general. When comparing the crops inside and outside the greenhouse, statistical differences were exhibited in most of the studied variables, nevertheless, the most relevant differences were those where the crop was developed without the greenhouse due to its highest values of fresh weight, an important variable for commercialization. Regarding the different distances between plants. These results highlight the importance of considering both the use or not of cover and planting density when designing hydroponic systems for lettuce production
Rediscovering the edaphic knowledge of smallholder farmers in southern Ecuador
(2022) Jiménez Álvarez, Leticia Salomé; Jiménez, Wilmer; Felicito, Diego; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha Del Cisne; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Sánchez, Darwin; Capa Mora, Edwin
Understanding farmer local knowledge of soil management practices and their fertility is vital to maintaining soil fertility in agricultural areas, which contributes to maintaining sustainable agro-ecosystems. In this study, soil fertility indicators and the farmer's management practices were investigated, while local knowledge was contrasted with scientific understanding. For this, 610 surveys were conducted with dichotomous and open questions that were applied in the 16 localities of the province of Loja in southern Ecuador; for their comparison, carbon and texture maps were generated utilizing the respondents' main indicators. Farmers visibly identify various soil parameters such as texture (53.9% sandy soils), color (64.3% black soils), workability (81.3% workable soils), and stoniness (64.6% soils do not have stoniness), as indicators of soil productivity, while applying soil management practices inherited mainly from their parents and grandparents. As such, there are many concordances such as some of the practices that respondents use that pollute the soil and others that conserve the soil; also some disagreements in certain study places between soil color according to local knowledge and carbon stocks, other disagreements were between the texture according to the perception of the respondents and the textural classes. The findings demonstrate respondents identify soil fertility through their experience using visible indicators; some practices to soil management can contribute to soil conservation, which is very important for future management practices and soil fertility conservation that can significantly influence the techniques that farmers implement.
Relación entre deforestación y variables topográficas en un contexto agrícola ganadero, cantón Cuenca
(2016) Jadán Maza, Ángel Oswaldo; Cedillo Tapia, Hugo Alberto; Zea Dávila, Pedro René; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Vaca Vaca, Carlos Miguel
Deforestation has historically been an evolution linked to many factors, including topographic. However, these factors are not considered for the analysis of deforestation that allows implicitly know the geographical scenarios linked to the change of use. In the present study, deforestation in two time periods and its relationship with altitude and topography was evaluated. Forest and combination of native vegetation: Forest + native vegetation and herbaceous vegetation cover two were considered. Methods of spatial analysis was applied for construction of digital layers and digital elevation models using GIS tools. He presented forest coverage losses in surface with greater intensity in the second period of analysis. Not, all combined native vegetation that presented only lost in the second period. The biggest changes of use, both in forest and vegetation combined are directed to the conversion of agricultural land. Higher deforestation was recorded at higher altitude sites, except for the combined native, which increased in the first period of study in higher altitude sites. Finally, changes in land use were recorded at sites with low and moderate slopes, except for the combined native vegetation increased in the first period of study in areas with lower slope. Knowledge of patterns of deforestation opportunity to experience the greatest impact scenarios to implement relevant actions to avoid changing land use.
Relationship between ecuatorian student’s learning styles and academic performance in soil science
(2018) Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Aguirre de Juana, Angel Javier; Chérrez Chérrez, Giomara Michelle; Quichimbo Miguitama, Edison Andrés; Vanegas Cabrera, Raul Alejandro; Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salomé
nowadays, there has been increasing interest in topics related to education on soil science, however, topics about learning on this science have been poorly studied, particularly the relationship between learning styles and academic performance has not yet been addressed in the literature. this study aimed to understand the different student learning styles of soil science and their effect on their academic performance at the career of agronomy engineering (university of cuenca, ecuador). For this purpose, this case-study research was based on the application of the chaea questionnaire in order to identify and relate the learning styles with the academic scores of a group of ecuadorian students who receive introductory courses on soil science. results demonstrated a general preference of students towards “pragmatic” and “activist” learning styles. in addition, marked differ- ences by gender are clearly noticeable in terms of learning styles, being men more “pragmatic” than women, while women are more “activist” than men. additionally, women revealed a tendency to be more “theoretical” and “reflective” than men. at last, our results suggest that academic performance was not influenced by learning styles. however, in students who showed multimodal preferences of learning styles, their academic performance became higher. these results highlighted the relevance that education plans in soil science need to consider the diversity of students in terms on their learning style preferences.
Repercusión del saber local en el manejo y conservación del suelo en el sur del Ecuador
(2020) Castillo, Aníbal; Capa Mora, Edwin Daniel; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha Del cisne; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Jimenez Alvarez, Leticia Salome
Se estudió los indicadores de fertilidad del suelo según la percepción de los agricultores al sur del Ecuador, contrastando estos saberes con el conocimiento científico. Se recopiló información a través de encuestas, sobre el conocimiento local de los agricultores de indicadores del suelo, basado principalmente en la presencia de lombrices, rendimiento de los cultivos, color y textura del suelo, estos indicadores fueron cualitativos. Se argumenta que existe la necesidad de utilizar el conocimiento local y científico, para facilitar la integración e inclusión de las perspectivas de los agricultores en el manejo y conservación del suelo.
Soil Science Education in university students of different careers: a case study of an Ecuadorian university
(2018) Jiménez Alvarez, Leticia Salomé; Quichimbo Miguitama, Pablo Geovanny; Capa Mora, Daniel; Fierro Jaramillo, Natacha del Cisne
Nowadays the learning of Soil Science is a topic of upmost im- portance in the academic environment of Latin America. This study was carried out in the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja at southern Ecuador. The fo- cus of this research was to assess the academic performance of students of an introductory course of Soil Science from different university careers. The as- sessment of the academic performance was based on a written test and an aca- demic online work plus the participation in a forum. The used score scale to evaluate the course had a base of 40 points, and 28 points was the minimum to approve the course. The results showed that irrespectively of the academic ca- reer, it is possible to get a positive impact in students since most of them ap- proved the course, which demonstrate that the learning of the basic knowledge to understand the importance and sustainable management of soils could be a topic of holistic interest in the academy independently of professions.