Ecosystem goods and services from the dry forests of the province of Loja

Abstract

Dry forests are unique and fragile ecosystems, which are threatened by anthropogenic activities that progress in an uncontrolled manner. Being considered one of the zones of greater ecological importance not only by the conditions in which it is developed, its complex behavior and the environmental dynamics that are presented in it, but also because it is considered one of the most threatened ecosystems within the national territory, The dry forest is a life zone considered strategic for conservation, taking into account its own characteristics and the social and environmental benefits it provides. One of the most important factors that leads to the need for the conservation of dry forest areas is the exceptional development of the biological diversity that occurs there. The floristic composition of these zones show behaviors of adaptation to conditions that could be considered extreme in which there is an important development of vegetation in conditions of very little water availability, which produces the presence of a large number of endemic species. Based on this background, it is essential to know the environmental goods and services that the dry forests of the province of Loja are providing to their population, an analysis that will allow us to know the true functioning of the dry forest in the development of life of its inhabitants.