Identifying priority management of Ecuadorian forests based on the environmental integrated assessment

Abstract

Anthropogenic impacts, such as deforestation, soil erosion, and carbon dioxide emissions, have a negative influence over global warming due to the increase of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The sustainable forest management is a way to mitigate climate change owing to the carbon storage capacity of forests. This study highlights the priority of forest management according to the integrated assessment of carbon storage under anthropogenic impacts in the administrative units of Ecuador. In the obtained map, the provinces Guayas, Esmeraldas, and Manabí showed the highest values of 25, 22.85 and 19.9, respectively, followed by two Amazon provinces, Morona Santiago and Sucumbíos. Therefore, we concluded that deforestation, soil erosion, and carbon dioxide emissions were more pronounced on the coast mainly due to agriculture and livestock activities and the forests in these provinces must have priority management. This analysis is useful for planning environmental practices in order to increase carbon storage as a strategy of mitigation for global warming.