Search

The plant Páramo grasslands ecosystem characterization was carried out by means of field expeditions to eight protected areas that Ecuador maintains through the Ministry of Environment. The expeditions were carried out every two months during three years, to evaluate in situ the botanical composition, frequency, density, height, basal cover and aerial cover. The observations were registered during two periods per year, at 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 d, for a total of 36 evaluations in each study place. The soil pH varied between 5.0 and 8.5, it is volcanic, with sandy and loamy characteristics. The identified species in the Ecuadorians heathlands were: 169 plants with forage importance, 90 grasses, 14 legumes, 28 compounds and 37 belonging to Equitaceas, Oxalidaceas, Liliaceas, Scrophulariaceas, Rosaceas, Ciperaceas, Poligonaceas, Plantaginaceas, Arbustivas, Orchideaceas, Ranunculaceas and Gentianaceas. A total of eighteen species showed good performance, when locating, at least, in a place. Those of great persistence and adaptation were Agrostis breviculmis, Agrostis exigua, Arrhenatherum pratensis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Bromus lanatus, Bouteloua curtipendula, Calamagrostis bolanderi, Calamagrostis tarmensis, Digitaria floridona, Eragrostis curvula, Euchlaena mexicana, Festuca weberbaueri, Holcus lanatus, Paspalum plicatulum, Paspalum bomplandianum, Poa pratensis, Stipa plumeris and Stipa plumosa. For the production of green and dry forage, respectively, the best were Euchlaena mexicana, with 25.9 and 6.7 t/ha/cut, and Arrhenatherum elatius, with 24.4 and 6.9 t/ha/cut; also Arrhenatherum pratense, with 23.0 and 6.1 t/ha/cut and Stipa plumeris, with 21.9 and 6.8 t/ha/cut. There was great plants biodiversity that can be use for animal feeding, which is observed from other studies of chemical composition and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out in the Ecuadorian Páramo grasslands, between 2900 and 4200 m o.s.l, in Loja, Zamora Chinchipe, Azuay, Cañar, Chimborazo, Bolívar, Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, Pichincha, Imbabura and Carchi provinces. For the identification and taxonomical classification of species there were taken herborized samples and identified by agrostologists. The Hitchcock, Gould, Lombardo and Tovar taxonomic keys were used for the identification. From the grasses family, in the eight study places, 90 species were identified, including 37 genus, being the mains, with higher number of species: Festuca (14), Paspalum (10), Agrostis (7), Calamagrostis (7), Bromus (6), Stipa (5), Poa (5), Agropirum (3), Arrhenatherum (2), Brisa (2) and Andropogon (2).The species that prevailed in the study places were: Agrostis breviculmis, Agrostis exigua, Bromus lanatus, Calamagrostis tarmensis, Festuca humilior, Festuca ortophylla, Festuca weberbaueri and Paspalum bomplandianum. The diversity indexes of the existent meadow species showed values from mean (0.72) to high (0.90), as for their uniformity. This allowed determining that the biodiversity is variable, according to the environmental conditions of the studied Páramo grassland ecosystems. Similar performance was obtained for trees grasses species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out in the Ecuadorian Páramo grasslands, between 2900 and 4200 m o.s.l, in Loja, Zamora Chinchipe, Azuay, Cañar, Chimborazo, Bolívar, Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, Pichincha, Imbabura and Carchi provinces. For the identification and taxonomical classification of species there were taken herborized samples and identified by agrostologists. The Hitchcock, Gould, Lombardo and Tovar taxonomic keys were used for the identification. From the grasses family, in the eight study places, 90 species were identified, including 37 genus, being the mains, with higher number of species: Festuca (14), Paspalum (10), Agrostis (7), Calamagrostis (7), Bromus (6), Stipa (5), Poa (5), Agropirum (3), Arrhenatherum (2), Brisa (2) and Andropogon (2).The species that prevailed in the study places were: Agrostis breviculmis, Agrostis exigua, Bromus lanatus, Calamagrostis tarmensis, Festuca humilior, Festuca ortophylla, Festuca weberbaueri and Paspalum bomplandianum. The diversity indexes of the existent meadow species showed values from mean (0.72) to high (0.90), as for their uniformity. This allowed determining that the biodiversity is variable, according to the environmental conditions of the studied Páramo grassland ecosystems. Similar performance was obtained for trees grasses species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the prevalence rate of male sexual dysfunction in 5323 urologic consultations., Materials and Methods: In order to establish which age groups show an important consultation rate due to male sexual dysfunction, the number of consultations and the theoretical distribution according to age in the province of Córdoba were contrasted, estimating the risk of suffering from sexual dysfunction, and determining the age distribution and tendency analysis., Results: From 5323 urologic consultations in a period of 30 months, 779 were due to sexual dysfunction--14.63% (IC 95% 12-17%); 54.3% were due to erectile sexual dysfunction; 33% were due to ejaculation disorders; and 12.7% were because of other because of other dysfunctions., Conclusions: The consultation rate increases significantly with age. In patients younger than 20-years-old the most frequent complaint is ejaculation disorder while in patients younger than 40-years-old the risk of erectile sexual dysfunction is low, increasing twice as much at 40 be considered an important health problem.