SOSTENIBILIDAD ECOLÓGICA DE LOS BOSQUES NATIVOS DEL CANTÓN ELOY ALFARO, PROVINCIA ESMERALDAS ECUADOR.

The present investigation was carried out in the Northern Zone of the Province of Esmeraldas, Eloy Alfaro canton, in the 15 parishes. The study consisted of determining the ecological sustainability of the primary and secondary native forests of the Eloy Alfaro canton, based on Environmental Sustainability Indicators, using the indices of remaining vegetation IVR%, ecological footprint IHE, demographic pressure IPD and environmental criticality ICA. Furthermore, the ecological weight of the forest species was analyzed in terms of the horizontal structure (Importance Value Index IVI%), and the floristic composition of the forest was determined through the establishment of 6 sampling plots, systematically located in the two types. of forest, 3 plots in primary forest and 3 plots in secondary forest. The data obtained from the Remnant Vegetation Index (IVR%) revealed that the Eloy Alfaro canton has reached 65.52%, this value indicates according to the IVR that the canton is Partially Transformed (PT), considering it relatively stable in most of its territory. While the general transformation as a result of anthropogenic actions occurs at 34.48% in relation to the average level of transformation of the Planet, which ranges from 51% to 72% if only areas with dense vegetation are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]