Valoración ecológica, social y económica de los servicios ecosistémicos asociados a la producción agrícola del cultivo de plátano en la vereda Las Moras del municipio de Barranca de Upía- Meta

Abstract

This paper presents an ecological, social and economic assessment of the ecosystem services associated with the agricultural production of the village of Las Moras in the municipality of Barranca de Upía, Meta. The development of this project was divided into four phases, the first consisted of the ecological assessment through the analysis of physical-chemical and microbiological parameters such as pH, calcium, cation exchange capacity, potassium, organic carbon, zinc, moisture, penetration resistance, color, precipitation, texture, porosity, compaction, glucosidase and catalases in soils of two randomly chosen agricultural properties. In the second phase, the social assessment is carried out through the application of semi-structured surveys and the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model. In the third phase, the economic valuation was carried out by means of the estimation of income and expenses of the plantain production chain. Finally, a roadmap of good agricultural practices for plantain cultivation was built. The results of the application of this methodology, in general, show that the quality of the soils has allowed to have a good yield in the production of plantain crops and other crops, however, the improvement in some practices such as irrigation, fumigation, fertilization among others, could directly improve the income and quality of life of farmers and indirectly the impact on soil degradation and the depletion of the water resource; it was also established that the most relevant ecosystem service for farmers is the one that provides them with food above others such as nutrient regulation and cycling, untapped possibilities with current science, importance of existence for future generations and legacy.