Evaluation of the ecological status in riverbank sites (Pacora, Juan Díaz and Matasnillo) using the QBR riparian forest index in the province of Panama, Panama

Abstract

Riparian forests or gallery forests are groups that are distributed throughout a body of water, it fulfils important ecological functions and at the same time supplies communities with the vital liquid. The objective of this work is to evaluate the ecological status of the forests in the sites of the river margins (Pacora, Juan Díaz and Matasnillo) applying the QBR index to the transept of 50 linear meters in each one of the rivers to be studied. This being a pioneering study in the country, the results that will be obtained will be a record for future studies in Latin America. It was carried out using the field form, which consists of four blocks that allow the quality of the riparian forest, rated according to degree of cover of the riverside area, structure of the roof, quality of the roof and degree of naturalness of the river channel. The lowest indices were obtained by the Matasnillo River with percentages of 5%, 10% and 15%, and the highest percentages in the Juan Diaz River Basin and the Pacora River with 100% in the headwaters; identifying that the watersheds that have less anthropic intervention have a better forest quality; concluding that the results of the ecological status of the evaluated basins show that in places with greater human settlements, the degradation of the riparian forest increases.