The Andean paramos are unique and biodiverse environments. Located between the upper limit of forest and perpetual snow, they provide ecosystem services, especially freshwater supply; however, anthropogenic activities and climate change have altered their distribution and composition. This paper analyses the influence of altitude and climatic factors on the floristic composition of the páramos. A quasi-experimental study was used in three altitudinal gradients, collecting geolocalised data on species and bioclimatic variables. Principal component analysis, using the HJ-Biplot visualisation technique and k-means clustering algorithms, was applied to explore the relationships between factors. It was determined that the lower zone is nuanced by the presence of Solanaceae, which are important for human food. In the middle zone, there is a high diversity, with the Ericaceae and Caprifoliaceae families standing out, while in the upper zone, the Ericaceae and Gentianaceae families are accentuated. The PCA reveals that strata 2 and 3 share family taxa, while stratum 1 shows differences. Altitude and precipitation directly influence the distribution of species in each stratum; the Asteraceae family is dominant in the canton for its contribution to the principal components.

Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is a source of supply in many areas of the world, especially in developing countries. This is often carried out illegally using toxic substances such as mercury. Mercury, due to its chemical–physical properties and the transport factors involved between the different environmental matrices, can percolate through soil and from surface water to groundwater. The objective of this study was to conduct a human health risk assessment. For this purpose, a screening of mercury concentrations was carried out, collecting 67 water samples at selected points, and a risk assessment was performed applying both a deterministic and a probabilistic approach. A deterministic approach is a specific analysis based on determining the values of the risk quotient (HQ) and the risk index (HI) for each receptor category (adults and children) and scenario (residential and recreational) considered; a probabilistic approach is based on stochastic simulation techniques and the evaluation of the statistical quantities. There was found to be a discrepancy between the results provided by the two approaches, with the deterministic approach suggesting a more worrisome picture. However, in general, the results showed a greater exposure in the provinces of El Oro and Esmeraldas, and a greater vulnerability of child receptors.

La Reserva de Producción de Fauna de Chimborazo (RPFCH) es una de las áreas protegidas más importantes del Ecuador cuyo objetivo fundamental es la preservación de la fauna y la flora altoandina, este trabajo se efectuó con el propósito de monitorear el Herbazal del páramo que es una de las ocho formación vegetales que posee la reserva para evaluar los cambios que sufre este ecosistema altimontano debido al cambio climático, se utilizó 128 ortofotos de toda el área de estudio y con la ayuda del software Arc Gis 10.1 se geo proceso todo lo referente a la cartografía, para el análisis estadístico se utilizó las fórmulas del Manual de Ordenación de Montes de Andalucía donde se definió el número de unidades muestrales, se trabajó con un 5 % de error y 95 % de certeza se utilizó parcelas óptimas donde el tamaño de la muestra aproximado para estimar p con un límite de B para el error de estimación, para inventariar la flora se utilizó la metodología GLORIA mediante el levantamiento de cuatro cuadrantes de 1 m² x 1 m² en 10 parcelas donde se estableció la riqueza, abundancia, dominancia e IVIE cuyos resultados se tabularon el software PAST 4.0, el esfuerzo de muestreo se validó con la ayuda del software Eco Sim se precisó que las familias Poaceae, Asteraceae y Apiaceae son las más dominantes, alfa diversidad indicó un valor de 0,95 para el índice de Simpson y para Shannon Wiener de 3,31 valores altos para diversidad biológica, un valor de 0,67 % en la similaridad florística (beta) debido a la gran presencia de Calamagrostis intermedia, el Análisis de correspondencia determinó dos nichos ecológicos con 23 especies sumando un 51,05 % del total de individuos muestreados indicando que estos son los más susceptibles a desaparecer por el calentamiento global.

The relationship between COVID-19 infections and environmental contaminants provides insight into how environmental factors can influence the spread of infectious diseases. By integrating epidemiological and environmental variables into a mathematical framework, the interaction between virus spread and the environment can be determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of atmospheric contaminants on the increase in COVID-19 infections in the city of Quito through the application of statistical tests. The data on infections and deaths allowed to identify the periods of greatest contagion and their relationship with the contaminants O₃, SO₂, CO, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀. A validated database was used, and statistical analysis was applied through five models based on simple linear regression. The models showed a significant relationship between SO₂ and the increase in infections. In addition, a moderate correlation was shown with PM_2.5, O₃, and CO, and a low relationship was shown for PM₁₀. These findings highlight the importance of having policies that guarantee air quality as a key factor in maintaining people’s health and preventing the proliferation of viral and infectious diseases.

The Ichubamba Yasepan wetlands, in the Andean páramos of Ecuador, suffer heavy metal contamination due to anthropogenic activities and volcanic ash from Sangay, impacting biodiversity and ecosystem services. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the bioaccumulation and tolerance of metals in high Andean species through stratified random sampling and linear transects in two altitudinal ranges. Concentrations of Cr, Pb, Hg, As, and Fe in water and the tissues of eight dominant plant species were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, calculating bioaccumulation indices (BAIs) and applying principal component analysis (PCA), clustering, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Twenty-five species from 14 families were identified, predominantly Poaceae and Cyperaceae, with Calamagrostis intermedia as the most relevant (IVI = 12.74). The water exceeded regulatory limits for As, Cr, Fe, and Pb, indicating severe contamination. Carex bonplandii showed a high BAI for Cr (47.8), Taraxacum officinale and Plantago australis for Pb, and Lachemilla orbiculata for Hg, while Fe was widely accumulated. The LDA highlighted differences based on As and Pb, suggesting physiological adaptations. Pollution threatens biodiversity and human health, but C. bonplandii and L. orbiculata have phytoremediation potential.

Phytoremediation is based on the use of plants to decontaminate water and soil. In this work, the capacity of high Andean vegetation in the absorption and translocation of heavy metals was analyzed. Species were identified to analyze the presence of metals in roots, stems, and leaves by spectrometry. The translocation factor was determined and analyzed by means of pattern clusters. Based on the floristic inventory, the dominance of the Poaceae and Asteraceae families was determined, and 12 plant species with a high importance value were selected. According to the ICP-AES, mercury (951.07 mg/kg) was determined in the roots of Lachemilla orbiculata, and chromium (21.88 mg/kg) in Carex bonplandii. Arsenic (2.79 mg/kg) was detected as being significantly higher than the values recorded in lowland plants. Cadmium mobility was high in all species, reaching higher values in Baccharis salicifolia (86.28%) and Calamagrostis intermedia (37.16%). Rumex acetocella accumulated lead in leaves (9.27%), while Taraxacum officinale (1.20%) and Calamagrostis intermedia (1.20%) accumulated silicon. Stabilization of chromium, mercury, and sodium was determined in the roots without translocation to higher organs. Finally, cluster analysis showed physiological interactions between metals as a toxicity mitigation mechanism affecting mobility. These findings suggest that they are hyperaccumulator species.