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.

A total of 45 Apis mellifera colonies were sampled from nine centers for rearing queens in the Camagüey province, Cuba. Wing geometric morphometric analysis was used to determine the ancestry and identify Africanization processes at different altitudes in managed honeybee populations on the island. A total of 350 reference wings were obtained from the pure subspecies: Apis mellifera mellifera, Apis mellifera carnica, Apis mellifera ligustica, Apis mellifera caucasia, Apis mellifera iberiensis, Apis mellifera intermissa, and Apis mellifera scutellata for the study. Our results showed that altitude influences wing shape; and that 96.0% (432) of the individuals were classified as Cuban hybrids, with a tendency to the formation of a new morphotype. In addition, a great similarity was found with the subspecies Apis mellifera mellifera, and it was confirmed that there is no Africanization due to the low presence of 0.44% (2) of this morphotype in the population under study. The greatest Mahalanobis distances were obtained for the comparisons between the center rearing of queens in the Camagüey province with the subspecies A. m. scutellata (D² = 5.18); A. m. caucasia (D² = 6.08); A. m. ligustica (D² = 6.27); and A. m. carnica (D² = 6.62). The well-defined pattern of wing shape produced by honeybee populations in Camagüey’s centers for queen rearing suggests a Cuban hybrid. Moreover, it is essential to note that the populations of bees under investigation lack Africanized morphotypes, indicating that Camagüey bees have not interacted with the African lineage.

Una de las alternativas propuestas para el impulso de actividades que contribuyan al desarrollo sustentable y sostenible se refiere a la posibilidad de reutilizar, renovar o reciclar los productos, prolongando la vida útil de los mismos y, aminorando así, la velocidad en la que se generan residuos contaminantes. A este proceso se le conoce como economía circular y se presenta como una opción válida a la hora de fomentar el desarrollo social y agroindustrial, en Ecuador, en aquellas regiones que exhiben características propensas para potenciar una dinámica socioproductiva con ese modelo. En ese sentido, el objetivo de este artículo es identificar en la literatura existente sobre el tema, las dimensiones teórico-conceptuales de la propuesta de EC, a la luz de la importancia que tiene hoy día para el desarrollo social y agroindustrial en el contexto ecuatoriano. Metodológicamente, el texto es el producto de una revisión documental exhaustiva que se detiene en los aspectos relacionados con los elementos del desarrollo agroindustrial y social implicados en el proceso inherente a la economía circular, todo ello según algunos autores que han estudiado el tema y se encuentran referenciados en motores de búsqueda como Google Académico y Dialnet. Los resultados se muestran en matrices analíticas que contrastan los elementos teóricos con algunas realidades de Ecuador, en la medida en que esto puede ser una muestra de las posibilidades reales de concretar modelos de desarrollo social y agroindustrial alternativos para los pobladores del subcontinente, especialmente aquellos que han habitado, desde tiempos inmemoriales en el país.

Climate change has accelerated the retreat of Andean glaciers, with significant recent losses in the tropical Andes. This study evaluates the extinction of the Carihuairazo volcano glacier (Ecuador), quantifying its area from 1312.5 m² in September 2023 to 101.2 m² in January 2024, its thickness (from 2.5 m to 0.71 m), and its volume (from 2638.85 m³ to 457.18 m³), before its complete deglaciation in February 2024; this rapid melting and its small size classify it as a glacierette. Multivariate analyses (PCA and biclustering) were performed to correlate climatic variables (temperature, solar radiation, precipitation, relative humidity, vapor pressure, and wind) with glacier surface and thickness. The PCA explained 70.26% of the total variance, with Axis 1 (28.01%) associated with extreme thermal conditions (temperatures up to 8.18 °C and radiation up to 16.14 kJ m⁻² day⁻¹), which probably drove its disappearance. Likewise, Axis 2 (21.56%) was related to favorable hydric conditions (precipitation between 39 and 94 mm) during the initial phase of glacier monitoring. Biclustering identified three groups of variables: Group 1 (temperature, solar radiation, and vapor pressure) contributed most to deglaciation; Group 2 (precipitation, humidity) apparently benefited initial stability; and Group 3 (wind) played a secondary role. These results, validated through in situ measurements, provide scientific evidence of the disappearance of the Carihuairazo volcano glacier by February 2024. They also corroborate earlier projections that anticipated its extinction by the middle of this decade. The early disappearance of this glacier highlights the vulnerability of small tropical Andean glaciers and underscores the urgent need for water security strategies focused on management, adaptation, and resilience.

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.