Agricultural production in Zamora Chinchipe is primarily focused on dairy farming, an activity that constitutes a key component of land use in the region. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were as follows: (a) to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy farms using the GLEAM model and (b) to evaluate the influence of altitude and livestock management practices on soil properties and the estimated GHG emissions associated with cattle production. This study encompassed 100 dairy farms, where the GLEAM methodology was applied to quantify emissions-related data. In addition, 300 soil samples (three per farm) were collected, and the perimeter of each farm, as well as the remaining forest areas, was mapped. The results indicate that although the farms generate CO₂-equivalent emissions associated with livestock activities, the remaining forest areas contribute to mitigation by storing carbon in the soil. Altitude was found to positively influence soil quality, increasing organic matter and nitrogen content, whereas overgrazing negatively affected key soil properties and was associated with higher levels of GHG emissions. These findings underscore the need to implement sustainable management strategies that integrate agricultural production with the conservation of ecosystem services.

Agricultural production in Zamora Chinchipe is primarily focused on dairy farming, an activity that constitutes a key component of land use in the region. Accordingly, the following objectives were established: (a) to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy farms using the GLEAM model; and (b) to evaluate the influence of altitude and livestock management practices on soil properties and the estimated GHG emis-sions associated with cattle production. This study encompassed 100 dairy farms, where the GLEAM methodology was applied to quantify emissions-related data. In addition, 300 soil samples (three per farm) were collected, and the perimeter of each farm, as well as the remaining forest areas, was mapped. The results indicate that although the farms generate CO₂-equivalent emissions associated with livestock activities, the remaining forest areas contribute to mitigation by storing carbon in the soil. Altitude was found to positively influence soil quality, increasing organic matter and nitrogen content, whereas overgrazing negatively affected key soil properties and was associated with higher levels of GHG emissions. These findings underscore the need to implement sustainable management strategies that integrate agricultural production with the conservation of ecosystem services.

La producción in vitro de embriones (PIVE) es una biotecnología aplicada a diferentes especies de mamíferos domésticos y silvestres, además del humano. La PIVE comprende la maduración in vitro de ovocitos (MIV), fecundación in vitro de ovocitos madurados (FIV) y el cultivo in vitro de ovocitos fertilizados (CIV). En los procesos de la MIV y CIV se tiene un incremento de los niveles de especies reactivas del oxígeno (ROS) que generan mayores niveles de estrés oxidativo, que ante junto a un deficiente sistema antioxidante en condiciones in vitro se pueden afectar estos procesos. Ante esta situación, los medios de maduración se suplementan con compuestos antioxidantes como la cisteamina (CYS) que es un amino tiol (HSCH₂CH₂NH) de bajo peso molecular (77.1 g/mol), tiene actividad antioxidante propia, promueve el transporte de cisteína al interior de la célula y favorece la síntesis de glutatión (GSH). Investigaciones sobre el uso de la CYS en la PIVE indican que se estimula la producción de GSH, la maduración ovocitaria y favorece el proceso de segmentación y blastulación; asimismo, tiene efectos sinérgicos con otros antioxidantes o con factores de crecimiento, de manera que el interés sobre esta molécula y sus efectos en la PIVE ha ido aumentando a través de los años. Este artículo de revisión presenta las propiedades y efectos de la cisteamina en el sistema de producción in vitro de embriones en rumiantes.

Livestock farming is a key socioeconomic activity on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos (Ecuador); however, its development within a fragile ecological context poses significant challenges for biodiversity conservation. This study analyzes the perceptions of livestock producers regarding the effects of livestock production on key components of biodiversity on Santa Cruz Island. It also examines the relationship between these perceptions and sociodemographic and productive variables, while identifying mitigation strategies from the perspective of local stakeholders. A structured survey was conducted with 92 producers, covering sociodemographic profiles, environmental perceptions, perceived effects on soil, water, and fauna, as well as mitigation strategies. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used to examine relationships between production characteristics and perceived impacts. The results indicate that producers primarily associate biodiversity decline with livestock expansion, intensification, and land-use change driven by deforestation. Producers with greater experience more frequently reported changes in native species, with significant associations between these perceptions and reported effects on water quality and soil degradation. Nevertheless, some cumulative environmental effects were inconsistently recognized, highlighting gaps in the understanding of island ecological dynamics. Regarding mitigation, 80% of respondents supported subsidies for sustainable practices, and 60% expressed willingness to receive training; in contrast, the implementation of these strategies could be limited by technical, economic, and institutional constraints. Overall, the results reflect heterogeneous perceptions of livestock-related impacts, highlighting the importance of incorporating local knowledge into the design of management strategies, while not replacing the need for direct ecological assessments.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la Tasa de Fecundación in vitro de ovocitos bovinos con semen sexado (SX) y convencional (Conv.) capacitados (B.O y Percoll) con la técnica Swim-Up. Se evaluó el clivaje a las 48 horas post fecundación y al séptimo día del desarrollo embrionario. Los resultados mostraron un porcentaje de clivaje del 59,4% en el T1 (Conv. Percoll), 60% en el T2 (Conv. B.O), 75% en el T3 (SX. Percoll) y 46,6% en el T4 (SX. B.O), mostrando diferencia estadística entre T3 y T4 (p>0,05). La tasa de desarrollo del embrión al séptimo día fue 34,4% T1, 20% en T2, 15% en T3 y 10,51% en T4; en este caso, se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa en el uso del medio convencional más Percoll en comparación con el medio de SX B.O (p<0,05) (T1 y T4, respectivamente). Los resultados también mostraron una producción similar de mórulas y blastocitos tempranos y protruidos entre los cuatro tratamientos, y demuestran la viabilidad del desarrollo e implementación de la técnica de fertilización in vitro (FIV) para producir embriones bovinos. Concluyendo la evaluación preliminar, destaca la significativa influencia del método de sexado y del tratamiento en la calidad del semen y desarrollo embrionario en programas de reproducción animal. Aunque el semen sexado con Percoll muestra potencial para mejorar tasas de clivaje, el semen convencional, especialmente en el tratamiento T1 (Conv. Percoll), exhibe una superioridad en motilidad individual y concentración. Estos resultados informan decisiones cruciales para optimizar programas reproductivos.

Agroforestry systems are a sustainable strategy for climate change mitigation by enhancing carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, particularly in regions like Zamora Chinchipe, where they improve soil resilience and productivity in deforested landscapes. This study evaluated soil carbon storage under different land-use systems—forest, cacao monoculture, cacao-based agroforestry, and coffee-based agroforestry—as a climate change mitigation strategy. Data were collected from cacao and coffee producers regarding crop management practices on their farms. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 20 cm and analyzed for bulk density (BD), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and carbon stocks. Land-use systems showed that coffee-based agroforestry stored 101.22 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon and cacao-based agroforestry 71.55 Mg ha⁻¹, both exceeding values observed in cacao monoculture and even forest systems. These results suggest that cacao and coffee agroforestry systems have a greater capacity for carbon sequestration compared to monoculture systems. However, the contribution of forests should not be underestimated, as these findings are based only on the surface soil layer, which limits a comprehensive assessment of the full carbon storage potential of forest ecosystems in Zamora Chinchipe. Agroforestry systems emerge as viable and sustainable alternatives for soil carbon storage, as they integrate trees and crops, promoting long-term carbon sequestration in soils.