Evaluación del Aprovechamiento de los Productos Forestales no Maderables en Tres Recintos de la Parroquia Campozano, Cantón Paján, Manabí, Ecuador

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are valuable resources originating from forests. This study was carried out in the communities of El Paraíso, Agua Fría and Estero Ciego, located in the Campozano parish, Paján Canton, Manabí, Ecuador, with the objective of evaluating the use of NTFPs in the aforementioned areas. The results allowed the detection of 62 species that provide some type of NTFPs, of which 50 are of plant origin and 12 are of animal origin. Among the most mentioned plant species are Psidium guajava L., Hellenia speciosa (J. Koenig) S.R.Dutta and Chenopodium rubrum L.; However, among the animal species, Cuniculus paca (Linnaeus, 1766), Dasyprocta punctata Gray, 1842, and Ortalis ruficauda Jardine, 1847 stand out. Regarding the degree of significant use, it is noted that the species Psidium guajava L. is the most prominent, presenting a percentage value of significance of 82.46%. These resources are extensively used as options to meet the demands of the population in the field of study, highlighting their relevance and potential in both economic and cultural terms.