Plant Community Composition and Species Richness Along Disturbance Gradients in a Municipal Open-Air Rubbish Dump in Coastal Ecuador

Improper solid waste management can alter plant communities and facilitate the establishment of non-native species, yet these effects remain poorly documented in Neotropical dump environments. We characterized the flora of an open-air rubbish dump on the Ecuadorian coast and evaluated how disturbance and spatial position influenced floristic composition. Qualitative surveys and 30 systematically established 10 m2 plots were sampled along a gradient from the main road to the waste disposal cell. Species identity, origin status, and life form were recorded for all species. The floristic inventory documented 66 species, whereas richness and floristic composition analyses were based on the 38 species recorded in the systematic plots. Native species comprised 74.2% of the flora and non-native species 21.2%. Launaea intybacea represented a new non-native record for continental Ecuador, while Cucumis melo was recorded growing spontaneously outside cultivation. Herbaceous species dominated both assemblages. Agricultural disturbance was associated with higher native and total richness, whereas waste disturbance reduced both. Non-native richness increased with distance from the disposal cell and toward the main road. Despite needing broader multi-site and seasonal surveys, this local study shows that open-air rubbish dumps help detect recently established non-native plants.