Diversity of colonizing vegetable species in areas exploited by semi-mechanized mining (small scale mining) in the central rainforest of the Colombian Pacific

Abstract

The objective was to determine the plant species associated with environments pressured by small-scale mining systems (motor pumping, elevators and draguetas) that take advantage of alluvial deposits rich in precious metals in the Central Rain Forest Atrato, San Juan, in the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Unión Pa namericana and Tadó, department of Chocó, Colombia, the methodology considered three areas in the mines: uncapped zone (DC), sterile deposit (DE) and adjacent forest (BA), in this way, 9 plots were systematically established, three for each craft system of 2 x 5 m (10 m2). From this exercise, 1015 individuals were reported in the three sampled systems, divided into 15 families, 25 genera and 26 plant species. Our results did not show significant statistical differences in the three mining scenarios evaluated, probably this result is due to the fact that in the artisanal and semi-mechanized mining practices carried out by Afro-Colombian miners, ancestral agroforestry practices are adopted that involve the establishment of food crops, timber and stripping is arranged in the dumps (gravel) which could facilitate passive restoration processes.