Soil bio-engineering for watershed management and disaster mitigation in Ecuador: a short-term species suitability test

This paper reports a soil bio-engineering technical assessment program conducted in the Santo Domingo, Ecuador region. Autochthonous plant species survivorship and vegetative growth was evaluated in a short-term palisade experimental regime. Among the four species evaluated, Brugmansia versicolor, Malvaviscus penduliflorus, and Trichanthera gigantea performed well, evidenced by > 70% survivorship, however Euphorbia cotinifolia exhibited increased mortality (59%). Significant differences and notable variability in terminal shoot length and stem diameter among species indicated further study is warranted in growth parameters.