Advances in the analysis of the Main Agroecologycal Structure (MAS) in citrus agroecosystems of the Colombian low tropic

Abstract

In the Colombian Orinoquia, 18 citrus agro-ecosystems were selected and the MAS (Main
Agroecologycal Structure) was measured, using landscape-farm connectivity metrics, extension
and diversity parameters of internal and external connectors, percentages of land uses,
type of management, farmer´s perceptions of agrobiodiversity and their ability to modify the
MAS. In addition, we measured farms’ productivity and the number of applications of phytosanitary
products (AP). The results showed that the MAS varies significantly between groups, all
the farms are disconnected from the ecological structure of the landscape and those that have
live fences represented in gallery forests, are of high biodiversity. Cultural parameters explain
many of these differences. Positive direct correlations between MAS-citrus production, and
inverse correlation between MAS and AP were found.