Economic Valuation of Carbon Storage in Andean Puna Grass with Multivariate Application

High mountain ecosystems characterize a diversity of vegetation types and animal populations located from the upper line of forests and the lower base of glaciers, generally populated by herbaceous plants, mainly grasses. These ecosystems provide a wide range of environmental services for the well-being of humanity, with carbon sequestration being one of the most important services that contribute to mitigating the effects of CO2 in the atmosphere. In this context, the following objectives were set: to determine the floristic structure of the plant formation of puna grass, to assess the level of carbon capture and storage in aerial, root and soil biomass, and to determine the canonical correspondence between the level of carbon capture and the characteristics of the soil, and to assess the economic usefulness of the carbon capture and storage service in Andean puna grass conditions. It was observed that vegetation cover was comprised of a variable floristic structure of 17 to 19 families, 24 to 35 genera and 33 to 40 species, with the participation of the families Poaceae and Asteraceae in 32.6% and 20.9% respectively; the level of carbon sequestration at phytomass level varied between 0.02?0.01 and 0.03?0.01Mg ha-1; and, between 129.71?23.55 and 147.55?20.41 Mg ha-1 in the soil. A linear canonical correspondence explained at 76% was found between the level of carbon sequestration and the characteristics of the soil, besides the levels of phosphorus and nitrogen with the carbon of the soil, as well as the pH with the carbon in the phytomass that was explained at 11%. The economic value of organic carbon reached 1946.08 ? 253.94 and 2213.56 ? 224.06 Euros per ha. These results demonstrate the environmental importance of grassland ecosystems and plant formation in puna grass