Impact of Protected Areas on the Dynamics of Forest Health in the Southern Ecuadorian Amazon

Deforestation and ecosystem degradation levels have increased along with the extension of various conservation strategies such as protected areas (PAs). These areas are designated to protect the resources and services of the territories they cover. However, despite their importance, there are still needs acquire and generate more knowledge on the impact of protected areas on the conservation of ecosystem functions. Therefore, this research aims to estimate the effect of Pas under different management models on the conservation of vegetation health. The methodology included (I) extraction of MODIS images during the period 2000-2023, (II) Theil-Sen trend analysis, and (III) Mann-Kendall significance test. The results provide insight into PAs management’s current position on forest health, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring.