Estimation and Evaluation of plants as indicators of tropical soil quality from the knowledge of he peasants, Cauca Colombia

The present study with the title " Estimation and evaluation of plants as indicators of tropical soils quality from the knowledge of the peasants, Cauca Colombia." tries to contribute to the integration of local knowledge about soils by the peasants. The field work took place in the watershed of the Río cabuyal, department of Cauca, in the southeast of Colombia. This is a region, which is characterized by small farmers. In the first chapter, the objectives and hypothesis of the investigatio n are determined. In the Revision of Literature, the global function of soil and its sustainability are exposed. Also, the importance of investigating new living indicators, as these integrate chemical, physical and biological aspects to determine the soil s quality, and the participation of the agriculturists concerning the investigation of soil quality. The methodology describes the geographical zone of study and the socioeconomic characteristic s of the watershed s agriculturists.