Ecohydrology of the Andes Páramo Region

ISBN-13: 9781138633124 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 212 str.

Veronica G. Minaya Maldonado

Opis

In the Andean region grasslands are known as paramos and they have been widely recognized for sustaining biodiversity, carbon sequestration and water storage. The paramos have become vulnerable not only to climate change but also to land use change due to e.g. agriculture, grazing and burning. Usually these changes are associated with socio-economic factors driving communities to aspire higher income generation. Unfortunately, most of recent studies are limited to individual concepts of specific research areas without including a comprehensive ecosystem analysis that includes adequate assessment of ecosystem services that the paramos provide. This integrated research includes (i) extensive fieldwork and statistical analysis to identify the differentiation of vegetation physiology and catchment characterization along an altitudinal gradient; (ii) selection and testing of a biogeochemical model (BIOME-BGC) and a process-oriented hydrological model (TAC^D); (iii) identification and quantification of the ecosystem services provided by the paramos. The ecosystem services were assessed by using indicators for water regulation and carbon sequestration in the paramo ecosystem. This research contributes to the understanding of the interactions, feedbacks and functioning of the paramo ecosystem with a case study in northern Ecuador as a step towards an effective ecosystem management plan."

Spis treści

1 General introduction
2 Description of the study area
3 Catchment characterization and altitudinal analysis
4 Estimating gross primary production and hydrological processes in páramo grasslands
5 Analysis of the relationship between climate variables and gross primary production using data driven techniques
6 Runoff generation in a combined glacier - páramo catchment
7 A process-oriented hydrological representation of a páramo catchment
8 Ecosystem services assessment in a páramo system
9 Conclusions and recommendations
10 References

O autorze

Veronica Minaya is a PhD candidate in Eco-hydrology at UNESCO-IHE and TU-Delft, the Netherlands. She has a background in Civil Engineer with two Msc degrees in Water Resources (2008) and Environmental Sciences (2010). She has extensive fieldwork experience in Ecuador (highlands and rainforest regions) and in Kenya (Mara River). Veronica's PhD research uses a biogeochemical model to look at carbon, nitrogen, water cycles in a combined glacier - grassland catchment in the Ecuadorian Andes. She is alsointerested in research development, and women & youth empowerment. Veronica is actively involved in youth organizations, president of the IAHR-YPN Delft and member of the Water Youth Network.