Accounting the Carbon Storage in Disturbed and Non-Disturbed Tropical Andean Ecosystems

Peña, Enrique Javier; Zúñiga, Orlando; Peña, Julián

doi:10.5772/23515

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 27 publications

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“…LC/LU change is another factor that threatens the current Páramo carbon balance (Crespo et al, ). Previous studies in this ecosystem have identified a probably irreversible depletion of carbon stocks and soil organic matter accumulated in the Páramo soils due to LC/LU alteration (Buytaert, Wyseure, De Bièvre, & Deckers, ; Don, Schumacher, & Freibauer, ; Peña, Zúñiga, Peña, & Valle, ; Poeplau & Don, ; Suarez, Arcos, Moreno, Encalada, & Álvarez, ). The artificial draining of soils, removal of natural vegetation, and introduction of non‐native species have also shown to enhance the dryness of soils and to accelerate organic matter decomposition (Farley, Kelly, Farley, Kelly, & Hofstede, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Effect of land cover and hydro‐meteorological controls on soil water DOC concentrations in a high‐elevation tropical environment

Pesántez

Mosquera

Crespo

et al. 2018

Hydrological Processes

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Páramo soils store high amounts of organic carbon. However, the effects of climate change and changes in land cover and use (LC/LU) in this high‐elevation tropical ecosystem may cause a decrease in their carbon storage capacity. Therefore, better understanding of the factors influencing the Páramo soils' carbon storage and export is urgently needed. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the differences in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content in the soil water of four LC/LU types (tussock grass, natural forest, pine plantations, and pasture) and the factors controlling its variability in the Quinuas Ecohydrological Observatory in south Ecuador. Weekly measurements of soil water DOC concentrations, meteorological variables, soil water content, and temperature from various depths and slope positions were monitored within the soils' organic and mineral horizons between October 2014 and January 2017. These data were used to generate regression trees and random forest statistical models to identify the factors controlling soil water DOC concentrations. From high to low concentrations, natural forest depict the highest DOC concentrations followed by pasture, tussock grass, and pine forest. For all LC/LU types, DOC concentrations increase with decreasing soil moisture. Our results also show that LC/LU is the most important predictor of soil water DOC concentrations, followed by sampling depth and soil moisture. Interestingly, atmospheric variables and antecedent evapotranspiration and precipitation conditions show only little influence on DOC concentrations during the monitoring period. Our findings provide unique information that can help improve the management of soil and water resources in the Páramo and other peat dominated ecosystems elsewhere.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Effect of land cover and hydro‐meteorological controls on soil water DOC concentrations in a high‐elevation tropical environment

Pesántez

Mosquera

Crespo

et al. 2018

Hydrological Processes

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Carbon sequestration rates indicate ecosystem recovery following human disturbance in the equatorial Andes

Calderón-Loor

Cuesta

Pinto³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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Few studies exist that document how high-elevation Andean ecosystems recover naturally after the cessation of human activities and this can limit the implementation of cost-effective restoration actions. We assessed Andean forest (Polylepis stands) and pá ramo grassland recovery along an elevation gradient (3,600-4,350 m.a.s.l.) in the Yanacocha Reserve (Ecuador) where natural recovery has been allowed since 1995. Within the Yanacocha Reserve in 2012 and 2014 the aboveground biomass (AGB), aboveground necromass (AGN) and belowground biomass (BGB) carbon (C) stocks were measured and C sequestration rates calculated as proxy of ecosystem recovery. The soil organic carbon (SOC) stock to 36-cm depth was also quantified during the 2012 survey. To explore potential drivers of spatiotemporal variation of the forest and pá ramo C stocks they were related to abiotic and biotic variables. Andean forest C stocks were influenced mainly by disturbance history and tree-species composition. Pá ramo C stocks´spatial variation were related to the elevation gradient; we found a positive significant trend in pá ramo AGB-C stocks with elevation, whereas we found a significant negative trend in AGN-C stocks. Likewise, significant temporal changes were found for AGB-C and AGN-C stocks. Net increases in AGB-C stocks were the largest in the Andean forest and pá ramo, 2.5 Mg C ha-1 year-1 and 1.5 Mg C ha-1 year-1 respectively. Carbon sequestration rates were partly explained by environmental variables. In the Andean forest, plots with low dominance of Baccharis padifolia were observed to present higher AGB-C and lower BGB-C sequestration rates. In the pá ramo, higher sequestration rates for AGB-C were found at higher elevations and associated with higher levels of growth-forms diversity. Temporal changes in BGB-C stocks on the contrary were non-significant. Our results indicated that terrestrial aboveground C sequestration rates might be an appropriate indicator for assessing Andean forest and pá ramo recovery after human disturbance.

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The extent and value of carbon stored in mountain grasslands and shrublands globally, and the prospects for using climate finance to address natural resource management issues

Ward¹

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The mitigation of climate change is a global priority. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement sets an ambitious goal of limiting global warming well below two degrees Celsius, and ideally at 1.5 degrees Celsius, by the end of the 21st Century. While recent publications have highlighted the important role that terrestrial forests, wetland forests, marine ecosystems (such as mangroves and seagrass meadows) and lowland grasslands play in global climate mitigation efforts, there has been few studies quantifying how mountain grasslands and shrublands might contribute in this regard. These fragile high-altitude (mostly above treeline) ecosystems cover around 6% (9.38 million km 2 ) of Earth's landmass, provide habitat for rare flora and fauna species while supplying water, food, fibre and economic opportunities to billions of people, many of whom are very poor. Like forests and marine ecosystems, mountain grasslands and shrublands are under threat from multiple anthropogenic stressors. Without a global assessment and understanding of the extent and value of carbon stocks in mountain grasslands and shrublands these ecosystems cannot be effectively integrated into international carbon budgets and climate policy. This thesis therefore helps address this issue by providing both an estimate of C stored in mountain grasslands and shrublands areas, and its relative economic value in climate regulation terms. This thesis also makes several recommendations for how this C pool might be factored into international climate policy frameworks and budgets, and how climate finance might be used to address the various drivers of degradation in mountains grassland and shrubland ecosystems around the world.Using spatial analysis, this thesis commences by estimating there to be between 60.5 Pg C and 82.8 Any improvement in this respect will also improve the reliability of the science, aiding progress towards the targets set by the Paris Agreement. Second, from an accounting perspective, this thesis could potentially provide input data into other global studies which have excluded estimates for C in alpine areas which until now has not been available. Third, when combined, the estimates for C stocks, CO2 sequestration and economic value provided herein justify further investigation of how carbon markets and climate finance might be used specifically to address the factors influencing degradation in mountain grasslands and shrublands around the world.4

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Accounting the Carbon Storage in Disturbed and Non-Disturbed Tropical Andean Ecosystems

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

Effect of land cover and hydro‐meteorological controls on soil water DOC concentrations in a high‐elevation tropical environment

Effect of land cover and hydro‐meteorological controls on soil water DOC concentrations in a high‐elevation tropical environment

Carbon sequestration rates indicate ecosystem recovery following human disturbance in the equatorial Andes

The extent and value of carbon stored in mountain grasslands and shrublands globally, and the prospects for using climate finance to address natural resource management issues

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