Importance of water quality on plant abundance and diversity in high-alpine meadows of the Yerba Loca Natural Sanctuary at the Andes of north-central Chile

Abstract

Porphyry Cu-Mo deposits have influenced surface water quality in high-Andes of north-central Chile since the Miocene. Water anomalies may reduce species abundance and diversity in alpine meadows as acidic and metal-rich waters are highly toxic to plants The study assessed the importance of surface water quality on plant abundance and diversity in high-alpine meadows at the Yerba Loca Natural Santuary (YLNS), central Chile (33º15' S, 70º18' W). Hydrochemical and plant prospecting were carried out on Piedra Carvajal, Chorrillos del Plomo and La Lata meadows the growing seasons of 2006 and 2007. Direct gradient analysis was performed through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) to look for relationships among water chemistry and plant factors. High variability in water chemistry was found inside and among meadows, particularly for pH, sulphate, electric conductivity, hardness, and total dissolved Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Fe. Data on species abundance and water chemical factors suggests that pH and total dissolved Cu are very important factor determining changes in plant abundance and diversity in study meadows. For instance, Festuca purpurascens, Colobanthus quitensis, and Arenaria rivularis are abundant in habitats with Cu-rich waters while Festuca magellanica, Patosia clandestina, Plantago barbata, Werneria pygmea, and Erigeron andicola are abundant in habitats with dilute waters.

Some abiotic characteristics of shallow ponds included in an Andean peatland of the transitional desert of Chile

“…This pattern is different than those recorded in highland meadows of central Chile (Ginocchio et al, 2008) and in ponds of the Gorbea salt flat (Risacher et al, 2002), Llamará (Garcés et al 1998) and Ignorado (Risacher et al, 2002). The Mg/Ca index of the study ponds is ~0.29, a much lower value that the ones reported from more northern ponds (Garcés et al, 1999;López et al, 1999;Risacher et al, 2002;Demergasso et al, 2003).…”

“…Clearly, these chemical characteristics constrain the existence of biota as compared to water-bodies of better quality found in close basins (Ginocchio et al, 2008). Compared to data reported in the literature, the water of the study ponds is alkaline and higher in electrical conductivity, dissolved O 2 and sulfate content than the water of lentic habitats found in Chile further north; but lower in the content of dissolved metals, non-metals and trace-elements (Tables 4 through 7).…”

Alpine Peatlands of the Andes, Cajamarca, Peru

“…There have been analyses of regional biota, endemism, and historical and biogeographic relationships of the flora (Young and Reynel, 1997;Weigend, 2002;Young et al, 2002). However, relatively little is known about factors controlling vegetation composition (Squeo et al, 2006;Ginocchio et al, 2008).…”

Variabilidad temporal de algunos parámetros físicos e hidroquímicos de un prado húmedo alto-andino del norte-centro de Chile

“…A pesar de la importancia que puede tener el agua contenida en el subsistema freático en la estructura y dinámica de los ecosistemas lóticos y lénticos de ambientes áridos (Álvarez-Cobelas, 2006), particularmente en el caso de los humedales andinos (Squeo et al, 2006a;Ginocchio et al, 2008), la información pública es muy reducida; esta situación no quiere decir que el conocimiento e información no exista. Por el contrario, debido al auge de la minería experimentado en el norte-centro y norte de Chile, la escasez absoluta del agua en estos territorios, las exigencias ambientales y los movimientos ciudadanos cada vez más empoderados, esta información existe, sólo que es de uso reservado y compleja en su interpretación.…”

“…En general, la composición química del agua del estanco estudiado es consistente con la naturaleza geológica del sustrato por donde las aguas drenan antes de ser parte de la vega . La variabilidad hidroquímica temporal observada en este trabajo es consistente con estudios previos realizados en ambientes acuáticos de alta montaña (p. e., Hinden et al, 2005;Ginocchio et al, 2008). Probablemente, esta variabilidad impidió detectar un patrón temporal.…”