Environmental changes in biodiversity hotspot ecosystems of
South Ecuador: RESPonse and feedback effECTs (FOR2730)

Abstract:

Mit Hilfe des Snapshot Samplings wurde an drei Tagen entlang des 14,2 km langen Flusses Quinoas in 50 m Abständen Wasserproben gesammelt. Das Untersuchungsgebiet liegt in den ecuadorianischen Anden (auf ca. 3.300-3.900 m) und die Hauptvegetation des EZGs ist Páramo. Alle Wasserproben wurden auf ihre Nitrat-N-, BSB- und EL-Konzentrationen untersucht. Die gemessenen Konzentrationen wurden auf ihre Korrelation zu den prozentualen Landnutzungsflächen (vor allem Páramo, Wald und Weide) der jeweiligen EZG analysiert, als Maßzahl wurde der Rangkorrelationskoeffizient nach Spearman gewählt. Bei Nitrat-N waren im Durchschnitt die Korrelationen zu Wald und Weide am höchsten. Der starke Zusammenhang zwischen Nitrat-N und Wald konnte nicht eindeutig geklärt werden. Der Anstieg der Nitrat-N-Konzentration durch einen höheren Anteil an Weide im EZG ist vermutlich durch Düngerausbringung zu erklären. Es zeigte sich, dass Nitrat-N vermutlich vermehrt aus tieferen Bodenschichten ausgewaschen wird. Die Korrelation zwischen Nitrat-N und Páramo ist mittelmäßig stark und negativ. Nährstoffe in diesen Böden liegen oft stark gebunden oder in Pflanzen gespeichert vor und können nur schwer ausgewaschen werden. Aus den Waldflächen des EZG wird relativ gesehen wenig BSB ausgewaschen. In den Wäldern wird nur nach Perioden mit vielen Niederschlägen etwas organische Materie in den Fluss geschwemmt. Der Großteil der organischen Materie der Páramoböden liegt gebunden vor und daher ist der Zusammenhang zwischen BSB und Páramo zwar positiv, aber nicht besonders stark. Die Korrelationen zwischen BSB und Weide sind im Durchschnitt negativ. Die Weideflächen im EZG werden nur extensiv bewirtschaftet und die Tieranzahl ist sehr gering. Im Gegensatz zu den anderen Parametern zeigten sich bei BSB basierend auf verschiedene Wetterverhältnisse sehr unterschiedliche Ergebnisse zwischen den drei Messterminen. Wie bei Nitrat-N ist die Korrelation zwischen EL und Páramo negativ und zwischen EL und Wald, sowie Weide positiv. Bei EL sind die Spearmans Rangkorrelationskoeffizienten im Allgemeinen sehr hoch. Allerdings kann hier nicht ausgeschlossen werden, dass eigentlich andere Faktoren (wie Geologie oder Bodentyp) vorrangig entscheidend sind. Einflüsse von Forellenfarmen konnten basierend auf den Ergebnissen dieser Arbeit nicht gefunden werden. Einige große Zuflüsse können einen Teil der Parameterkonzentrationsschwankungen im Flussverlauf erklären. Ob die Parameterkonzentrationen der Zuflüsse sich auf Grund ihrer Landnutzung vom Hauptfluss unterscheiden konnte nicht eindeutig geklärt werden.

Abstract:

Quantification of nutrient stocks and their temporal changes are considered of prime importance in farm-ing systems of the humid tropics to answer the question of sustainable management. The research areain the Southern Ecuadorian Andes included forest, annual (0–5 years old) and different aged perennial(0–5, 6–10, 11–20, 21–30) and pasture (0–5, 6–10, 11–20, 21–30, >30) sites. Soil organic carbon (SOC),total and plant available soil nutrient stocks and nutrient balances were investigated to assess temporalsoil nutrient dynamics in relation to management activities. Forest conversion by slash-and-burn caused a decrease in SOC stocks in all three land-uses amounting between 14% and 19%. This was mainly due tothe absence of an organic layer and losses in the upper five cm of the mineral soil. Stocks of exchangeablebases and pH values increased in annuals which however, had the most negative nutrient balance of allland-uses amounting to ?128, ?25 and ?226 kg ha?1 a?1 for N, P and K, respectively. The abandonmentof annual sites after five years was linked to a shortage of available N and P due to low-external-input management which caused SOC stock decreases. Major soil nutrient changes in perennials and pasturesdid not occur directly but 6–20 years after forest conversion with increases in stocks for total N, P, S and exchangeable bases above forest level. SOC stocks of medium aged perennials and pastures increased above forest level in the mineral soil. Easily available inorganic N and P stocks remained low throughout the chronosequence in perennials and pastures, indicating a quick uptake by plant roots and microor-ganisms. Compared to medium aged sites, oldest perennials and pastures showed a strong decrease in SOC (?28% and ?16%) and soil nutrient stocks. Stocks for total N, P, S and exchangeable bases were up to50% below those of medium aged sites in oldest perennials and pastures.

Abstract:

Understanding pasture degradation processes is the key for sustainable land management in the tropical mountain rainforest region of the South Ecuadorian Andes. We estimated the stocks of total carbon and nutrients, microbial biomass and different P fractions along a gradient of land-uses that is typical of the eastern escarpment of the Cordillera Real i.e., old-growth evergreen lower montane forest, active pastures (17 and 50 years-old), abandoned pastures 10 and 20 years old with bracken fern or successional vegetation. Conversion of forest to pasture by slashand- burn increased the stocks of SOC, TN, P and S in mineral topsoil of active pasture sites. Microbial growth in pasture soils was enhanced by improved availability of nutrients, C:N ratio, and increased soil pH. Up to 39 %of the total P in mineral soil was stored in the microbial biomass indicating its importance as a dynamic, easily available P reservoir at all sites. At a 17 years-old pasture the stock of NH4F extractable organic P, which is considered to be mineralisable in the short-term, was twice as high as in all other soils. The importance of the NaOH extractable organic Ppool increased with pasture age. Pasture degradation was accelerated by a decline of this P stock, which is essential for the long-term P supply. Stocks of microbial biomass, total N and S had returned to forest levels 10 years after pasture abandonment; soil pH and total P 20 years after growth of successional bush vegetation. Only the C:N ratio increased above forest level indicating an ongoing loss of N after 20 years. Soil nutrient depletion and microbial biomass decline enforced the degradation of pastures on the investigated Cambisol sites.

Abstract:

Forest fragmentation can negatively affect tropical epiphyte diversity, but the processes leading to such impoverishment are insufficiently understood. Due to a lack of experimental studies, the relative influence of dispersal constraints vs. growth conditions remains particularly controversial. This paper addresses the fate of late juvenile and adult vascular epiphytes in response to severe forest disturbance in montane southern Ecuador. Plant growth and survival on trunks and lower branches of isolated remnant trees was studied for the first three years following clear-cutting. Overall epiphyte mortality was substantially increased on remnant trees (72% over 3 years) relative to undisturbed forest (11%). Mortality on remnant trees was higher during the first year (52%) than during the second (20%) and third year (26%). Pteridophytes and dicots suffered higher losses than monocots. Plants surviving on remnant trees generally showed a marked negative growth regarding maximum leaf length, whereas the annual increment in leaf number varied more strongly among taxa (families). The present study provides the first field-experimental evidence for the adverse effects of forest disturbance on the performance of later, well-established life stages of vascular epiphytes. The results suggest that growth conditions may often be a more important predictor of epiphyte diversity in disturbed habitats than dispersal constraints. Similar plant responses can be expected to occur along forest edges. Therefore, the retention of scattered green trees, narrow strips or small fragments of forest are unlikely to be sufficient management tools for the conservation of epiphyte diversity in tropical landscapes.

Abstract:

Although vascular epiphytes contribute substantially to the biodiversity of tropical montane forests, it is unclear how their diversity and community composition is affected by forest alteration. We studied the response of vascular epiphyte assemblages to different intensities of land-use in a montane wet forest of northeastern Ecuador: (1) unmanaged mature forest; (2) mature forest with mid- and understorey opened for cattle grazing; and (3) isolated remnant trees in cattle pastures. The numbers of individuals and species of epiphytes per host tree did not differ significantly between land-use types, neither did total epiphyte species richness (n = 30 trees). However, total species richness of pteridophytes was significantly lower on isolated remnant trees compared to unmanaged forest, whereas several taxa rich in xerotolerant species (Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, Piperaceae) exhibited the opposite trend. An analysis of floristic composition using ordination (NMS) and randomisation techniques (MRPP) showed that epiphyte assemblages on isolated remnant trees were significantly distinct from unmanaged forest while managed forest was intermediate between those two vegetation types. Ordination analysis further indicated reduced floristic heterogeneity in disturbed habitats. These results suggest considerable, rapid species turnover since land-use change 6 years prior to study, with pteridophytes being replaced by more xerotolerant taxa. We attribute this floristic turnover primarily to changes in microclimate towards higher levels of light and desiccation stress associated with forest disturbance. Our results support the notion that community composition offers a more sensitive indicator of human disturbance than species richness.

Abstract:

Abstract We investigated controls on the water chemistry of a South Ecuadorian cloud forest catchment which is partly pristine, and partly converted to extensive pasture. From April 2007 to May 2008 water samples were taken weekly to biweekly at nine different subcatchments, and were screened for differences in electric conductivity, pH, anion, as well as element composition. A principal component analysis was conducted to reduce dimensionality of the data set and define major factors explaining variation in the data. Three main factors were isolated by a subset of 10 elements (Ca2?, Ce, Gd, K?, Mg2?, Na?, Nd, Rb, Sr, Y), explaining around 90% of the data variation. Land-use was the major factor controlling and changing water chemistry of the subcatchments. A second factor was associated with the concentration of rare earth elements in water, presumably highlighting other anthropogenic influences such as gravel excavation or road construction. Around 12% of the variation was explained by the third component, which was defined by the occurrence of Rb and K and represents the influence of vegetation dynamics on element accumulation and wash-out. Comparison of base- and fast flow concentrations led to the assumption that a significant portion of soil water from around 30 cm depth contributes to storm flow, as revealed by increased rare earth element concentrations in fast flow samples. Our findings demonstrate the utility of multi-tracer principal component analysis to study tropical headwater streams, and emphasize the need for effective land management in cloud forest catchments.