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| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
2013
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| Online Access: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=726180834006 |
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Table of Contents:
- Influence of vegetation types and ground cover on soil water infiltration capacity in a high-altitude páramo ecosystem Esteban Suárez R. Emilia Arcos Cristhian Moreno Andrea C. Encalada Maruxa Álvarez Multidisciplinaria (Ciencias Naturales y Exactas) soil páramo Ecuador soil cover water infiltration capacity Mountain ecosystems are receiving increasing attention due to their role in the regulation and supply of water for a growing human population, a pattern that is especially important in high altitude ecosystems of the northern Andes (páramo). Although it is commonly accepted that the capacity of soils to retain and regulate water is mostly given by their structure and organic matter content, it could be also influenced by the differences in the depth and nature of plant ground cover in different vegetation types. By performing a series of water infiltration essays in soils under different vegetation or land-use categories in an Ecuadorian páramo, we evaluated the relative contribution of ground vegetation cover to water infiltration capacity. Water infiltration was extremely high under shrubland vegetation and Polylepis forest, and decreased markedly under grassland, Pine plantations, and cattle trails. In all cases, the layer of ground vegetation made a significant contribution to total infiltration capacity, as shown by the lower infiltration rates of the essays performed after this layer was removed. Management and restoration of mountain ecosystems should concentrate in the recovery of landscape-level heterogeneity and the protection of the ground vegetation layer that regulates soil micro-climate, and provides additional water storage capacity. 2013 artículo científico 1390-5384 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=726180834006 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=7261 Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías application/pdf Universidad San Francisco de Quito Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías (Ecuador) Num.1 Vol.5