The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands
The Paramo is a heterogeneous array of High Andean Mountain ecosystems above the tree line at elevations between 2800 and 5000 m. It unites characteristics of mountain ecosystems with those of wetlands, both of which are highly important in the context of global warming. It is considered the region...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423002743 |
| _version_ | 1797650716659023872 |
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| author | Stefan Alexander Brück Byron Daniel Medina Torres Maria de Lourdes Teixeira de Moraes Polizeli |
| author_facet | Stefan Alexander Brück Byron Daniel Medina Torres Maria de Lourdes Teixeira de Moraes Polizeli |
| author_sort | Stefan Alexander Brück |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Paramo is a heterogeneous array of High Andean Mountain ecosystems above the tree line at elevations between 2800 and 5000 m. It unites characteristics of mountain ecosystems with those of wetlands, both of which are highly important in the context of global warming. It is considered the region with the highest global diversification rate on earth, capable of storing equally large amounts of soil organic carbon and vast quantities of water, forming wetlands within the paramo region, which are crucial for the sustainability of downslope Andean ecosystems and human settlements. These characteristics have attracted great scientific interest leading to an increase in publications, especially in the last decade. Nevertheless, the paramos diversity, difficult topology, latitudinal extension, location in developing countries, and the lack of historical data regarding the monitoring of soil characteristics, dynamics in hydrology, and climatic conditions still cause an important gap in knowledge necessary to estimate future climate change impacts, potential loss of ecosystem services and mitigation strategies. Substantial parts of its unique structure are seriously threatened to disappear before we discover all its secrets. Human intervention due to the upslope shift of agricultural activity, cattle farming, hunting, and wildfires have devastated large amounts of its landscapes. However, the biggest threat, global climate change, is still in its early phase of manifestation. In this context, the present review aims to summarize important characteristics of the Ecuadorian paramo with special emphasis on flooded and floodable areas, analyze what is known about principal threats and their future impact, and finally try to compare paramo research with northern wetlands to identify and discuss important knowledge gaps that remain to be filled. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:05:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c62d5dc5d1924607a9a6cce8a5d681fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:05:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-c62d5dc5d1924607a9a6cce8a5d681fc2023-10-25T04:16:17ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942023-11-0147e02639The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlandsStefan Alexander Brück0Byron Daniel Medina Torres1Maria de Lourdes Teixeira de Moraes Polizeli2Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170403, Ecuador; Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil; Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, EcuadorFacultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170403, Ecuador; Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix-du-Sud 2 Box L7.05,14-B, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumDepartamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14050-901, Brazil; Corresponding author at: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil.The Paramo is a heterogeneous array of High Andean Mountain ecosystems above the tree line at elevations between 2800 and 5000 m. It unites characteristics of mountain ecosystems with those of wetlands, both of which are highly important in the context of global warming. It is considered the region with the highest global diversification rate on earth, capable of storing equally large amounts of soil organic carbon and vast quantities of water, forming wetlands within the paramo region, which are crucial for the sustainability of downslope Andean ecosystems and human settlements. These characteristics have attracted great scientific interest leading to an increase in publications, especially in the last decade. Nevertheless, the paramos diversity, difficult topology, latitudinal extension, location in developing countries, and the lack of historical data regarding the monitoring of soil characteristics, dynamics in hydrology, and climatic conditions still cause an important gap in knowledge necessary to estimate future climate change impacts, potential loss of ecosystem services and mitigation strategies. Substantial parts of its unique structure are seriously threatened to disappear before we discover all its secrets. Human intervention due to the upslope shift of agricultural activity, cattle farming, hunting, and wildfires have devastated large amounts of its landscapes. However, the biggest threat, global climate change, is still in its early phase of manifestation. In this context, the present review aims to summarize important characteristics of the Ecuadorian paramo with special emphasis on flooded and floodable areas, analyze what is known about principal threats and their future impact, and finally try to compare paramo research with northern wetlands to identify and discuss important knowledge gaps that remain to be filled.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423002743ParamoWetlandEcosystem servicesCarbon fixationWater retention |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Alexander Brück Byron Daniel Medina Torres Maria de Lourdes Teixeira de Moraes Polizeli The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands Global Ecology and Conservation Paramo Wetland Ecosystem services Carbon fixation Water retention |
| title | The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands |
| title_full | The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands |
| title_fullStr | The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands |
| title_short | The Ecuadorian paramo in danger: What we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands |
| title_sort | ecuadorian paramo in danger what we know and what might be learned from northern wetlands |
| topic | Paramo Wetland Ecosystem services Carbon fixation Water retention |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423002743 |
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