ABSTRACT
RESUMEN Los bosques tropicales son importantes a nivel mundial por su biodiversidad y los servicios ecosistémicos que proveen, son claves en el ciclo global del agua. Los cambios y presiones de origen antrópico que afectan a los bosques tropicales inciden en el papel fundamental de estos en la provisión de agua. En este trabajo se evalúa la relación de las coberturas vegetales presentes en el Bosque altoandino de la Reserva Forestal Protectora "El Malmo" con la calidad y cantidad de interceptación y escorrentía; la zona de vida analizada comprende cuatro tipos de coberturas: bosque denso altoandino, vegetación secundaria baja, plantación de latifoliadas y mosaico de pastos con espacios naturales. Se instalaron ocho montajes (dos por cobertura) compuestos cada uno de una parcela de escorrentía y un medidor de precipitación bajo el dosel; el levantamiento de datos se efectúo cada ocho días durante 24 semanas. Los resultados indican que la interceptación de la precipitación no difiere en cada cubierta, mientras que si se ve afectada la escorrentía superficial y su calidad respecto a sedimentos, cambios que obedecen fuertemente a las diferencias en las condiciones físicas del suelo. La cobertura que permite las mejores dimensiones de calidad y cantidad de agua es el bosque denso altoandino. La influencia de la intervención antrópica en el área y la presencia de invasoras afectan negativamente estas variables. Este trabajo aporta conocimiento sobre el comportamiento hidrológico de la Reserva, para su uso en la gestión forestal. Así mismo, genera información, hasta el momento inexistente, sobre la relación interceptación/escorrentía en bosques de la región Cundiboyacense, convirtiéndose en punto inicial de comparación para nuevas investigaciones en ecosistemas altoandinos.
ABSTRACT Tropical forests are important globally for their biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide are key to the global water cycle. The changes and pressures of anthropic origin that affect tropical forests affect the fundamental role of these in the provision of water. In this work the relationship between the vegetation cover in the High Andean Forest of the Protective Forest Reserve "El Malmo" with the quality and quantity of interception and runoff is evaluated; the life zone analyzed includes four types of cover: dense high Andean forest, low secondary vegetation, broadleaf planting and mosaic of pastures with natural spaces. Eight assemblies were installed (two per cover) each composed of a runoff plot and a pluviometer under the canopy; the data was collected every eight days for 24 weeks. The results indicate that the interception of precipitation does not differ in each cover, whereas if surface runoff and its quality with respect to sediments are affected, changes that are strongly related to differences in soil physical conditions. The coverage that allows the best dimensions of quality and quantity of water is the high Andean dense forest. The influence of anthropic intervention on the area and the presence of invasive species adversely affect these variables. This work provides knowledge about the hydrological behavior ofthe Reserve, for its use in forest management. Also, it generates information, until the moment nonexistent, on the interception / runoff relationship in forests of the Cundiboyacense region, becoming an initial point of comparison for new research in High Andean ecosystems.
ABSTRACT
This special issue “Impact of climate change on physical and biogeochemical processes in the hydrologic cycle” presents a collection of articles on interactions of climatic drivers and hydro-biogeochemical responses as well as the role of biogeochemical processes in controls and feedbacks with regard to climate change impact. While the in-depth disciplinary studies are critically needed as presented in this issue, we also strongly believe that systems approach transcending disciplinary boundaries is needed to address the climate change in integrated natural and human systems.
ABSTRACT
Florestas ripárias, mosaicos de vegetação e áreas alagadas têm papel fundamental na proteção dos recursos hídricos mantendo a qualidade da água em excelentes condições para abastecimento e recarregado aquíferos repondo, portanto, volumes substanciais de águas para o componente subterrâneo. A remoção de florestas ripárias e áreas alagadas têm um efeito extremamente negativo degradando a qualidade das águas superficiais e subterrâneas, acelerando a sedimentação de lagoas, represas e rios, e diminuindo o estoque de água nas nascentes e aquíferos. Todos os serviços ambientais dos ecossistemas aquáticos ficam comprometidos com o desmatamento e remoção de áreas naturalmente alagadas, portanto a preservação destas áreas é essencial para regular tanto o ciclo hidrológicos como os ciclos biogeoquímicos. A remoção destas áreas torna insustentável a agricultura em curto prazo.
Mosaics of vegetation, riparian forests, and wetlands have an important quantitative and qualitative role on the hydrological cycle. Riparian forests protect the water quality of rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Wetlands control floods, sedimentation and regulate the water quality by enhancing processes such as denitrification, phosphorus and heavy metal retention. Both ecosystems of transition are fundamental. The removal of wetlands and forests (riparian and mosaics of vegetation) affects environmental services of these ecosystems, causing loss of economic assets of the capital natural and accelerating degradation of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the watersheds. Protection of these ecosystems of transition is thus fundamental for the development of agriculture. The loss of services affects society, human health, increasing costs of recovery and deteriorating human-ecological relationships.