An assessment of aboveground net primary productivity in Andean

Abstract:

We estimated the aboveground net primary productivity of 5 seminatural Andean pastures: 2 páramo grassland plots (430 and 512 g/m2/y), 2 plots in cleared montane forest (70 and 110 g/m2/y), and 1 in an intensive agricultural setting (1359 g/m2/y). The páramo and montane forest plots demonstrated very low productivity compared with the lowest altitude plot. The productivity of the montane forest plots was very low because overgrazing had led to the formation of dense Azorella pedunculata mats of no pasture value. The inherent productivity of páramo tussock grasses, the dominant plants in the two highest sites, is constrained by the retention of dead leaves, which are periodically burned away by farmers (but probably too frequently for long-term benefit). It is unlikely that montane forest and páramo plots could sustain higher levels of grazing, even with the addition of fertilizer, and efforts would be more appropriately focused on increasing the yields of lower altitude pastures.

Año de publicación:

2001

Keywords:

• ECUADOR
• Montane forest
• Páramao
• tropical alpine
• Fertilizer
• cutting

Fuente:

scopus