Regresar

Exploring climate changes in mountainous ecosystems in the Andes of South Ecuador

Abstract:

The Andes Mountains of Ecuador are one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world with high ecosystem diversity. Particularly the complex structure of the terrain causes a variety of ecosystems across small scales that are strongly related to zonal and altitudinal gradients in climate parameters. At the eastern slopes mountain rain forest dominate because extensive rain amounts occur due to impinging easterlies. They advance warm-moist air from the Amazon basin to the Andes and subsequently lead to an orographic enhancement of cloud and precipitation. In contrast, the western slopes are under the influence of a strong seasonality driven by the South American monsoon system leading to distinct rainy and dry periods which is reflected in the deciduous forest/dry forest. Additionally, as a result of the altitudinal gradient paramo ecosystem occurs above the timberline. In the light of recent and future …