Abstract
High-altitude peatlands in the Andes, i.e., bofedales, play an essential role in alpine ecosystems, regulating the local water balance and supporting biodiversity. This is particularly true in semiarid Chile, where bofedales develop near the altitudinal and hydrological limits of plant life. The subterranean geometry and stratigraphy of one peatland was characterized in north-central Chile using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and core extraction. Two sounding locations, two transversal and one longitudinal profile allowed a 3D interpretation of the bofedal’s internal structure. A conceptual model of the current bofedal system is proposed. Geophysical results combined with porosity measurements were used to estimate the bofedal water storage capacity. Using hydrological data at the watershed scale, implications regarding the hydrological role of bofedales in the semiarid Andes were then briefly assessed. At the catchment scale, bofedal water storage capacity, evapotranspiration losses and annual streamflow are on the same order of magnitude. High-altitude peatlands are therefore storing a significant amount of water and their impact on basin hydrology should be investigated further.
Highlights
Peat accumulating wetlands in the Andes, i.e., bofedales, are critical for livestock grazing in the highlands from Venezuela to Chile [1,2] and play a crucial role in sustaining a unique diversity of endemic and rare biota [3,4]
This study aims to understand the hydrological role of high Andean wetlands as water reservoirs
After the analysis of the geophysical results, a 3D computation of the alluvial filling identified with geophysics was carried out, before completing the hydrological interpretation of the bofedal water storage compared to other hydrological components
Summary
Peat accumulating wetlands in the Andes, i.e., bofedales, are critical for livestock grazing in the highlands from Venezuela to Chile [1,2] and play a crucial role in sustaining a unique diversity of endemic and rare biota [3,4]. One-third of the threatened bird species and mammals in the Andes depend upon bofedales for water, nesting and grazing. Whilst bofedales are generally small-sized, they likely impact regional carbon stocks due to their large number and relatively deep peat layers [5,6,7]. Bofedales are increasingly being recognized as key regulators of the local water balance [8], and regional hydrology is likely influenced by their water storage capacity and retardation of surface flow [9].
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