Abstract
The tropical montane forests in the Colombian Andean region are located above 1500 m, and have been heavily deforested. Despite the general presumption that productivity and hence carbon stocks in these ecosystems are low, studies in this regard are scarce. This study aimed to (i) to estimate Above Ground Biomass (AGB) in forests located in the South of the Colombian Andean region, (ii) to identify the carbon storage potential of tropical montane forests dominated by the black oak Colombobalanus excelsa and to identify the relationship between AGB and altitude, and (iii) to analyze the role of tropical mountain forests in conservation mechanisms such as Payment for Environmental Services (PES) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+). Twenty six 0.25 ha plots were randomly distributed in the forests and all trees with D > or =10 cm were measured. The results provided important elements for understanding the role of tropical montane forests as carbon sinks. The information produced can be used in subnational initiatives, which seek to mitigate or reduce the effects of deforestation through management or conservation of these ecosystems, like REDD+ or PES. The AGB and carbon stocks results obtained were similar to those reported for lowland tropical forests. These could be explained by the dominance and abundance of C. excelsa, which accounted for over 81% of AGB/carbon. The error associated with the estimates of AGB/carbon was 10.58%. We found a negative and significant relationship between AGB and altitude, but the higher AGB values were in middle altitudes (approximatly = 700-1800 m), where the environmental conditions could be favorable to their growth. The carbon storage potential of these forests was higher. However, if the historical rate of the deforestation in the study area continues, the gross emissions of CO2e to the atmosphere could turn these forests in to an important emissions source. Nowadays, it is clear that tropical montane forests are vulnerable to deforestation, especially black Oak forests due to their commercial value. Given their high carbon storage potential, the presence of endemic species and the strategic functions of these ecosystems, we recommend that they should be considered relevant during REDD+, PES or any other conservation assessment.
Highlights
Los bosques tropicales de montaña o bosques montanos son reconocidos por su importante papel como fuentes de agua, brindan refugio a varias especies durante épocas de cambio paleo-climático (Van Der, Shoo, & Williams, 2009), y por el endemismo de su diversidad biológica (Gentry, 1992)
Las regiones tropicales de montaña, localizadas a altitudes mayores (≥1 500m) han sido fuertemente deforestadas, y aunque existe una presunción general de que la productividad, y por tanto, las reservas de carbono en éstos ecosistemas son bajas, los estudios al respecto son más escasos y divergentes en cuanto a resultados (Girardin et al, 2010; Homeier, Breckle, Gunter, Rollenbeck, & Leuschner, 2010; Marshall et al, 2012)
Teniendo en cuenta que la existencia de árboles de grandes dimensiones en los bosques tropicales es cada vez más escasa, por efecto de la intervención humana (Lindenmayer, Laurance, & Franklin, 2012), y que además, son estos individuos los responsables de almacenar grandes cantidades de carbono en los bosques tropicales de tierras bajas (Slik et al, 2010), este estudio parte del supuesto que algo similar puede estar ocurriendo en los bosques tropicales de montaña en Colombia, donde existe dominancia de ciertas especies de interés comercial (Phillips et al, 2011)
Summary
Área de estudio: El estudio fue realizado en bosques naturales del Parque Natural Regional Corredor Biológico Parque Nacional Natural Puracé – Parque Nacional Natural Cueva de los Guácharos, entre las coordenadas 01°34’55’.19” N - 76°00’24”.35” W y 02°3’55”.97” N - 76°33’33.45” W, al sur del departamento del Huila (Colombia). Establecimiento de parcelas: Teniendo en cuenta que el protocolo nacional para la estimación de biomasa/carbono propuesto por IDEAM (Yepes et al, 2011) sugiere establecer al menos nueve parcelas de 0.25ha en bosques de montaña, para obtener estimados de biomasa aérea con baja incertidumbre, durante el año 2010 se establecieron aleatoriamente un total de 26 parcelas de 50x50m (0.25ha) en los bosques naturales del área de estudio, y se inventariaron en total 6.5ha. Estimaciones de biomasa aérea y carbono: Para la estimación de la biomasa aérea de los árboles (expresada en kg), se emplearon las ecuaciones desarrolladas por Álvarez et al (2012) generadas para Colombia, y que se ajustan a las características ecológicas y biofísicas del área de estudio. Tipo de bosque Bosque húmedo/muy húmedo premontano (bh-PM/bmh-PM) Bosque húmedo/muy húmedo montano bajo (bh-MB/bmh-MB) Bosque húmedo/muy húmedo montano (bh-M/bmh-M)
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