Abstract
High-elevation wetlands in South America are not well described despite their high sensitivity to human impact and unique biodiversity. We describe the hydroclimatological and limnological characteristics of 21 wetlands on the High Andean Plateau of Argentina, synthesizing information gathered over ten years (2010–2020). We collected physical-chemical, phytoplankton, and zooplankton data and counted flamingos in each wetland. We also conducted an extensive analysis of climatic patterns and hydrological responses since 1985. These wetlands are shallow, with a wide range of salinity (from fresh to brine), mostly alkaline, and are dominated by carbonate and gypsum deposits and sodium-chloride waters. They tend to have high nutrient concentrations. Plankton shows a low species richness and moderate to high dominance of taxa. Flamingos are highly dependent on the presence of Bacillariophyta, which appears to be positively linked to silica and soluble reactive phosphorus availability. Climatic conditions show a strong region-wide increase in average air temperature since the mid-1980s and a decrease in precipitation between 1985–1999 and 2000–2020. These high-elevation wetlands are fundamentally sensitive systems; therefore, having baseline information becomes imperative to understanding the impact of climatic changes and other human perturbations. This work attempts to advance the body of scientific knowledge of these unique wetland systems.
Highlights
The dry Andean plateau stretches 1800 km along the backbone of the mountain range from southern Peru to northern Argentina between the eastern and western mountains, varies from 350 to 400 km in width and averages 4000 m above sea level (m.a.s.l) [1,2]
Our analysis shows that both species (P. andinus and P. jamesi) abundance is linked to diatoms, and P. chilensis numbers are linked to large zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) and other algae groups
Our results show that zooplankton was not well represented in species richness or abundance in the Andean plateau wetlands, a pattern that is consistent with the findings of other authors in similar extreme ecosystems, who conclude that conductivity gradients mainly control zooplankton in these systems [144,145,146,147]
Summary
The dry Andean plateau stretches 1800 km along the backbone of the mountain range from southern Peru to northern Argentina between the eastern and western mountains, varies from 350 to 400 km in width and averages 4000 m above sea level (m.a.s.l) [1,2]. The plateau is dotted with wetlands that provide essential resources for human activity and habitats for biodiversity highly adapted to extreme environmental conditions [3,4] These wetlands have received less attention than other types of water systems on the South American continent. The isolated wetlands of the Andean plateau are formed in arid and semiarid climates where annual evaporation exceeds precipitation, forming endorheic drainage basins with deep groundwater flow systems and little surface water [5,6] This results in the development of unique wetlands at their terminal areas where salt concentrations may reach 250 g L−1, and evaporite deposits called salars often form [7,8]. Vegetation patches (peatlands or highelevation bogs), known locally as vegas and bofedales, are commonly found at the perimeter of lagoons and play a critical role in regulating the local water balance and sustaining a unique diversity of rare and endemic biota in the high Andes [11,12]
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