Soil CO2 flux trends with differences in soil moisture among four types of land use in an Ecuadorian páramo landscape

Abstract

Páramo grasslands are important carbon sinks in the Ecuadorian Andes. Although carbon content of páramo Andisols is correlated with high water retention, the effects of differences in soil moisture under different types of land use on soil carbon processes have not been explicitly tested in the Ecuadorian Andes. This study assessed the relationship between soil moisture and soil CO2 flux among a mature páramo grassland, recently burned páramo grassland, native montane forest, and pine plantation in an Ecuadorian páramo landscape. Soil CO2 flux was greater in the forest sites compared to the grassland sites. Thus, a shift from grassland to forest cover may have significant implications for soil carbon loss via CO2 flux. Our results suggest that although soil moisture plays a significant role in differences of soil CO2 flux rates among land-use types, more investigation into mechanisms for soil carbon loss and how they are driven by land-use change is needed. To our knowledge, these are the first soil CO2 flux rates reported for the Ecuadorian páramo.