Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I General perspectives
- Part II Regional floristic and animal diversity
- Part III Hydrometeorology of tropical montane cloud forest
- Part IV Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
- 39 Spatial and temporal dynamics of atmospheric water and nutrient inputs in tropical mountain forests of southern Ecuador
- 40 Fog deposition and chemistry in a sub-tropical montane cloud forest in Taiwan
- 41 Fog and rain water chemistry in the seasonal tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna, south-west China
- 42 Spatial heterogeneity of throughfall quantity and quality in tropical montane forests in southern Ecuador
- 43 Effect of topography on soil fertility and water flow in an Ecuadorian lower montane forest
- 44 Human impacts on stream-water chemistry in a tropical montane cloud forest watershed, Monteverde, Costa Rica
- 45 Is there evidence for limitations to nitrogen mineralization in upper montane tropical forests?
- 46 Fine root mass and fine root production in tropical moist forests as dependent on soil, climate, and elevation
- Part V Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion
- Part VI Effects of climate variability and climate change
- Part VII Cloud forest conservation, restoration, and management issues
- References
43 - Effect of topography on soil fertility and water flow in an Ecuadorian lower montane forest
from Part IV - Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 May 2011
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I General perspectives
- Part II Regional floristic and animal diversity
- Part III Hydrometeorology of tropical montane cloud forest
- Part IV Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
- 39 Spatial and temporal dynamics of atmospheric water and nutrient inputs in tropical mountain forests of southern Ecuador
- 40 Fog deposition and chemistry in a sub-tropical montane cloud forest in Taiwan
- 41 Fog and rain water chemistry in the seasonal tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna, south-west China
- 42 Spatial heterogeneity of throughfall quantity and quality in tropical montane forests in southern Ecuador
- 43 Effect of topography on soil fertility and water flow in an Ecuadorian lower montane forest
- 44 Human impacts on stream-water chemistry in a tropical montane cloud forest watershed, Monteverde, Costa Rica
- 45 Is there evidence for limitations to nitrogen mineralization in upper montane tropical forests?
- 46 Fine root mass and fine root production in tropical moist forests as dependent on soil, climate, and elevation
- Part V Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion
- Part VI Effects of climate variability and climate change
- Part VII Cloud forest conservation, restoration, and management issues
- References
Summary
ABSTRACT
Tropical montane forests are frequently located on steep slopes with pronounced differences in topographic exposure, related microclimatic conditions and hence in composition and structure of the vegetation over small distances. The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that topographic position significantly influences soil fertility and water flow in these forests. Soil properties were determined at various topographic positions and water samples of selected ecosystem fluxes analyzed over a 1-year period for oxygen isotopes in three small, steep watersheds under lower montane forest in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes in southern Ecuador. The soils are subject to lateral material movement (landsliding and solifluction). This, together with the pronounced variation in climatic conditions and vegetation over small distances, resulted in high heterogeneity of soil properties. The pH of the A-horizon ranged between 3.7 and 6.4; concentrations of base metals (calcium, magnesium), sulfur and phosphorus, and trace metals (manganese, zinc) showed enormous spatial variation (coefficient of variation: 358–680% over a surface area of <30 ha). The steepness of the study area and the large contrast in hydraulic conductivities of the organic layer and the mineral soil resulted in a hillslope flow regime dominated by fast lateral flow. During baseflow conditions, δ18O values were similar to that of the sub-soil solution, but rapidly became similar to values in the top-soil solution during rain storms. The chemical composition of stormflows resembled that of the litter leachate. Stormflow had lower pH and higher organic carbon and metal concentrations than did baseflow. […]
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- Tropical Montane Cloud ForestsScience for Conservation and Management, pp. 402 - 409Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
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