Future climate change renders unsuitable conditions for paramo ecosystems in Colombia

Matilda Cresso; Nicola Clerici; Adriana Sanchez; Fernando Jaramillo

doi:10.3390/su12208373

Future climate change renders unsuitable conditions for paramo ecosystems in Colombia

Título traducido de la contribución: El cambio climático futuro genera condiciones inadecuadas para los ecosistemas de páramo en Colombia

Matilda Cresso, Nicola Clerici, Adriana Sanchez, Fernando Jaramillo

Producción científica: Contribución a una revista › Artículo de Investigación › revisión exhaustiva

19 Citas (Scopus)

Resumen

Los ecosistemas de páramo son pastizales alpinos tropicales, ubicados por encima de los 3000 msnm. en la cordillera de los Andes. Sus características únicas de vegetación y suelo, en combinación con bajas temperaturas y abundantes precipitaciones, crean las condiciones más ventajosas para regular y almacenar aguas superficiales y subterráneas. Sin embargo, el aumento de las temperaturas y los patrones cambiantes de precipitación debido al cambio climático de emisión de gases de efecto invernadero están amenazando estos frágiles entornos. En este estudio, utilizamos observaciones regionales y datos reducidos de precipitación y temperatura mínima y máxima durante el período de referencia 1960-1990 y simulaciones para el período futuro 2041-2060 para estudiar la extensión presente y futura de los ecosistemas de páramo en el Parque Nacional Chingaza ( CNP), cerca de la capital de Colombia, Bogotá. Los datos históricos se utilizaron para establecer límites superiores e inferiores de precipitación y temperatura para determinar las ubicaciones donde los ecosistemas de páramo prosperan actualmente. Nuestros resultados encontraron que el aumento de las temperaturas medias mensuales y los cambios en las precipitaciones harán que del 39 al 52% de la extensión actual del páramo en CNP sea inadecuada para estos ecosistemas durante la estación seca, y del 13 al 34% durante la estación húmeda. La mayor pérdida de área de páramo ocurrirá durante la estación seca y para el escenario 8.5 de la vía de concentración representativa (RCP), cuando tanto los límites de temperatura como de precipitación son más propensos a excederse. Aunque nuestras estimaciones iniciales muestran el impacto futuro en los páramos y la seguridad hídrica de Bogotá debido al cambio climático, las complejas interacciones internas y externas en los ecosistemas de páramo hacen que sea esencial estudiar otros parámetros climáticos que influyen (por ejemplo, suelo, topografía, viento, etc.) aparte de la temperatura y la precipitación.

Título traducido de la contribución	El cambio climático futuro genera condiciones inadecuadas para los ecosistemas de páramo en Colombia
Idioma original	Inglés estadounidense
Número de artículo	8373
Páginas (desde-hasta)	1-13
Número de páginas	13
Publicación	Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volumen	12
N.º	20
DOI	https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208373 https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208373
Estado	Publicada - oct. 12 2020

Áreas temáticas de ASJC Scopus

Geografía, planificación y desarrollo
Energías renovables, sostenibilidad y medio ambiente
Gestión, supervisión, políticas y leyes

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@article{bfe5d80877014ec7acea1cc49b9507c3,

title = "Future climate change renders unsuitable conditions for paramo ecosystems in Colombia",

abstract = "Paramo ecosystems are tropical alpine grasslands, located above 3000 m.a.s.l. in the Andean mountain range. Their unique vegetation and soil characteristics, in combination with low temperature and abundant precipitation, create the most advantageous conditions for regulating and storing surface and groundwater. However, increasing temperatures and changing patterns of precipitation due to greenhouse-gas-emission climate change are threatening these fragile environments. In this study, we used regional observations and downscaled data for precipitation and minimum and maximum temperature during the reference period 1960–1990 and simulations for the future period 2041–2060 to study the present and future extents of paramo ecosystems in the Chingaza National Park (CNP), nearby Colombia{\textquoteright}s capital city, Bogot{\'a}. The historical data were used for establishing upper and lower precipitation and temperature boundaries to determine the locations where paramo ecosystems currently thrive. Our results found that increasing mean monthly temperatures and changing precipitation will render 39 to 52% of the current paramo extent in CNP unsuitable for these ecosystems during the dry season, and 13 to 34% during the wet season. The greatest loss of paramo area will occur during the dry season and for the representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenario 8.5, when both temperature and precipitation boundaries are more prone to be exceeded. Although our initial estimates show the future impact on paramos and the water security of Bogot{\'a} due to climate change, complex internal and external interactions in paramo ecosystems make it essential to study other influencing climatic parameters (e.g., soil, topography, wind, etc.) apart from temperature and precipitation.",

author = "Matilda Cresso and Nicola Clerici and Adriana Sanchez and Fernando Jaramillo",

note = "Esta investigaci{\'o}n fue financiada por la Agencia Sueca de Desarrollo Internacional (SIDA); la Sociedad Sueca de Antropolog{\'i}a y Geograf{\'i}a (SSAG); y el Consejo Sueco de Investigaci{\'o}n para el Medio Ambiente, las Ciencias Agr{\'i}colas y la Ordenaci{\'o}n del Territorio FORMAS (942–2015-740).",

year = "2020",

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doi = "10.3390/su12208373",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Future climate change renders unsuitable conditions for paramo ecosystems in Colombia

AU - Cresso, Matilda

AU - Clerici, Nicola

AU - Sanchez, Adriana

AU - Jaramillo, Fernando

N1 - Esta investigación fue financiada por la Agencia Sueca de Desarrollo Internacional (SIDA); la Sociedad Sueca de Antropología y Geografía (SSAG); y el Consejo Sueco de Investigación para el Medio Ambiente, las Ciencias Agrícolas y la Ordenación del Territorio FORMAS (942–2015-740).

PY - 2020/10/12

Y1 - 2020/10/12

N2 - Paramo ecosystems are tropical alpine grasslands, located above 3000 m.a.s.l. in the Andean mountain range. Their unique vegetation and soil characteristics, in combination with low temperature and abundant precipitation, create the most advantageous conditions for regulating and storing surface and groundwater. However, increasing temperatures and changing patterns of precipitation due to greenhouse-gas-emission climate change are threatening these fragile environments. In this study, we used regional observations and downscaled data for precipitation and minimum and maximum temperature during the reference period 1960–1990 and simulations for the future period 2041–2060 to study the present and future extents of paramo ecosystems in the Chingaza National Park (CNP), nearby Colombia’s capital city, Bogotá. The historical data were used for establishing upper and lower precipitation and temperature boundaries to determine the locations where paramo ecosystems currently thrive. Our results found that increasing mean monthly temperatures and changing precipitation will render 39 to 52% of the current paramo extent in CNP unsuitable for these ecosystems during the dry season, and 13 to 34% during the wet season. The greatest loss of paramo area will occur during the dry season and for the representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenario 8.5, when both temperature and precipitation boundaries are more prone to be exceeded. Although our initial estimates show the future impact on paramos and the water security of Bogotá due to climate change, complex internal and external interactions in paramo ecosystems make it essential to study other influencing climatic parameters (e.g., soil, topography, wind, etc.) apart from temperature and precipitation.

AB - Paramo ecosystems are tropical alpine grasslands, located above 3000 m.a.s.l. in the Andean mountain range. Their unique vegetation and soil characteristics, in combination with low temperature and abundant precipitation, create the most advantageous conditions for regulating and storing surface and groundwater. However, increasing temperatures and changing patterns of precipitation due to greenhouse-gas-emission climate change are threatening these fragile environments. In this study, we used regional observations and downscaled data for precipitation and minimum and maximum temperature during the reference period 1960–1990 and simulations for the future period 2041–2060 to study the present and future extents of paramo ecosystems in the Chingaza National Park (CNP), nearby Colombia’s capital city, Bogotá. The historical data were used for establishing upper and lower precipitation and temperature boundaries to determine the locations where paramo ecosystems currently thrive. Our results found that increasing mean monthly temperatures and changing precipitation will render 39 to 52% of the current paramo extent in CNP unsuitable for these ecosystems during the dry season, and 13 to 34% during the wet season. The greatest loss of paramo area will occur during the dry season and for the representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenario 8.5, when both temperature and precipitation boundaries are more prone to be exceeded. Although our initial estimates show the future impact on paramos and the water security of Bogotá due to climate change, complex internal and external interactions in paramo ecosystems make it essential to study other influencing climatic parameters (e.g., soil, topography, wind, etc.) apart from temperature and precipitation.

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JO - Sustainability (Switzerland)

JF - Sustainability (Switzerland)

IS - 20

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Future climate change renders unsuitable conditions for paramo ecosystems in Colombia

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