Titel

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Introduction to Research Topic 1
Ecosystems in Páramos M.Sc. Camilo Lesmes
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What is a Paramo?
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Páramo in Colombia
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Páramo Climatology

• Summer every day, winter every night
• Temperature 17ºC to -8 ºC
• Temperature decreases 0,6ºC / 100 m
• Precipitation 700 to 6000 mm
• Humidity gt90
• UV Index Very high
• Atmospheric pressure low

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Importance of the Páramo

• Water
• Continuos provision 1400 mm (66,5 km³ / year
• Bogotá consumption 27 m³ / second

• Soils
• Storage of carbon
• High content of organic matter (100 gr /kg)
• 40 of C in wet locations
• Soils up to 3 m depth

• Biodiversity
• 5.000 plant species (60 endemic)
• 120 mammals
• 87 amphibians
• 11 reptiles
• 154 birds

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Environmental Problems

• Economical Activities
• 10 of soils are used for potato crops
• Burnings
• Livestock grazing

• Tourism
• Improve local economic development
• Intensification can interfere with the
  ecosystems

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Potential Risks Related to Climate Change

• Shifts in
• Ecosystem boundaries
• Agricultural borders
• Soil hydraulic properties

• Consequences
• Biodiversity is affected
• Less production of water
• Releasing of CO2

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Research Questions

• Reviewing the available information about
  paramos
• Which could be an appropiate approach for land
  use management that includes the protection of
  natural resources and improvement of the social
  and economic situations of the local communities?
• What can be the role of the government, local
  authorities and communities, in the improvement
  of the protection of the paramos?
• What are the important issues that should be
  considered by the scientific community in order
  to understand the changes in the paramo
  ecosystems because of the climate change?

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