Gradients in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of Ecuador

by Beck, Erwin; Bendix, Jorg; Kottke, Ingrid; Makeschin, Franz; Mosandl, Reinhard

• ISBN13: 9783540735250
• ISBN10: 3540735259
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-05
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

A tropical mountain ecosystem in one of the "hottest" biodiversity hotspots worldwide was investigated by some 30 research teams of numerous disciplines in the natural and social sciences. Ecosystem analysis followed two gradients: an altitudinal gradient and a gradient of land-use intensity and ecosystem regeneration, respectively.This volume addresses a multitude of ecologically relevant aspects: macro- and microclimate; physics, chemistry and biology of soils; water relations, matter turnover and nutrient availability; plant growth and biomass partitioning; floral composition and plant life forms; vegetation structure and dynamics; organismic interactions, diversity and population biology of birds, moths and microarthropods; forest management, and reforestation with indigenous species; ethnobotanical and social aspects. New hypotheses are presented with regard to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as sustainable management of an ecosystem in a biodiversity hotspot.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Ecosystem (Reserva Biológica San Francisco)	p. 1
Mountain Rain Forests in Southern Ecuador as a Hotspot of Biodiversity - Limited Knowledge and Diverging Patterns	p. 15
The People Settled Around Podocarpus National Park	p. 25
Ecuador Suffers the Highest Deforestation Rate in South America	p. 37
Methodological Challenges of a Megadiverse Ecosystem	p. 41
Gradients in Ecosystem Analysis
Investigating Gradients in Ecosystem Analysis	p. 49
The Investigated Gradients	p. 55
The Altitudinal Gradient
Gradual Changes Along the Altitudinal Gradient
Climate	p. 63
Soils Along the Altitudinal Transect and in Catchments	p. 75
Flora and Fungi: Composition and Function
Potential Vegetation and Floristic Composition of Andean Forests in South Ecuador, with a Focus on the RBSF	p. 87
Past Vegetation and Fire Dynamics	p. 101
Forest Vegetation Structure Along an Altitudinal Gradient in Southern Ecuador	p. 113
Vegetation Structures and Ecological Features of the Upper Timberline Ecotone	p. 123
Mycorrhizal State and New and Special Features of Mycorrhizae of Trees, Ericads, Orchids, Ferns, and Liverworts	p. 137
Fauna: Composition and Function
Bird Species Distribution Along an Altitudinal Gradient in Southern Ecuador and its Functional Relationships with Vegetation Structure	p. 149
Seed Dispersal by Birds, Bats and Wind	p. 157
Variation of Diversity Patterns Across Moth Families Along a Tropical Altitudinal Gradient	p. 167
Soil Fauna	p. 181
Processes Along and Within the Gradient
Water Relations	p. 193
Nutrient Status and Fluxes at the Field and Catchment Scale	p. 203
Biotic Soil Activities	p. 217
Altitudinal Changes in Stand Structure and Biomass Allocation of Tropical Mountain Forests in Relation to Microclimate and Soil Chemistry	p. 229
Stand Structure, Transpiration Responses in Trees and Vines and Stand Transpiration of Different Forest Types Within the Mountain Rainforest	p. 243
Plant Growth Along the Altitudinal Gradient - Role of Plant Nutritional Status, Fine Root Activity, and Soil Properties	p. 259
Gradient Heterogeneities
Spatial Heterogeneities
Spatial Heterogeneity Patterns - a Comparison Between Gorges and Ridges in the Upper Part of an Evergreen Lower Montane Forest	p. 267
The Unique Purdiaea nutans Forest of Southern Ecuador - Abiotic Characteristics and Cryptogamic Diversity	p. 275
Temporal Heterogeneities
Climate Variability	p. 281
Growth Dynamics of Trees in Tropical Mountain Ecosystems	p. 291
Temporal Heterogeneities - Matter Deposition from Remote Areas	p. 303
Gradients of Disturbance
Natural Disturbance
Gap Dynamics in a Tropical Lower Montane Forest in South Ecuador	p. 311
Landslides as Important Disturbance Regimes - Causes and Regeneration	p. 319
Disturbance by Human Activities
Planned Disturbance as Strategy for a Sustainable Use
Sustainable and Non-Sustainable Use of Natural Resources by Indigenous and Local Communities	p. 331
Natural Forest Management in Neotropical Mountain Rain Forests - An Ecological Experiment	p. 347
Disturbance by Clearing the Forest
Permanent Removal of the Forest: Construction of Roads and Power Supply Lines	p. 361
Forest Clearing by Slash and Burn	p. 371
Gradients of Regeneration
Gradients and Patterns of Soil Physical Parameters at Local, Field and Catchment Scales	p. 375
Visualization and Analysis of Flow Patterns and Water Flow Simulations in Disturbed and Undisturbed Tropical Soils	p. 387
Pasture Management and Natural Soil Regeneration	p. 397
Succession Stages of Vegetation Regeneration: Secondary Tropical Mountain Forests	p. 409
Reforestation of Abandoned Pastures: Seed Ecology of Native Species and Production of Indigenous Plant Material	p. 417
Reforestation of Abandoned Pastures: Silvicultural Means to Accelerate Forest Recovery and Biodiversity	p. 431
Successional Stages of Faunal Regeneration - A Case Study on Megadiverse Moths	p. 443
Synopsis
Gradients in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem - a Synthesis	p. 451
References	p. 465
Subject Index	p. 511
Taxonomic Index	p. 523
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