| Popis: |
Ensuring a supply of good quality water is one of the major challenges of the coming decades. The páramo ecosystem in the South American Andes supplies freshwater to more than 100 million people. Water from the páramo is used for drinking water, irrigation in agriculture and hydroelectricity production. A high precipitation throughout the year in combination with a low evapotranspiration and high water retention capacity of the Andosol soils results in a stable base flow of good quality water to the lower lying regions. This water is temporarily stored in numerous lakes of both volcanic and glacial origin. Rapidly developing economies, intensifying agricultural activities and the exploding population numbers, however, exert an increasing amount of pressure on these ecosystems and threaten the trophic status of the lakes. Despite their importance, very little is known about the limnology and ecological functioning of these tropical mountain lakes, impairing the development of sustainable management plans. The overall goal of this research is to increase the knowledge on ecological characteristics of tropical Andean lakes and at the same time evaluate their current trophic status. We will study thermal stratification, nutrient concentrations and bioavailability, light conditions, higher trophic levels (zooplankton and fish community) and climate for a selection of Ecuadorian mountain lakes. Each of these factors will be linked to the primary production within the lakes.This will enable us to identify important current and future anthropogenic threats to these ecosystems. Results can be used to scientifically support future policies on the sustainable management of these highly valuable lakes. In the context of the management of these lakes, we will also evaluate the possible use of biomanipulation as a restoration tool for reoligotrophication of tropical mountain lakes. Although most this research focuses on a selection of lakes in the Ecuadorian Andes, we are confident that these lakes are representative for tropical mountain lakes elsewhere. status: published |
