Drivers of atmospheric methane uptake by montane forest soils in the
southern Peruvian Andes

Abstract. The soils of tropical montane forests can act as sources or sinks of atmospheric methane (CH4). Understanding this activity is important in regional atmospheric CH4 budgets given that these ecosystems account for substantial portions of the landscape in mountainous areas like the Andes. We investigated the drivers of net CH4 fluxes from premontane, lower and upper montane forests, experiencing a seasonal climate, in south-eastern Peru. Between February 2011 and June 2013, these soils all functioned as net sinks for atmospheric CH4. Mean (standard error) net CH4 fluxes for the dry and wet season were −1.6 (0.1) and −1.1 (0.1) mg CH4-C m−2 d−1 in the upper montane forest, −1.1 (0.1) and −1.0 (0.1) mg CH4-C m−2 d−1 in the lower montane forest, and −0.2 (0.1) and −0.1 (0.1) mg CH4-C m−2 d−1 in the premontane forest. Seasonality in CH4 exchange varied among forest types with increased dry season CH4 uptake only apparent in the upper montane forest. Variation across these forests was best explained by available nitrate and water-filled pore space indicating that nitrate inhibition of oxidation or diffusional constraints imposed by changes in water-filled pore space on methanotrophic communities may represent important controls on soil–atmosphere CH4 exchange. Net CH4 flux was inversely related to elevation; a pattern that differs to that observed in Ecuador, the only other extant study site of soil–atmosphere CH4 exchange in the tropical Andes. This may result from differences in rainfall patterns between the regions, suggesting that attention should be paid to the role of rainfall and soil moisture dynamics in modulating CH4 uptake by the organic-rich soils typical of high-elevation tropical forests.

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Drivers of atmospheric methane uptake by montane forest soils in the southern Peruvian Andes

10.5194/bg-2016-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

S. P. Jones ◽

T. Diem ◽

L. P. Huaraca Quispe ◽

A. J. Cahuana ◽

D. S. Reay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pore Space ◽

High Elevation ◽

Montane Forest ◽

Atmospheric Methane ◽

Tropical Andes ◽

Wet Season ◽

Montane Forests ◽

Ch4 Flux ◽

Soil Atmosphere ◽

Water Filled Pore Space

Abstract. The soils of tropical montane forests can act as sources or sinks of atmospheric methane (CH4). Understanding this activity is important in regional atmospheric CH4 budgets, given that these ecosystems account for substantial portions of the landscape in mountainous areas like the Andes. Here we investigate the drivers of CH4 fluxes from premontane, lower and upper montane forests, experiencing a seasonal climate, in southeastern Peru. Between February 2011 and June 2013, these soils all functioned as net sinks for atmospheric CH4. Mean (standard error) net CH4 fluxes for the dry and wet season were −1.6 (0.1) and −1.1 (0.1) mg CH4 – C m−2 d−1 in the upper montane forest; −1.1 (0.1) and −1.0 (0.1) mg CH4 – C m−2 d−1 in the lower montane forest; and −0.2 (0.1) and −0.1 (0.1) mg CH4 – C m−2 d−1 in the premontane forest. Variations among forest types were best explained by available nitrate and water-filled pore space, indicating that nitrate inhibition of oxidation or diffusional constraints imposed by changes in water-filled pore space on methanotrophic communities represent important controls on soil-atmosphere CH4 exchange. Seasonality in CH4 exchange varied among forests with an increase in wet season net CH4 flux only apparent in the upper montane forest. Net CH4 flux was inversely related to elevation; a pattern that differs to that observed in Ecuador, the only other extant study site of soil-atmosphere CH4 exchange in the tropical Andes. This may result from differences in rainfall patterns between the regions, suggesting that attention should be paid to the role of rainfall and soil moisture dynamics in modulating CH4 uptake by the organic-rich soils typical of high elevation tropical forests.

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A new species ofPsychrophrynella(Amphibia, Anura, Craugastoridae) from the humid montane forests of Cusco, eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.1807 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e1807 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Alessandro Catenazzi ◽

Alex Ttito

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Geographic Distribution ◽

High Elevation ◽

Montane Forest ◽

Advertisement Call ◽

Tropical Andes ◽

Montane Forests ◽

Peruvian Andes ◽

High Elevation Forests ◽

A New Species

We describe a new species ofPsychrophrynellafrom the humid montane forest of the Department Cusco in Peru. Specimens were collected at 2,670–3,165 m elevation in the Área de Conservación Privada Ukumari Llakta, Japumayo valley, near Comunidad Campesina de Japu, in the province of Paucartambo. The new species is readily distinguished from all other species ofPsychrophrynellabutP. bagrecitoandP. usurpatorby possessing a tubercle on the inner edge of the tarsus, and from these two species by its yellow ventral coloration on abdomen and limbs. Furthermore, the new species is likeP. bagrecitoandP. usurpatorin having an advertisement call composed of multiple notes, whereas other species ofPsychrophrynellawhose calls are known have a pulsed call (P. teqta) or a short, tonal call composed of a single note. The new species has a snout-vent length of 16.1–24.1 mm in males and 23.3–27.7 mm in females. Like other recently described species in the genus, this newPsychrophrynellainhabits high-elevation forests in the tropical Andes and likely has a restricted geographic distribution.

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Myxomycete diversity in a humid montane forest on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2020.1745 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 153 (3) ◽

pp. 390-398

Author(s):

Italo F. Treviño-Zevallos ◽

Carlos Lado

Keyword(s):

Species Turnover ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Montane Forest ◽

Dry Season ◽

Wet Season ◽

Montane Forests ◽

Peruvian Andes ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

Background – The humid montane forests on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes are known for their high biodiversity and natural resources. While their incredibly rich plant and animal communities are still in the process of being discovered, the diversity of smaller organisms such as the Myxomycetes are even more scarcely known. In this work, we document the Myxomycete diversity in these montane forests and evaluate species abundance, occurrence by substrates, distribution, and seasonality, thus documenting population status and species ecology.Material and methods – The study was carried out at the Wayqecha Biological Station located in the Cusco region of Peru. Two sampling campaigns took place in late January (wet season) and early May (dry season) of 2018. We performed a species inventory and evaluated alpha diversity, assemblage similarity, and abundance of Myxomycetes within six 100 m2 plots. We documented variations of species richness and abundance between seasons as well as between substrates. Results – We recorded a total of 81 taxa of Myxomycetes. The order Physarales was the most diverse, and the most abundant species were Didymium squamulosum and Diderma deplanatum during the wet and dry season, respectively. The substrate with highest diversity overall was dead leaves. Diversity was similar in both seasons but with a notable species turnover. Conclusion – The humid montane forest on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru revealed an unexpected richness in Myxomycetes. Based on our results, we conclude that this type of forest harbours one of the greatest Myxomycetes diversities in the Peruvian territory, also due to the important seasonal species turnover.

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Soil methane oxidation in both dry and wet temperate eucalypt forests show near identical relationship with soil air-filled porosity

10.5194/bg-2016-181 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Benedikt J. Fest ◽

Nina Hinko-Najera ◽

Tim Wardlaw ◽

David W. T. Griffith ◽

Stephen J. Livesley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Drivers ◽

High Temporal Resolution ◽

Atmospheric Methane ◽

Soil Atmosphere ◽

Temperature Regimes ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Ch4 Uptake ◽

Eucalypt Forests ◽

The Impact ◽

Soil Methane Oxidation

Abstract. Well-drained, aerated soils are important sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4) via the process of CH4 oxidation by methane oxidising bacteria (MOB). This terrestrial CH4 sink may contribute towards climate change mitigation, but the impact of changing soil moisture and temperature regimes on CH4 uptake is not well understood in all ecosystems. Temperate eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia are predicted to experience rapid and extreme changes in rainfall patterns, temperatures and wild fires. To investigate the influence of environmental drivers on seasonal and inter-annual variation of soil-atmosphere CH4 exchange we measured soil-atmosphere CH4 exchange at high temporal resolution (

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Methane Emissions from a Grassland-Wetland Complex in the Southern Peruvian Andes

Soil Systems ◽

10.3390/soilsystems3010002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sam Jones ◽

Torsten Diem ◽

Yit Arn Teh ◽

Norma Salinas ◽

Dave Reay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Variables ◽

Wetland Soils ◽

Laboratory Measurements ◽

Tropical Andes ◽

Wet Season ◽

Soil Horizons ◽

Peat Soils ◽

Peruvian Andes ◽

Soil Atmosphere ◽

Wetland Complex

Wet organic-rich mineral and peat soils in the tropical Andes represent a potentially significant, but little studied, source of methane to the atmosphere. Here we report the results of field and laboratory measurements of soil–atmosphere methane exchange and associated environmental variables from freely draining upland and inundation prone wetland soils in a humid puna ecosystem in the Southeastern Andes of Peru. Between seasons and across the landscape soil–atmosphere exchange varied between uptake and emission. Notable hotspots of methane emission, peaking during the wet season, were observed from both upland and wetland soils with particularly strong emissions from moss-accumulating topographic lows. This variability was best explained by the influence of oxygen concentration on methane production in superficial soil horizons.

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Nitrogen availability, water-filled pore space, and N2O-N fluxes after biochar application and nitrogen fertilization

Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-204x2016000900020 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (9) ◽

pp. 1203-1212 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Márcia Thaís de Melo Carvalho ◽

Beáta Emoke Madari ◽

Lammert Bastiaans ◽

Pepijn Adrianus Johannes van Oort ◽

Wesley Gabriel de Oliveira Leal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Availability ◽

Pore Space ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Wet Season ◽

Four Seasons ◽

Ammonium N ◽

Water Filled Pore Space ◽

N Fluxes ◽

The Impact

Abstract The objective of this work was to investigate the impact of the application of wood biochar, combined with N fertilizations, on N2O-N fluxes, nitrogen availability, and water-filled pore space (WFPS) of a clayey Oxisol under rice (wet season) and common bean (dry season) succession. Manual static chambers were used to quantify N2O-N fluxes from soil immediately after a single application of wood biochar (32 Mg ha-1) and after four crop seasons with N applications (90 kg ha-1 N). Soil ammonium (N-NH4+) and nitrate (N-NO3-) availability, as well as WFPS, was measured together with N2O-N fluxes. There was no interaction between biochar and N fertilization regarding N2O-N fluxes in any of the four seasons monitored, although these fluxes were clearly enhanced by N applications. At 1.5 and 2.5 years after biochar application, the WFPS decreased. In addition, in the seasons characterized by low WFPS, N2O-N fluxes and soil N-NO3- and N-NH4+ availability were enhanced after N applications. Long-term experiments in the field are important to quantify the impacts of biochar on N2O-N fluxes and to determine the dynamics of these fluxes on soil-related variables.

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Seasonal variations in PM10 inorganic composition in the Andean city

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-72541-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rasa Zalakeviciute ◽

Katiuska Alexandrino ◽

Yves Rybarczyk ◽

Alexis Debut ◽

Karla Vizuete ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Chemical Elements ◽

Large Fraction ◽

Urban Pollution ◽

Optical Emission ◽

High Elevation ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Wet Season ◽

Soluble Ions

Abstract Particulate matter (PM) is one of the key pollutants causing health risks worldwide. While the preoccupation for increased concentrations of these particles mainly depends on their sources and thus chemical composition, some regions are yet not well investigated. In this work the composition of chemical elements of atmospheric PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 µm), collected at the urban and suburban sites in high elevation tropical city, were chemically analysed during the dry and wet seasons of 2017–2018. A large fraction (~ 68%) of PM10 composition in Quito, Ecuador is accounted for by water-soluble ions and 16 elements analysed using UV/VIS spectrophotometer and Inductively Coupled Plasma—Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to study a correlation between the chemical composition of urban pollution and meteorological parameters. The suburban area displays an increase in PM10 concentrations and natural elemental markers during the dry (increased wind intensity, resuspension of soil dust) season. Meanwhile, densely urbanized area shows increased total PM10 concentrations and anthropogenic elemental markers during the wet season, which may point to the worsened combustion and traffic conditions. This might indicate the prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory problems in motorized areas of the cities in the developing world.

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TREE SPECIES DIVERSITY IN A PRISTINE MONTANE FOREST PREVIOUSLY UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES IN FOJA MOUNTAINS, PAPUA, INDONESIA

REINWARDTIA ◽

10.14203/reinwardtia.v17i2.3546 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Asep Sadili ◽

Kuswata Kartawinata ◽

Herwasono Soedjito ◽

Edy Nasriadi Sambas

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Tree Species ◽

Human Activities ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Basal Area ◽

Montane Forest ◽

Tree Species Diversity ◽

Importance Value ◽

Montane Forests ◽

Species Area

ADILI, A., KARTAWINATA, K., SOEDJITO, H. & SAMBAS, E. N. 2018. Tree species diversity in a pristine montane forest previously untouched by human activities in Foja Mountains, Papua, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 17(2): 133‒154. ‒‒ A study on structure and composition of the pristine montane forest previously untouched by human activities was conducted at the Foja Mountains in November 2008. We established a one-hectare plot divided into 100 subplots of 10 m × 10 m each. We enumerated all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm which diameters were measured, heights were estimated and habitats were noted. We recorded 59 species, 42 genera and 27 families, comprising 693 trees with the total basal area (BA) of 41.35 m2/ha. The forest had lower species richness compared to those of lowland forests in Kalimantan, and Sumatra and montane forests in West Java. The Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index was 3.22. Nothofagus rubra (Importance Value, IV=47.89%) and Parinari corymbosa (IV=40.3%) were the dominant species, constituting the basis for designating the forest as the Nothofagus rubra - Parinari corymbosa association. To date, the dominance of N. rubra is unique to the Foja Mountains, as elsewhere in Papua the montane forests were dominated by N. pullei or other species. The species-area curve indicated a minimal area of 5000 m2. On the family level Fagaceae (IV=53.23%), Chrysobalanaceae (IV=40.53%) and Myristicaceae (IV=26.43%) were dominant. Verti-cally the forest consisted of four strata (A–D). In each stratum Nothofagus rubra, Platea latifolia, Parinari corymbosa and Myristica hollrungii were dominant. The diameter class distribution of Nothofagus rubra, Parinari corymbosa and Platea latifolia led us to assume that these species were regenerating well.

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