Land use change effects on catchment streamflow response in a humid tropical montane cloud forest region, central Veracruz, Mexico
Por:
Lopez-Ramirez, Sergio M., Saenz, Leonardo, Mayer, Alex, Munoz-Villers, Lyssette E., Asbjornsen, Heidi, Berry, Z. Carter, Looker, Nathaniel, Manson, Robert, Gomez-Aguilar, Leon Rodrigo
Publicada:
30 jul 2020
Categoría:
Water science and technology
Resumen:
Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) are recognized for their capacity
to maintain high dry-season baseflow and a host of other ecosystem
services. Substantial areas of TMCF have been converted to pasture and
crops such as coffee, while in other areas TCMF are recovering. However,
little is known about the effects of this complex dynamic on catchment
hydrology. We investigated the effect of land use on rainfall-runoff
response in five neighbouring headwater micro-catchments in central
Veracruz, Mexico, dominated by either mature TMCF (MF), young (20
year-old) and intermediate (40 year-old) naturally regenerating TMCF (YF
and IF, respectively), shaded coffee (SC), and an intensively grazed
pasture (IP). We used a 4-year record of high-resolution rainfall and
streamflow (10 min) data collected from 2015 to 2019. These data were
analysed via comparison of hydrologic metrics that summarize streamflow
responses at various time scales and magnitudes. Results showed no
statistical difference in the regulation capacity of high flows in the
micro-catchment with 20 years of natural regeneration, compared to the
MF. In terms of baseflow sustenance, our results support the hypothesis
that MF and IF better promote this hydrologic service than the other
land uses. SC exhibited a high capacity to modulate peak flows
comparable to that of MF, and an intermediate capacity to sustain
baseflow, suggesting that the integrated functioning of this
micro-catchment was largely preserved. Finally, 40 years of intense
pasture management was found to have degraded the soil hydraulic
properties of IP; mainly, reducing its infiltration capacity, causing a
fivefold greater peak flow response and a lower baseflow compared to MF.
Filiaciones:
Michigan Technol Univ, Civil & Environm Engn, 870 Dow Environm Sci,1400 Townsend Dr, Houghton, MI 49931 USA
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Ciencias Atmosfera, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Univ New Hampshire, Nat Resources & Environm, Durham, NH 03824 USA
Chapman Univ, Schmid Coll Sci & Technol, Orange, CA USA
Univ Minnesota, Dept Soil Water & Climate, St Paul, MN 55108 USA
Inst Ecol AC, Red Ecol Func, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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