Anthropic impact of changes in land use on geochemical soil and water production processes in Andean ecosystems

Contribute to a better understanding of human role in chemical weathering at a contemporary time scale. We will analyze the relationship between chemical weathering and soil formation for volcanic ash soils along a human impact gradient. The following hypothesis will be tested: human disturbances (deforestation, agriculture, over-planter) change the physical-chemical processes of soil formation in volcanic soils for which chemical weathering plays a primary role (Bruijnzeel, 1991). We are going to collect and analyze data on the speed and mode of chemical weathering and soil formation for chronosencias of volcanic ash soils in a tropical mountain environment. Contemporary weathering reflects the current residence time of fluids and chemistry, and is expected to be dependent on changes over time, seasonal to decadal in climate, biota and anthropogenic impacts. Tropical mountain regions are particularly interesting since the highest rainfall and temperatures (compared to tempered latitudes) increase chemical weathering, and steep topography increases physical erosion processes.

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