The Ecohydrologic Functions Of Polylepis Forests Within The Andean Paramo And Their Resilience And Vulnerability To Climate Change. Funciones Ecohidrológicas De Los Bosques De Polylepis Dentro Del Páramo Andino, Su Resiliencia Y Vulnerabilidad Al Cambio Climático

Andean Páramo Ecosystems Provide Important Water Provisioning Services, Yet The Ecohydrological Functions Of Polylepis Forest Patches Embedded Within The Páramo Has Received Little Attention. In Particular, The Combination Of High Water Use By Trees And Additional Water Inputs Via Canopy Fog Interception May Significantly Impact The Paramo Water Cycle, Depending On The Balance Between These Water Gains And Losses. Moreover, Because Polylepis Trees Occur At Extreme Altitudes Limiting Tree Growth, They May Be Especially Vulnerable To Increases In Climatic Variability And Moisture Stress Due To Climate Change-With Potential Consequences For Paramo Water Balance And Hydrologic Regulation. Understanding The Ecohydrological Functions And Physiological Adaptations And Resilience To Climate Extremes Of Polylepis Forests Is Critical To Improving Predictions Of Climate Change And Management Impacts In Páramo Watersheds. The Proposed Project Integrates Plant Ecophysiological Measurements And Hydrological Monitoring To Address Three Objectives: (1) Evaluate The Adaptive Strategies And Responses To Climate Variability In In Polylepis Forests. (2) Characterize The Hydraulic Functional Traits In Dominant Plant Species Within Páramo Forests And Grasslands. (3) Quantify The Water Balance And Hydrologic Regulation Processes In Polylepis Forest. This Project Will Support One Phd Student, One Msc Student, And Two Bsc Students, The Publication Of Three Scientific Papers, A Field Course In Water Resources, And A Teaching Module In Plant Ecophysiology. The Results Will Help Guide Policy Decisions Related To Managing Water And Forest Resources Within Paramo Landscapes, And Contribute To Capacity Building In The Fields Of Plant Ecophysiology And Ecohydrology At The University Of Cuenca.

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