Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact

Autores
Sylvester, Steven P.; Heitkamp, Felix; Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.; Jungkunst, Hermann F.; Sipman, Harrie J. M.; Toivonen, Johanna M.; Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.; Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo; Kessler, Michael
Año de publicación
2017
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
What would current ecosystems be like without the impact of mankind? This question, which is critical for ecosystem management, has long remained unanswered due to a lack of present-day data from truly undisturbed ecosystems. Using mountaineering techniques, we accessed pristine relict ecosystems in the Peruvian Andes to provide this baseline data and compared it with the surrounding accessible and disturbed landscape. We show that natural ecosystems and human impact in the high Andes are radically different from preconceived ideas. Vegetation of these ‘lost worlds’ was dominated by plant species previously unknown to science that have become extinct in nearby human-affected ecosystems. Furthermore, natural vegetation had greater plant biomass with potentially as much as ten times more forest, but lower plant diversity. Contrary to our expectations, soils showed relatively little degradation when compared within a vegetation type, but differed mainly between forest and grassland ecosystems. At the landscape level, a presumed large-scale forest reduction resulted in a nowadays more acidic soilscape with higher carbon storage, partly ameliorating carbon loss through deforestation. Human impact in the high Andes, thus, had mixed effects on biodiversity, while soils and carbon stocks would have been mainly indirectly affected through a suggested large-scale vegetation change.
Fil: Sylvester, Steven P.. Universitat Zurich; Suiza. Philipps-Universität Marburg; Alemania
Fil: Heitkamp, Felix. Universität Göttingen; Alemania
Fil: Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.. Universitat Zurich; Suiza. Universidad Nacional del San Antonio Abad del Cusco; Perú
Fil: Jungkunst, Hermann F.. Universität Koblenz-Landau; Alemania
Fil: Sipman, Harrie J. M.. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania
Fil: Toivonen, Johanna M.. University of Turku; Finlandia
Fil: Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.. University of Turku; Finlandia
Fil: Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina
Fil: Kessler, Michael. Universitat Zurich; Suiza
Materia
HUMAN IMPACT
ANDES
VEGETATION CHANGE
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/44271
Acceder
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impactSylvester, Steven P.Heitkamp, FelixSylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.Jungkunst, Hermann F.Sipman, Harrie J. M.Toivonen, Johanna M.Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.Ospina Gonzalez, Juan CamiloKessler, MichaelHUMAN IMPACTANDESVEGETATION CHANGEhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1What would current ecosystems be like without the impact of mankind? This question, which is critical for ecosystem management, has long remained unanswered due to a lack of present-day data from truly undisturbed ecosystems. Using mountaineering techniques, we accessed pristine relict ecosystems in the Peruvian Andes to provide this baseline data and compared it with the surrounding accessible and disturbed landscape. We show that natural ecosystems and human impact in the high Andes are radically different from preconceived ideas. Vegetation of these ‘lost worlds’ was dominated by plant species previously unknown to science that have become extinct in nearby human-affected ecosystems. Furthermore, natural vegetation had greater plant biomass with potentially as much as ten times more forest, but lower plant diversity. Contrary to our expectations, soils showed relatively little degradation when compared within a vegetation type, but differed mainly between forest and grassland ecosystems. At the landscape level, a presumed large-scale forest reduction resulted in a nowadays more acidic soilscape with higher carbon storage, partly ameliorating carbon loss through deforestation. Human impact in the high Andes, thus, had mixed effects on biodiversity, while soils and carbon stocks would have been mainly indirectly affected through a suggested large-scale vegetation change.Fil: Sylvester, Steven P.. Universitat Zurich; Suiza. Philipps-Universität Marburg; AlemaniaFil: Heitkamp, Felix. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.. Universitat Zurich; Suiza. Universidad Nacional del San Antonio Abad del Cusco; PerúFil: Jungkunst, Hermann F.. Universität Koblenz-Landau; AlemaniaFil: Sipman, Harrie J. M.. Freie Universität Berlin; AlemaniaFil: Toivonen, Johanna M.. University of Turku; FinlandiaFil: Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.. University of Turku; FinlandiaFil: Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; ArgentinaFil: Kessler, Michael. Universitat Zurich; SuizaNature Publishing Group2017-06info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/44271Sylvester, Steven P.; Heitkamp, Felix; Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.; Jungkunst, Hermann F.; Sipman, Harrie J. M.; et al.; Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact; Nature Publishing Group; Scientific Reports; 7; 3334; 6-2017; 1-132045-2322CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/s41598-017-03500-7info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03500-7info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T09:36:58Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/44271instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-29 09:36:58.633CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
title Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
spellingShingle Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
Sylvester, Steven P.
HUMAN IMPACT
ANDES
VEGETATION CHANGE
title_short Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
title_full Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
title_fullStr Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
title_full_unstemmed Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
title_sort Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Sylvester, Steven P.
Heitkamp, Felix
Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.
Jungkunst, Hermann F.
Sipman, Harrie J. M.
Toivonen, Johanna M.
Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.
Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo
Kessler, Michael
author Sylvester, Steven P.
author_facet Sylvester, Steven P.
Heitkamp, Felix
Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.
Jungkunst, Hermann F.
Sipman, Harrie J. M.
Toivonen, Johanna M.
Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.
Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo
Kessler, Michael
author_role author
author2 Heitkamp, Felix
Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.
Jungkunst, Hermann F.
Sipman, Harrie J. M.
Toivonen, Johanna M.
Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.
Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo
Kessler, Michael
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv HUMAN IMPACT
ANDES
VEGETATION CHANGE
topic HUMAN IMPACT
ANDES
VEGETATION CHANGE
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv What would current ecosystems be like without the impact of mankind? This question, which is critical for ecosystem management, has long remained unanswered due to a lack of present-day data from truly undisturbed ecosystems. Using mountaineering techniques, we accessed pristine relict ecosystems in the Peruvian Andes to provide this baseline data and compared it with the surrounding accessible and disturbed landscape. We show that natural ecosystems and human impact in the high Andes are radically different from preconceived ideas. Vegetation of these ‘lost worlds’ was dominated by plant species previously unknown to science that have become extinct in nearby human-affected ecosystems. Furthermore, natural vegetation had greater plant biomass with potentially as much as ten times more forest, but lower plant diversity. Contrary to our expectations, soils showed relatively little degradation when compared within a vegetation type, but differed mainly between forest and grassland ecosystems. At the landscape level, a presumed large-scale forest reduction resulted in a nowadays more acidic soilscape with higher carbon storage, partly ameliorating carbon loss through deforestation. Human impact in the high Andes, thus, had mixed effects on biodiversity, while soils and carbon stocks would have been mainly indirectly affected through a suggested large-scale vegetation change.
Fil: Sylvester, Steven P.. Universitat Zurich; Suiza. Philipps-Universität Marburg; Alemania
Fil: Heitkamp, Felix. Universität Göttingen; Alemania
Fil: Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.. Universitat Zurich; Suiza. Universidad Nacional del San Antonio Abad del Cusco; Perú
Fil: Jungkunst, Hermann F.. Universität Koblenz-Landau; Alemania
Fil: Sipman, Harrie J. M.. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania
Fil: Toivonen, Johanna M.. University of Turku; Finlandia
Fil: Gonzales Inca, Carlos A.. University of Turku; Finlandia
Fil: Ospina Gonzalez, Juan Camilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina
Fil: Kessler, Michael. Universitat Zurich; Suiza
description What would current ecosystems be like without the impact of mankind? This question, which is critical for ecosystem management, has long remained unanswered due to a lack of present-day data from truly undisturbed ecosystems. Using mountaineering techniques, we accessed pristine relict ecosystems in the Peruvian Andes to provide this baseline data and compared it with the surrounding accessible and disturbed landscape. We show that natural ecosystems and human impact in the high Andes are radically different from preconceived ideas. Vegetation of these ‘lost worlds’ was dominated by plant species previously unknown to science that have become extinct in nearby human-affected ecosystems. Furthermore, natural vegetation had greater plant biomass with potentially as much as ten times more forest, but lower plant diversity. Contrary to our expectations, soils showed relatively little degradation when compared within a vegetation type, but differed mainly between forest and grassland ecosystems. At the landscape level, a presumed large-scale forest reduction resulted in a nowadays more acidic soilscape with higher carbon storage, partly ameliorating carbon loss through deforestation. Human impact in the high Andes, thus, had mixed effects on biodiversity, while soils and carbon stocks would have been mainly indirectly affected through a suggested large-scale vegetation change.
publishDate 2017
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2017-06
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/44271
Sylvester, Steven P.; Heitkamp, Felix; Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.; Jungkunst, Hermann F.; Sipman, Harrie J. M.; et al.; Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact; Nature Publishing Group; Scientific Reports; 7; 3334; 6-2017; 1-13
2045-2322
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/44271
identifier_str_mv Sylvester, Steven P.; Heitkamp, Felix; Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.; Jungkunst, Hermann F.; Sipman, Harrie J. M.; et al.; Relict high-Andean ecosystems challenge our concepts of naturalness and human impact; Nature Publishing Group; Scientific Reports; 7; 3334; 6-2017; 1-13
2045-2322
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/s41598-017-03500-7
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03500-7
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature Publishing Group
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature Publishing Group
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 13.070432

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