Supporting, Regulating, and Provisioning Hydrological Services

Breuer, Lutz; Windhorst, David; Fries, Andeas; Wilcke, Wolfgang (2013). Supporting, Regulating, and Provisioning Hydrological Services. In: Bendix, Jörg; Beck, Erwin; Bräuning, Achim; Makeschin, Franz; Mosandl, Franz; Scheu, Stefan; Wilcke, Wolfgang (eds.) Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Environmental Change in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of South Ecuador. Ecological Studies: Vol. 221 (pp. 107-116). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer 10.1007/978-3-642-38137-9_9

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The natural regulation of the water cycle by tropical montane forests is an important ecosystem service. Within this chapter we focus on water balance and regulation of the water cycle. Differences of rainfall-runoff generation across scales change from a near-surface event water driven system in pristine rainforest-covered micro-catchments to a more groundwater pre-event water dominated one on the mesoscale. The highly dynamic discharges are often correlated with total suspended sediment loads. However, we also observed total suspended sediment peaks at times of low flow, indicating a decoupling of erosion and stream transport and a triggering of landslides not directly related to hydrological processes. We also summarize likely future trends of water-related ecosystem services and expect an increase in human use and benefits of fresh water use whereas changes in water regulation and water purification services remain unchanged on a high level.

Item Type:

Book Section (Book Chapter)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography

UniBE Contributor:

Wilcke, Wolfgang

Subjects:

900 History > 910 Geography & travel

ISSN:

0070-8356

ISBN:

978-3-642-38137-9

Series:

Ecological Studies

Publisher:

Springer

Language:

English

Submitter:

Monika Wälti-Stampfli

Date Deposited:

16 Jan 2014 09:06

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:27

Publisher DOI:

10.1007/978-3-642-38137-9_9

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.39233

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/39233

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