Ecological research in the tropical alpine ecosystems of the Venezuelan páramo: past, present and future

ABSTRACT

Background: Tropical mountain ecosystems of the Northern Andes have long fascinated researchers because of the unique conditions associated with cold climates in equatorial latitudes. More than six decades have elapsed since the beginning of systematic ecological research in the Venezuelan páramos, making them one of the best-studied tropical alpine regions in the world.

Aims: We review the conceptual development and state of the art of ecological research in the Venezuelan páramos, with emphasis on environmental and plant ecology research, presenting a general framework for the studies included in this special issue.

Methods: We provide a historical sketch of the periods that have marked ecological studies in the Venezuelan páramos. Then, we synthesise research on environmental drivers, plant population and community ecology, ecosystem functioning, the response of the páramo to climate change and human disturbance; we finally consider agroecology and conservation.

Results and conclusions: This review demonstrates the significant contributions made to alpine ecology in key areas such as biodiversity/ecosystem function changes during succession, nutrient cycling, species interactions and socio-ecological research. We indicate the need to develop a more integrated view of the links between evolutionary processes, functional diversity, community dynamics and ecosystem services both in natural and human-impacted areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Agroecology
• carbon
• climate change
• conservation
• ecosystems
• history
• land-use
• plant communities
• palaeoecology
• populations
• species interactions
• tropical Andes
• vegetation dynamics
• water

Acknowledgements

We are especially grateful to Laszlo Nagy for his invitation to edit this special issue on the ecology of the páramos in the Cordillera de Mérida and for his detailed comments to this introductory review and all other contributions to this issue. Special thanks to Lina Sarmiento, who made major contributions to a previous version of this review (published in Spanish in 2013). We also thank all the authors who made possible this special issue with their research and review papers, and a distinguished group of referees for their dedication to improving the manuscripts included here. We want to dedicate this paper to the pioneers of the Plant Ecology Group (today´s ICAE), Maximina Monasterio, Guillermo Sarmiento, Aura Azócar, Juan Silva and Mario Fariñas, whose integrative vision, creativity, team spirit and compromise have been a continuous source of inspiration for the consolidation of a strong tradition of ecological research and teaching in Mérida. Finally, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the passionate group of colleagues and students at ICAE, who despite the increasingly difficult conditions, continue the exploration of new trails for ecology across the tropical Andes.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Luis Daniel Llambí

Luis Daniel Llambí is a Professor and specialises in plant community dynamics and plant-plant interactions in tropical mountain ecosystems.

Fermín Rada

Fermín Rada is a Professor and specialises in plant ecophysiology of tropical ecosystems.