The peatlands of the Argentinean Puna, its relation with the anthropic use

CARILLA, J; NAVARRO, C; GRAU, H RICARDO; IZQUIERDO, A

Nova Friburgo

Conferencia; MOUNTAINS 2018; 2018

In the Argentine Puna (a very arid high elevation subtropical plateau), we analysed the phenology of peatbogs plant productivity based on NDVI dynamics derived from Modis satellite images during the 21st century, particularly focussing on inter-annual stability/variability in relation to different geographic features and potential land use. We found a strong positive correlation between peatbog size and phenological stability. When we controlled for peatbog size, we found that peatbogs nearby populated areas had more interannual ndvi variability than isolated and remote peatbogs, suggesting that intensive grazing decreases the functional stability of these ecosystems. Field-based records indicated that water table depth fluctuates seasonally in the order of 10-20 cm, with lower level during the summer rainy season, likely due to higher evapotranspiration during this time of the year, as well as time-lags related to the size of the peatbogs watershed. Heavily grazed peatbogs showed higher water table spatial variability and this can have an effect on the vegetation. We discuss the implications of these results in relation to current trends in climate (aridization), livestock density (decreasing), and other increasing human impacts (mining, tourism).