Consequences of Climate Change for Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services in the Tropical Andes

ANDERSON, E.P.; MARENGO, J.; VILLALBA, R.; HALLOY, S.; YOUNG, B.; CORDERO, D.; GAST, F.; JAIMES, E.; RUIZ, D.

Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Tropical Andes

Inter American Institute for Global Change Research

Lugar: San Pablo; Año: 2011; p. 1 - 19

Recently, the range of natural climatic variability in the tropical Andes has started to exceed historically documented thresholds. Of particular concern is the general warming trend and its implications for the integrity of ecosystems and the human populations that depend on them. In this chapter, we explore current knowledge of the effects of climate change on tropical Andean ecosystems and ecosystem services. At present, other than unambiguous indications of a pronounced warming trend, the overall picture of the climatic future of the tropical Andes remains uncertain, making predictions about the fate of ecosystems difficult. Some studies on recent climate variability have been published, but much information remains observational or anecdotal. The information presented here was gathered from discussions among climatologists, ecologists, anthropologists, and natural resource managers with expertise in the tropical Andes during a weeklong workshop designed to facilitate transfer of knowledge on climate change and tropical Andean biodiversity, together with a review of literature and other available information.