HR: 1330h
AN: NB33I-10    [Abstracts]
TI: Allochthonous Matter Input in Five Headwater Streams in Southwestern Colombia
AU: * Chara, J
EM: julian@cipav.org.co
AF: Centre for Research on Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems, Carrera 2 Oeste 11-54, Cali, Colombia
AU: Baird, D
EM: djbaird@unb.ca
AF: NWRI (Environment Canada) Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology University of New Brunswick 10 Bailey Drive, Fredericton, NB E3B 6E1 Canada
AU: Telfer, T
EM: t.c.telfer@stir.ac.uk
AF: Environment Group Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA United Kingdom
AB: In order to determine the interactions between riparian vegetation and the stream environment in relation to the provision and seasonality of allochthonous energy, a study was done measuring the amount of litter inputs in five streams at mid altitude in southwestern Colombia during one year. Direct and lateral litter traps were placed in a 100m reach of each stream. Total amount of litter fall ranged from 1406 to 2812 g-m^-2 year^-1. Leaves were the most important component of the litter representing between 56 to 72% of direct and between 68 to 81% of lateral inputs. Seasonality of litter fall was minimal and only in one stream direct input was negatively correlated with rainfall (r=-0.62; p=0.033). According to these results, low-order streams in middle altitude in Colombia receive one of the highest amounts of litter fall reported so far. This supply is constant throughout the year providing a continuous source of food and substrate for the stream environment. As in temperate streams litterfall in the Andean zone is an important link between streams and the riparian environment. The higher amount recorded and the constant supply demonstrate that deforestation of riparian forests may be more negative for the streams in tropical areas.
DE: 1878 Water/energy interactions
DE: 9360 South America
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly