Pérdida de interceptación y retención de agua por parte de Espeletia Grandiflora con afectación por Herbivoría y Entorchamiento

Abstract

A study was carried out in order to measure the changes in water retention and interception by the leaves of the species Espeletia grandiflora in the páramo Chingaza, caused by herbivory and folding, two of the most abundant affectations in the páramo. Turgid weight, dry weight, relative water content and retention capacity were calculated in 270 samples collected along the entire basin of the Calostros watershed, divided into 10 previously identified transects; 90 samples with afectation by herbivory, 90 by folding and 90 without affectation. The data were processed with the help of the statistical program SPSS and it was determined that in terms of the relative water content, the folding presented the highest value among the three types of samples studied, because its curvature and envelopment is more susceptible to the outside water penetrate its structure. Regarding the capacity of water retention by the leaves with the affectations studied, the best yields were presented by the leaves without affectation, obtaining as a result that these can contain up to 5 times their weight in water. To measure the changes presented in the interception of water, 60 samples were subjected to a simulated fog event in the laboratory and similarly it was concluded that there is a significant decrease in the interception of water by healthy leaves and leaves affected by herbivory and folding.