Join us on Wednesday, April 29 for our weekly virtual seminar. This week's seminar is hosted by Gabriel "Gabo" Zeballos, Geography Ph.D. student and member of the Glacier Environmental Change research group. Title and abstract below.
Bofedales: Temporal variability of the High-Altitude Wetlands of the Andes.
The High-altitude wetlands of the Andes, called bofedales, are a unique type of peat-forming wetlands comprised of complex communities of vascular plants adapted to water-saturated conditions and a daily freeze-thaw cycle. The bofedales are habitat for a wide range of domesticated and wild animals play a critical role in the regulation of hydrological cycles, and are important carbon sinks with the highest rate of biomass production among other peatlands. While there is evidence that the bofedales are been impacted by climate change, glacier retreat, and some anthropogenic activities, it is unclear how, when or where exactly is this degradation taking place. Through the integration of remote sensing tools, the use of Google Earth Engine, and extensive botanical field assessments I examine the annual to seasonal trends of the vegetation of the bofedales and the potential climatological drivers of their degradation.
