Land Use Change in the Páramo Region of the Ecuadorian Highlands: Impacts on Organic Carbon in Volcanic Soils (Staß et al., 2025)
By Lena Selbach, Zoë Lübbert & Ana Alamo
Cloud Plants and Volcanic Soils
The way we use our soils today affects not only the productivity of agriculture but also plays a crucial role in the global climate system – especially in sensitive highland ecosystems like the Ecuadorian Páramo. This unique vegetation belt, located between the upper tree line and the snow zone of the equatorial Andes, is particularly known for the plant Espeletia, which can capture water vapor from passing clouds and release it into the soil through its roots.
The region is home to Andosols, volcanic soils among the richest in organic carbon worldwide. These soils, formed from volcanic ash, store large amounts of organic carbon – both in stable forms and in fractions that are more easily degradable. The latter are especially important for soil organisms and play a key role in nutrient cycling.
What Happens When Land Use Changes?
A research team from the University of Cologne investigated how different types of land use affect these volcanic soils. The study focused primarily on the conversion of natural Páramo vegetation into agricultural land – in particular, permanent pasture and rotational systems combining potato cultivation with cattle grazing (see Figure 1). Researchers analyzed both the total amount of soil organic carbon and the portions that dissolve in cold and hot water. These water-extractable carbon fractions are important indicators of the availability and stability of soil carbon.
Carbon in Decline
The study found that intensive agricultural land use, especially over longer periods, leads to a marked decline in soil carbon stocks. Both the total organic carbon and the water-extractable fractions decrease significantly. These losses are already measurable after around 20 years of cultivation. At the same time, the chemical composition of the remaining carbon changes: it becomes more aromatic and resistant to decomposition – a sign of advanced degradation processes.
Not Just a Local Issue
These changes don’t just affect local soil fertility and biodiversity. On a global scale, they matter too – because declining levels of soil organic carbon are potentially linked to rising CO₂ emissions. This adds to the global carbon imbalance and may further intensify the climate crisis. The study especially highlights the role of the easily degradable carbon fractions, which respond sensitively to land use changes and can therefore serve as early indicators of soil degradation.
Why Páramo Soils deserve Protection
Against the backdrop of growing population pressure and the increasing use of alpine landscapes, this study underscores the dual significance of the Páramo region: not only as a vital carbon sink in the global climate system, but also as a fragile ecosystem in urgent need of sustainable soil management.
Reference
Staß, S., Dorau, K., Aguirre, P., Schwiebert, P. and Mansfeldt, T. (2025), Land Use Effects on Organic Carbon in Andean Volcanic Ash Soils. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 188: 196-208. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202400010