1 General introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Motivation of the study
1.3 General objective
1.4 Outline of the thesis
2 Description of the study area
2.1 History
2.2 Location
2.3 Vegetation cover and soils
2.4 Climate
2.5 Hydro ‐ Meteorological data
2.6 Geology
3 Catchment characterization and altitudinal‐ range analysis of carbon stocks
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Materials and methods
3.3 Results
3.4 Discussion
3.5 Conclusion
4 Estimating Gross Primary production and hydrological processes in páramo grasslands
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Methods and data
4.3 Results
4.4 Discussion
4.5 Conclusions
5 Analysis of the relationship between climate variables and gross primary production using data driven techniques
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Methods and data
5.3 Results
5.4 Discussion
5.5 Conclusions
Appendix 5‐A
6 Runoff generation in a combined glacier ‐ páramo catchment
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Materials and methods
6.3 Results
6.4 Discussion
6.5 Conclusions
7 A process‐oriented hydrological representation of a páramo catchment
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Methods and data
7.3 Results and discussion
7.4 Conclusions
Appendix 7‐A
8 Ecosystem services assessment in a páramo system
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Materials and methods
8.3 Results
8.4 Discussion
8.5 Conclusions
9 Conclusions and recommendations
9.1 General
9.2 Main contributions
9.3 Recommendations for future research
10 References
Biography
Veronica Minaya is a PhD candidate in Eco-hydrology at UNESCO-IHE and TU-Delft, the Netherlands. She has a background in Civil Engineer with two Msc degrees in Water Resources (2008) and Environmental Sciences (2010). She has extensive fieldwork experience in Ecuador (highlands and rainforest regions) and in Kenya (Mara River). Veronica's PhD research uses a biogeochemical model to look at carbon, nitrogen, water cycles in a combined glacier - grassland catchment in the Ecuadorian Andes. She is alsointerested in research development, and women & youth empowerment. Veronica is actively involved in youth organizations, president of the IAHR-YPN Delft and member of the Water Youth Network.
