ALMACENAMIENTO DE CARBONO Y AGUA EN Tillandsia latifolia Meyen EN UN SECTOR DEL TILLANDSIAL DE PIEDRA CAMPANA (LIMA / PERÚ)

Tillandsial lomas are desert ecosystems characterized by communities composed mainly of plants of the genus Tillandsia. The role of these communities in carbon sequestration and the potential role they have in storing water in the desert plant biomass is unknown. The present study sought to quantify the amount of carbon and water stored by Tillandsia latifolia Meyen in a tillandsial lomas of Lima (Piedra Campana, Cañete-Lima). To do this, all the slopes and ravines of a tillandsial sector were evaluated; aerial biomass was weighed and soil samples were collected (first 10 cm); the percentage of water and carbon stored in the biomass, and the carbon in the soil samples were measured. All the data obtained were processed using the kriging interpolation technique. Total carbon measured was 94.10 tons (t) (3.63 t/ha) with more carbon stored in the part of the soil (76.50 t) than in the aerial part (17.60 t). The amount of carbon stored by this tillandsial lomas is below that of several ecosystems that are used as compensation of CO₂ emissions such as wetlands or Amazonian vegetation. On the other hand, the water stored amounted to 164 thousand liters, a value that is important as a water reserve in this desert region. The implications of the results obtained for the assessment and management of this desert ecosystem are discussed.