Influence of rainfall interception by endemic plants versus short cycle crops on water infiltration in high altitude ecosystems of Ecuador

International audienceOwing to their high water retention, the volcanic ash-soils of the Northern Andean highlands (páramos) can be considered as natural 'water storage tanks' for drinking water and for irrigation. Vegetation plays an important role in transferring rain to the soil and in controlling the soil water content. To assess this role, we quantified the stemflow process under rainfall simulations for seve