UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Impact of Water Quality and Sediments on the Riparian Vegetation of Andean Lake

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.28991/cej-2025-011-09-08

Authors

Lorena Lucia Salazar Gamez · Gloria Lucía Cárdenas Calvachi · Mario Bolaños-Bolaños · María Paz-Solarte · Angie Bernal-Meneses · Jehison Camues-Sanchez · Daybed Argoty-Oviedo · William Bolaños-Bolaños · Juan Daniel Oliva-Pérez · Miguel David Portilla-Gonzales · Daniel Armero-Bastidas · Ángela Burbano-Guerrero · Laura López-Maya

Reported year

2025

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:15:59.284251+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:15:59.284251+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Universidad Mariana

Documentary abstract — original language

This study evaluates the quality of water and sediments in a high-altitude Andean lake designated as a RAMSAR wetland of international ecological importance called Guamuéz Lake (Laguna de la Cocha). The analysis focuses on their effects on riparian vegetation, particularly on Schoenoplectus californicus (Bulrush), a keystone species in the lacustrine ecosystem. Water and sediment samples were collected from areas under varying levels of anthropogenic pressure, including zones with and without visible degradation. Results indicate that agricultural runoff, aquaculture, and domestic wastewater discharges are major drivers of spatial and seasonal variability in water quality. Elevated biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were observed during the rainy season, suggesting increased organic matter input. Sediment analyses showed that impacted areas had higher concentrations of metals such as iron and manganese and significantly elevated microbial loads. Microbiological analysis of sediments revealed a 440% increase in total microbial colonies at impacted sites compared to unaffected ones, with fecal coliforms (FC) and total coliforms (TC) increasing by 191% and 513%, respectively. This suggests that wastewater contamination promotes anaerobic conditions detrimental to S. californicus root systems, possibly contributing to vegetation dieback. The findings underscore the importance of including sediment quality assessments in aquatic ecosystem monitoring, as key indicators of riparian vegetation decline may not be evident through water analysis alone. These results call for integrated and sustainable watershed management practices to mitigate human impact and preserve the ecological integrity of this internationally recognized wetland system.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W4415552335

DOI

10.28991/cej-2025-011-09-08

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Natural entities mentioned

Lake · Wetland · Lagoon · Watershed · Ecosystem · Species

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.28991/cej-2025-011-09-08
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W4415552335

Documented bibliographic relations

Source-declared references and links; they do not establish legal support or UGLC qualification. Up to 20 outgoing references are displayed.

• openalex:w188422938 · CITES
• openalex:w2070371036 · CITES
• openalex:w2149686334 · CITES
• openalex:w2211166523 · CITES
• openalex:w2493344909 · CITES
• openalex:w2618138953 · CITES
• openalex:w2755660606 · CITES
• openalex:w2763757048 · CITES
• openalex:w2894906331 · CITES
• openalex:w2904921206 · CITES
• openalex:w2949261569 · CITES
• openalex:w2981492474 · CITES
• openalex:w2985267253 · CITES
• openalex:w2999658514 · CITES
• openalex:w3003702981 · CITES
• openalex:w3010684014 · CITES
• openalex:w3036300421 · CITES
• openalex:w3046493257 · CITES
• openalex:w3082194594 · CITES
• openalex:w3083480917 · CITES

0 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.