Ecological Change and Livestock Governance in a Peruvian National Park

Kenneth R. Young (), Eyner Alata, Rodney A. Chimner, Randall B. Boone, Gillian Bowser, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Beatriz Fuentealba, Jessica Gilbert, Javier A. Ñaupari, Molly H. Polk, Sigrid C. Resh, Cecilia Turin and Melody Zarria-Samanamud
Additional contact information
Kenneth R. Young: Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Eyner Alata: Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima 15088, Peru
Rodney A. Chimner: College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
Randall B. Boone: Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Gillian Bowser: Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Laura Bourgeau-Chavez: Michigan Tech Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Ann Arbor, MI 49931, USA
Beatriz Fuentealba: Instituto Nacional de Investigación en Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montaña, Huaraz 02002, Peru
Jessica Gilbert: Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Javier A. Ñaupari: Animal Production Department, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima 15024, Peru
Molly H. Polk: Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Sigrid C. Resh: College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
Cecilia Turin: Instituto de Montaña, Lima 15088, Peru
Melody Zarria-Samanamud: Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: While the grazing of livestock has occurred for millennia in the Andes, current sustainability debates center on concerns with co-managing climate change and pastoralism. These discussions have special resonance in places protected by the state for biodiversity, scenery, and sustainable and traditional land uses, such as those found in protected areas and biosphere reserves. For this article, we integrate data from a social-ecological research project on the land use systems that affect high-elevation ecosystems in Peru’s Huascarán National Park, with special emphasis on the wetlands. We used land cover and land use data and insights from interactions with pastoralists to show that (1) wet meadows dominate the lower reaches of the park, while peatlands predominate above 4000 m elevation; (2) wet meadows are most useful for traditional grazing systems, while the peatlands are especially susceptible to trampling by livestock; and (3) there is limited ecological space at the highest elevations for the successful future upward relocation of either land use or potential habitats for species identified as of concern. We explore the implications of these findings for the adaptive strategies of biophysical and social processes in terms of livelihoods and biodiversity in and around a protected area. We conclude that there are many additional opportunities to be explored to inform the management of ecosystem services and provide improvements for the adaptive capacity of communities and park managers.

Keywords: biodiversity shifts; climate change; grazing systems; livestock; protected areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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