White animals: racializing sheep and beavers in the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego

In the summer of 1946, a landowning bourgeoisie organized the II Livestock Exhibition of Tierra del Fuego, and the Argentinian Navy filmed the introduction of twenty Canadian beavers in the region. Both events echoed power disputes between a military government seeking to nationalize lands and capitals and the European landowners whose privileges were threatened. The events show that landowners and state officers negotiated their interests by articulating Argentina’s white exceptionalism with animals and against racialized others. Interrogating the interspecies articulation of whiteness in Tierra del Fuego during the 1940s, I examine how sheep and beavers helped secure white privilege through land concentration, breeding, racial purification, nature modernization, and eugenic moralities. To answer these questions, I analyze documents and films from local and national archives. My analysis shows the entangled racialization of humans and animals and its effects, including the appropriation of the Fuegian and native identification categories by settlers and the state. This article demonstrates that ‘White Argentina’ is a project desiring to live not only among white citizens but also among white animals. More broadly, I argue that including animals in race and ethnicity studies can better explain the intersectional production of race inequalities

How Changing Imaginaries of Nature and Tourism Have Shaped National Protected Area Creation in Argentine Patagonia

Even regions of the planet widely considered to be “remote” or “pristine” like Patagonia are actually dynamic social-ecological systems with interrelated local-international connections of discourses, practices, and institutions. Yet, their study and management often do not consider this complexity. In Argentine Patagonia’s iconic landscapes, protected areas (PAs) represent a major human-nature relationship, and PA creation has been motivated by objectives ranging from geopolitical interests to biodiversity conservation. In this chapter, we employed the social imaginary framework to conduct an historical analysis of local, national, and international influences regarding the way nature and tourism are conceived and managed in national PAs. We evaluated the discourses (ideals, values, beliefs) and institutions (norms, rules, structures, stakeholders) involved in creating these PAs in Argentine Patagonia. The national PA system was legally formed in the 1930s, but initial efforts reach back as far as the early 1900s. We found that while the globalization of Patagonian conservation-based development has consolidated since the 1980s, local-international relationships extended over more than a century to co-produce these social-ecological systems.Fil: Anderson, Christopher Brian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambientales y Recursos Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Dicenta, Mara. College Of William And Mary (w&m);Fil: Archibald, Jessica L.. Northern Arizona University. College Of The Environment, Forestry And Natural Sciences. School Of Earth & Sustainability; Estados UnidosFil: Valenzuela, Alejandro Eduardo Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambientales y Recursos Naturales; Argentin

The relevance of social imaginaries to understand and manage biological invasions in southern Patagonia

Western environmental thought and practice historically separated humans and nature. This dichotomy led to an ecological bias in environmental research and management, but increasingly issues like biological invasions are being re-conceived as socio-ecological problems. Here, we studied how terrestrial and freshwater vertebrate species assemblages in Tierra del Fuego (TDF) have been co-constructed between humans and nature. The social imaginary concept was used to integrate shared discourses (e.g., species preferences, nature ideals, broader social values) and practices (e.g., species introductions, environmental management) via institutions (e.g., informal norms, laws, governmental entities, organizations). To analyze how socio-historical processes interact with biological invasions, we used TDF as a case study linked to broader geographic scales in Patagonia, Argentina, Chile and beyond. We found three predominant social imaginaries characterizing human–nature relationships that led to 20 species being introduced and subsequent efforts to remove or control seven of these: Colonization (ca. 1850–1930), Development (ca. 1930–1980) and Conservation (ca. 1980–present). Each imaginary materialized via formal and informal institutions operating from local to international scales. Specifically, we uncovered 10 discourse categories that related to human interventions of TDF’s species assemblage, ranging from racism and nationalism (Colonization and Development, respectively) to wilderness and uniqueness (Conservation). These ideas affected actions to introduce (eight and 10 species during Colonization and Development, respectively) or remove species (one and seven in Development and Conservation, respectively). An integrated socio-ecological understanding of biological invasions identified not only social preferences and values, but also underlying social processes that can help resolve the complex and underappreciated interactions between society and biological invasions.Fil: Archibald, Jessica L.. Northern Arizona University; Estados UnidosFil: Anderson, Christopher Brian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Dicenta, Mara. No especifíca;Fil: Roulier, Catherine Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Pcia.de Bs.as.. Facultad de Ciencias Humanas. Núcleo de Investigación Crítica Sobre Sociedad y Estado.; ArgentinaFil: Slutz, Kelly. Northern Arizona University; Estados UnidosFil: Nielsen, Erik A.. Northern Arizona University; Estados Unido

Reconceiving the biological invasion of North American beavers (Castor canadensis) in southern Patagonia (Chile-Argentina) as a socio-ecological phenomena: implications for research and management

In the Anthropocene, environmental problems must be addressed as socio-ecologicalphenomenon. However, to date, the understanding, study and management of biologicalinvasions have been skewed towards their biophysical aspects. Here, we use the case study ofinvasive North American beavers (Castor canadensis) in southern Patagonia?s Tierra del FuegoArchipelago to explore this issue in an integral way. Specifically, we use the beaver as aboundary object to a) reconceptualize biological invasions as socio-ecological systems and b)draw lessons on the teamwork needed to implement this paradigm shift. We critically reviewthe literature from this case to understand i) past and present ideas about species introductions,ii) biophysical and social domains of research, iii) the links (or gaps) between theory andmanagement and iv) the relationship of academic research and other social stakeholders.Fil: Anderson, Christopher Brian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambientales y Recursos Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Pizzaro, Cristóbal. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Valenzuela, Alejandro Eduardo Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambientales y Recursos Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Ader, Natalia Eva. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Ballari, Sebastián A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Parque Nacional "Nahuel Huapi"; ArgentinaFil: Cabello Cabalín, José Luis. Patagonia Wildlife Ltda.; Chile. Centro de Estudios del Cuaternario; ChileFil: Car, Valeria. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Dicenta, Mara. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Department of Science and Technology Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Nielsen, Erik. Northern Arizona University; Estados UnidosFil: Roulier, Catherine Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Van Aert, Peter Louisa Petrus. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentin

Reconceiving the Biological Invasion of North American Beavers (Castor canadensis) in Southern Patagonia a a Socio-ecological Problem: Implications and Opportunities for Research and Management

In the past few decades, natural scientists and natural resource managers have come to recognize that environmental problems have causes and consequences that are both ecological and social (Carpenter et al. 2009). For example, as an academic discipline, ecology increasingly acknowledges that ecosystems are not only composed of biotic and abiotic elements but also that humans form an integral part of what are ostensibly socio-ecological systems (Pickett and Ostfeld 1995; Anderson et al. 2015). As a result, efforts are being made to expand the ways that issues, such as biological invasions, ecological restoration, or biodiversity conservation, are studied and managed to address them not only as ecological systems but also their social domain and human dimensions (Collins et al. 2011; Díaz et al. 2015; Pascual et al. 2017). Yet, significant work still remains to achieve this goal. For example, studies about invasive exotic species have a clear biological bias at the national level in Chile (Quiroz et al. 2009), at the regional scale in Patagonia (Anderson and Valenzuela 2014) and the Southern Cone (Ballari et al. 2016), across the Latin American continent (Pauchard et al. 2011) and even globally (Estévez et al. 2015; Vaz et al. 2017). Therefore, the relative dearth of interdisciplinary, applied, and social studies about biological invasions explains why they continue to increase and currently constitutes a barrier to addressing it as a socio-ecological problem. Even places that in our collective social imaginary are considered remote, pristine, or wilderness areas, such as Patagonia, actually have a long history of alteration resulting from complex and changing human relationships with nature (Moss 2008). For example, southern Patagonia and the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago have been home to diverse human settlers with different views of nature that have impacted its biodiversity. One current environmental issue that has captured the attention of researchers and some authorities is biological invasions (Anderson et al. 2006a; Valenzuela et al. 2014). However, for invasive species to be constructed as a socio-ecological problem it must be reconceived under a new paradigm that goes beyond the biological emphasis and incorporates these multiple human relationships to facilitate the implementation of more effective policies and actions.Fil: Anderson, Christopher Brian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego. Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Pizarro, Cristobal J.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Valenzuela, Alejandro Eduardo Jorge. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego. Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ader, Natalia Eva. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Ballari, Sebastián A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Parque Nacional "Nahuel Huapi"; ArgentinaFil: Cabello Cabalín, José Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Car, Valeria. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Dicenta, Mara. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Nielsen, Erik A.. Northern Arizona University; Estados UnidosFil: Roulier, Catherine Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Van Aert, Peter Louisa Petrus. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentin