Análisis de una práctica agraria tradicional en la cuenca mediterránea desde la perspectiva socio-ecológica: la trashumancia en la Cañada Real Conquense

Tesis doctoral inédita. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Ecología. Fecha de lectura: 13-06-201

Reflexivity, embodiment, and ethics of care in rangeland political ecology: reflections of three feminist researchers on the experience of transdisciplinary knowledge co-production

Although there is a growing interest in transdisciplinary knowledge co-production approaches applied to rangeland political ecology, the research paradigms and methodologies still dominating this field of research leave little room for equitable engagement with research participants and genuine action-oriented research. In this article, we provide a reflection on new practices grounded in feminist studies of science and care ethic literature to orient transgressive and engaged transdisciplinary political rangeland ecology research. Feminist epistemologies call for reflection on who produces knowledge and how such knowledge is used and shared. Feminist practices, such as reflexivity, embodiment, reciprocity, and care, cultivate awareness of the power dynamics embedded in the research process and motivate researchers to counteract asymmetrical or extractive relationships when we identify them. We first introduce the scholarship that inspires key principles of our feminist research approach and then reflect on our experiences as researchers and as activists working with Spanish and Catalan networks of women pastoralists. Three research questions guide our reflective process: (i) how can feminist theories of knowledge co-production contribute to rangeland political ecology; (ii) how can feminist methodologies be applied in practice so that collaboration between women pastoralists, their organizations, and researchers is mutually reinforcing, care-full, and action-oriented; and (iii) what are the challenges and limitations of our experiences to foster transformation and emancipation in knowledge co-production processes

Los servicios de los ecosistemas de la Reserva de Biosfera Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta

La Reserva de Biosfera Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (RB-CGSM) es un complejo sistema de humedales marino costeros que presenta una marcada interdependencia en su funcionamiento. Estos ecosistemas interactúan con varias poblaciones humanas asentadas en el territorio mediante el suministro de servicios de los ecosistemas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar los servicios de los ecosistemas de la RB-CGSM que son percibidos por diferentes actores. Se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas para conocer la percepción del suministro de servicios de los ecosistemas, sus tendencias de cambio y cómo son valorados. Se obtuvieron 777 respuestas que fueron tipificadas en 34 categorías de las cuales el 55% corresponden a servicios de abastecimiento, 43% a servicios culturales y el 2% fueron servicios de regulación. Se determinó que la oferta de aproximadamente la mitad de ellos ha disminuido (43,9%) o desaparecido (4,6%) y tres cuartas partes de los servicios percibidos tienen gran importancia al ser considerados como esenciales (46,8%) o muy importantes (28,5%) para los entrevistados. Los resultados constituyen una base de conocimiento necesaria para el análisis de las implicaciones del uso de los servicios, así como para establecer directrices de gestión orientadas a mantener un flujo sostenible de servicios esenciales para el bienestar humano.The Biosphere Reserve Ciénaga Grande of Santa Marta (RBCGSM) is a complex coastal and marine wetland system with a strong functioning interdependency. These ecosystems interact with several local communities through the supply of ecosystem services. The aim of this paper was to identify ecosystem services of RBCGSM that are perceived by different actors. We carried out semi-structured interviews in order to analyze the social perception, the trends of changes and a social valuation of ecosystem services. We obtained 777 responses which were typified in 34 categories, from which 55% were provisioning services, 43% cultural services, and 2% were regulating services. The supply of approximately half of them has decreased (43,9%) or disappeared (4,6%) and three-quarters of perceived services were considered as essential (46,8%) or very important (28,5%) for interviewees. The results provide a base of knowledge required for the analysis of the implications of ecosystem services use, as well as for the proposal and implementation of management guidelines aimed at maintaining a sustainable flow of ecosystem services essential for human wellbeing

Application of Pastoralists\u27 Knowledge to Natural Resource Management in Spain

Extensive livestock rearing has been acknowledged as an important tool for sustainable management of social-ecological systems and biodiversity conservation. In the Mediterranean Basin this relationship has been highlighted in mountainous and rural areas, where the co-evolved assemblages and dynamics of plant communities and grazing practices and patterns are mutually reinforcing. Among extensive livestock rearing systems, mobile pastoralism is a typical adaptation in semi-arid areas and mountainous regions where pasture availability is especially variable in time and space. In Spain, mobile pastoralism dates back to Neolithic and has survived until our days in different ways. An outstanding example of mobility is transhumance, an ancient pastoralist practice consisting of the seasonal migration of livestock between ecological regions following peaks in pasture productivity. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can provide valuable information that complements scientific studies to improve understanding and stewardship of ecosystems. In particular, transhumance depends on the preservation, use, and transmission of TEK and the integration of TEK into land use and management policies. In this paper, we: (1) provide examples of traditional ecological knowledge related to extensive livestock rearing, and transhumance in particular, that could be useful for grasslands management; (2) explore the current challenges to the integration of this knowledge for Spanish grasslands’ management; and (3) provide insights on how these barriers might be overcome. The evidence is based on two case studies: one in the two westernmost central Pyrenean valleys of Ansó and Hecho (Aragón), where shepherds carry out short valley-mountain and middle-distance transhumance (ca. 200 km); and the other on the summer pasturelands of Montes Universales (Aragón, Guadalajara and Cuenca) from where a long-distance transhumance through the Conquense Drove Road departs (ca. 500 km). In-depth semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation where applied in both cases. We conclude that much of mobile extensive stockmen’s ecological knowledge is threaten due to a lack of generational turnover, endangering the survival of a valuable source of sustainable grassland management knowledge and practices. Social and institutional barriers, including lack of profitability, dependence on EU subsidies, competition with other land-uses such as biodiversity conservation or hunting, and neglect by governments and society, negatively affect the continuity of TEK at different scales. However, some strategies, such as pastoralists’ cooperation in making their voices heard in regional and European policy decisions, or their involvement in monitoring ecological conditions of ecosystems, may foster a modest recovery of transhumance in Spain

Evaluating Ecosystem Services in Transhumance Cultural Landscapes: An Interdisciplinary and Participatory Framework

Following the concept of ecosystem services, we propose in this article an interdisciplinary and participatory methodological framework for ecosystem services assessment and participatory decision-making in Mediterranean cultural landscapes linked with transhumant pastoralism. It is based on four sequential phases: 1. characterisation of the social-ecological network associated with transhumance, 2. preliminary identification and characterisation of ecosystem services, 3. evaluation of ecosystem services (in biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic terms), and 4. future scenario planning for the analysis of social conflicts related to ecosystem services use and trade-offs as well as the proposal of management strategies. Applying the framework to a case study on one of the major transhumance landscapes in Spain, we could identify and evaluate more than 30 ecosystem services. The framework facilitated the design of robust policy measures that aim to maintain this livestock raising model and its associated flow of ecosystem services. It also contributes to provide the basis for the implementation of adaptive co-management strategiesThis research has been financed by the Spanish Ministry for the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (Project 079/RN08/02.1

Local perceptions on social-ecological dynamics in Latin America in three community-based natural resource management systems

Several examples of community-based natural resource management in Latin American social-ecological systems exist in which communities control the management of common-pool resources. Understanding community perceptions of the performance of these systems is essential to involve communities in sustainable management strategies. In this analysis of three areas in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, we analyzed the local perceptions of the social and environmental challenges faced by these social-ecological systems and how these challenges and drivers affect their resilience. To do this, we combined prospective structural analysis to unravel stakeholders’ perceptions of each system’s functioning along with network analysis to assess resilience. We identified external variables as the most influential variables in the Colombian and Argentine cases. In the Mexican case, larger influence is exerted by internal variables, particularly those linked to the governance system. The case study analysis revealed that the community-based natural resource management approach needs external support and recognition to work effectively. In the Argentine and Colombian cases, megaprojects were perceived as controllers with medium or strong influence but low dependence. The use of ancestral knowledge (Colombia), the history of land use (Mexico), and the history of the artisanal fishery (Argentina) were all perceived as common challenges to communitybased natural resource management. In terms of social-ecological resilience, framed within the three-dimensional model of the adaptive cycle, all three social-ecological systems were considered to be highly connected and resilient but with different degrees of capacity or cumulative potential

How stable are visions for protected area management? Stakeholder perspectives before and during a pandemic

Envisioning processes enable protected area managers to chart a course for future management to reach desired goals, but unexpected changes that could affect future visions are not usually considered. The global COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore changes in stakeholder visions, the values that underpin the visions, and their perceptions of landscape changes and the underlying drivers (e.g. climate change, mass tourism and demographic trends).Through a mixed-methods approach in this post-evaluation study, we gathered comparative data on these issues from stakeholders in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain, between July 2019 (pre-pandemic) and October 2020 (mid-pandemic).Our qualitative analysis demonstrates that pre-pandemic, differences in visions for protected area management were largely spurred by different perceptions of drivers of change, rather than differences in values or perceived landscape changes, which were similar across different vision themes.One year later, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of stakeholders reported that their values, visions and perceptions of drivers did not change despite this large-scale disturbance. Of the 20%-30% of stakeholders that did report changes, visions generally shifted towards greater prioritization of biodiversity and nature conservation as a result of heightened perceptions of the impacts of drivers of change associated with an increase in the numbers of park visitors. These drivers included mass tourism, mountain recreation, lack of environmental awareness, and change in values and traditions.Our findings reinforce the importance of adaptive and inclusive management of protected areas, including enhancing transparency and communications regarding factors driving change in the landscape, and integration of local and traditional knowledge and stakeholder perceptions of changes and drivers. Furthermore, management plans integrating stakeholder values have the potential to stay relevant even in the face of wildcard events such as a pandemic.To enhance the relevancy of visions and scenarios in conservation and land-use planning, scenario planning methodologies should more strongly consider different potential disturbances and how drivers of change in the near and far future can be affected by wildcard events such as a pandemic. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article

La implicación social en la acción y gobernanza climática urbana: lecciones desde Barcelona y Sevilla

La acción climática se ha consolidado en las ciudades a través de nuevas iniciativas sociales y estrategias institucionales. Este artículo pretende contribuir a entender la implicación social en la acción y gobernanza climática urbana a través de un análisis comparativo en dos ciudades españolas (Barcelona y Sevilla) guiado por tres preguntas de investigación: 1) ¿Qué espacios de colaboración con la administración y/o con otras entidades para la acción y la gobernanza climática urbana se han generado?; 2) ¿Qué motivaciones y expectativas tienen las entidades sociales para involucrarse en estos espacios?; y 3) ¿En qué medida las entidades activas en la acción climática colaboran (o no) con la administración para la gobernanza climática, y qué límites perciben? Esta investigación combina una revisión de políticas e iniciativas sociales frente al cambio climático, con entrevistas a entidades clave en la acción climática urbana, para mostrar una expansión y diferenciación de los espacios de colaboración con la administración y con otras entidades para la acción y gobernanza climática en ambas ciudades; y una diversidad de motivaciones para implicarse (o no) en ellos. Entender mejor los límites y oportunidades de las nuevas alianzas público-cívicas es clave para construir respuestas arraigadas y transformadoras frente la emergencia climática