Andes, Bofedales, and the Communities of Huascarán National Park, Peru

Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. Escuela de Posgrado. Maestría en Producción AnimalMountain wetlands are abundant in the high elevations of the tropical Andes. Wetlands occupy ~11% of the total park area and are mostly found in the large mountain valleys. Wetlands occur up to 5000 m asl, but most occur between 4,000–4,700 m asl. The highest elevation wetlands are typically dominated by cushion plants, while lower elevation wetlands are more commonly occupied by graminoids. About 60% of all wetlands are peatlands and the remainder are mineral soil wet meadows. The peatlands are up to 11 m deep and 12,000 years old, storing an average of 2,101 Mg C ha-1, which is comparable to lowland tropical peatlands. Our work in Huascarán National Park in Peru is also showing the importance of wetlands in a coupled natural-human system. These wetlands and alpine landscapes are shaped in part by legacies of past human land use, including ancient pastoralism and farming, and are also affected by millions of downstream users dependent upon wetlands and glacier-fed streams for water and energy production. Biodiversity and endemism is high among taxonomic groups such as plants, birds, fish, amphibians and insects. Currently the tropical Andes are in ecological flux due to rapid land cover changes caused by both biophysical and socioeconomic drivers. In addition, the high Andes are experiencing warming and rapid glacial retreat that is resulting in hydroecological changes and socioeconomic changes to the traditional Andean societies that feed back to changes in wetland sustainability

Perceptions of Rangeland Degradation and Its Causes in the Peruvian Altiplano Dry Puna

This qualitative case study investigated rangeland degradation in Peru by better understanding the social component of the Altiplano dry puna rangeland systems. Participants’ perceptions of rangeland degradation and its causes were collected from Aymara pastoralists in the Southern altiplano communities of Apopata, Chocorasi and Lacoutyo, and stakeholders consisting of scientists, government officers and NGO’s representatives, using structured and semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Findings included that while stakeholders believed that rangeland degradation is severe and widespread, pastoralists believed that degradation is moderate and localized. Likewise, while stakeholders believed that rangeland condition is mostly poor and very poor, pastoralists believed that it is mostly fair. Different participants’ perceptions were related to the use of different indicators. While stakeholders focused more on vegetation changes, pastoralists focused more on animal production. Perceptions of the causes of rangeland degradation were also different. While stakeholders believed that the major cause of degradation was overgrazing through overstocking and inappropriate management, pastoralists believed that the major cause was climate change. Although land fragmentation was a secondary cause for both groups, it was found that was an important driver of degradation. The different participants’ perceptions responded to different actors’ lifeworlds. Pastoralists’ lifeworlds are constructed through their daily experience, while stakeholders’ lifeworlds are influenced by the traditional range condition and trend model. The main implication of the research findings is that stakeholders’ perceptions lead to inaccurate livestock development and rangeland conservation policies and programs

Andean Pastoral Women in a Changing World: Opportunities and Challenges

On the Ground • The high Andes of South America include rangelands where pure pastoralists herd llama and alpaca and agropastoralists produce tubers, grains, sheep, and cattle. • Women of the Aymara ethnic group live in both pastoral and agro-pastoral systems and have traditionally been responsible for many aspects of crop and livestock management. They also have ownership rights for land and most types of animals. • The Aymara have adapted to large political and economic changes. Leadership profiles for women are increasing as rural communities diversify, men migrate in search of work, and females gain access to formal education. • The way forward is to continue to engage Aymara women in ways that encourage their participation in development processes, yet minimize additional, work-related burdens.The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 202

Climate change, global drivers and local decision makers in rural communities: the role of translational research, and adaptation strategies that contribute to resilience

People in rural communities negotiate the effects of a changing climate, of markets and other events that affect their livelihoods. These contexts are often uncertain and risky, and the decision makers are vulnerable. This presentation shares experiences with rural communities in the Andes, and in Kenya, using a similar framework, to create information that is relevant to local decision makers, through a process that builds trust, by connecting local and scientific knowledge. One experience focuses on translational research for information on innovations, while the second focuses on community processes to understand sources of vulnerability and potential practices that contribute to adaptation and resilience. Participatory research approaches aim to build human, social and political capitals while producing salient information for local decision makers. These cases used techniques that acknowledge potential gender, ethnicity, life cycle, and vulnerability status. The cases are set up to compare outcomes across landscapes shaped by agroecological conditions, markets, and policies

Educação ambiental em espaços não-formais: o trabalho em um centro filantrópico de recreação

The present work presents the extension project: environmental education spaces: formal and not formal, which aims to promote the production of the knowledge about the environment and society, which are likely to make part in the behavior code of children and youth. The work is being currently done at the CEVER - Centro Vicentino Educacional e Recreativo Nossa Senhora Aparecida, in the city of Jaboticabal with two groups of about 16 children aged 10 to 14 years in meetings with 1h30min long using games, books, movies and dynamics that worked environmental education and interpersonal relationships. As methodology we used an action - research, which combines the research to action or to the practice, and arose from the need to overcome a gap between theory and practice. In this mode the action research reveals to be an efficient instrument for the professional development of teachers. Thus, this environmental education method combine research - action is understood as a mediator of the social relations intended to be conscientizing, because proposes a relation between action and reflection. The present work, still in progress, has contributed significantly to the vocational training of biological sciences in regard in the training of environmental educators. In addition, the children involved in the project had risen in the level of reflection on the issues in question, beyond the improvement of the quality of the relations between the groups, showing increase in the actions that denote respect.O presente trabalho apresenta projeto de extensão: Educação Ambiental em Espaços Formais e Não formais, que tem como objetivo promover a produção de saberes acerca do meio ambiente e sociedade, que possam vir a fazer parte do repertório de comportamento de crianças e jovens. O trabalho vem sendo realizado no CEVER – Centro Vicentino Educacional e Recreativo Nossa Senhora Aparecida, na cidade de Jaboticabal com duas turmas de aproximadamente 16 crianças, com idades entre 10 a 14 anos em encontros com 1h30min de duração utilizando jogos, livros, filmes e dinâmicas que trabalharam educação ambiental e as relações interpessoais. Como metodologia utilizamos a pesquisa-ação, que procura unir a pesquisa à ação ou prática, e surgiu da necessidade de superar a lacuna existente entre teoria e prática. Deste modo à pesquisa-ação se revela como um instrumento eficiente para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores. Deste modo a educação ambiental em união à pesquisa – ação é compreendida como mediadora das relações sociais que se pretendem conscientizadoras, pois propõem a relação entre a ação e a reflexão. O presente trabalho em andamento tem contribuído de forma significativa para a formação profissional dos alunos do curso de Ciências Biológicas, no que tange a formação de Educadores Ambientais. Além disso, as crianças envolvidas no projeto tem aumentado o nível de reflexão sobre os temas em questão, além da melhoria da qualidade das relações entre a turma de crianças, mostrando aumento das ações de respeito

Ecological Change and Livestock Governance in a Peruvian National Park

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

A meta-analysis of the association of estimated GFR, albuminuria, age, race, and sex with acute kidney injury

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious global public health problem. We aimed to quantify the risk of AKI associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria (albumin-creatinine ratio [ACR]), age, sex, and race (African American and white). STUDY DESIGN: Collaborative meta-analysis. SETTING & POPULATION: 8 general-population cohorts (1,285,049 participants) and 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) cohorts (79,519 participants). SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES: Available eGFR, ACR, and 50 or more AKI events. PREDICTORS: Age, sex, race, eGFR, urine ACR, and interactions. OUTCOME: Hospitalized with or for AKI, using Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HRs of AKI and random-effects meta-analysis to pool results. RESULTS: 16,480 (1.3%) general-population cohort participants had AKI over a mean follow-up of 4 years; 2,087 (2.6%) CKD participants had AKI over a mean follow-up of 1 year. Lower eGFR and higher ACR were strongly associated with AKI. Compared with eGFR of 80mL/min/1.73m(2), the adjusted HR of AKI at eGFR of 45mL/min/1.73m(2) was 3.35 (95% CI, 2.75-4.07). Compared with ACR of 5mg/g, the risk of AKI at ACR of 300mg/g was 2.73 (95% CI, 2.18-3.43). Older age was associated with higher risk of AKI, but this effect was attenuated with lower eGFR or higher ACR. Male sex was associated with higher risk of AKI, with a slight attenuation in lower eGFR but not in higher ACR. African Americans had higher AKI risk at higher levels of eGFR and most levels of ACR. LIMITATIONS: Only 2 general-population cohorts could contribute to analyses by race; AKI identified by diagnostic code. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced eGFR and increased ACR are consistent strong risk factors for AKI, whereas associations of AKI with age, sex, and race may be weaker in more advanced stages of CKD

A Meta-analysis of the Association of Estimated GFR, Albuminuria, Diabetes Mellitus, and Hypertension With Acute Kidney Injury

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus and hypertension are risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI). Whether estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) remain risk factors for AKI in the presence and absence of these conditions is uncertain.Study designMeta-analysis of cohort studies.Setting & population8 general-population (1,285,045 participants) and 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD; 79,519 participants) cohorts.Selection criteria for studiesCohorts participating in the CKD Prognosis Consortium.PredictorsDiabetes and hypertension status, eGFR by the 2009 CKD Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation, urine ACR, and interactions.OutcomeHospitalization with AKI, using Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HRs of AKI and random-effects meta-analysis to pool results.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 4 years, there were 16,480 episodes of AKI in the general-population and 2,087 episodes in the CKD cohorts. Low eGFRs and high ACRs were associated with higher risks of AKI in individuals with or without diabetes and with or without hypertension. When compared to a common reference of eGFR of 80mL/min/1.73m(2) in nondiabetic patients, HRs for AKI were generally higher in diabetic patients at any level of eGFR. The same was true for diabetic patients at all levels of ACR compared with nondiabetic patients. The risk gradient for AKI with lower eGFRs was greater in those without diabetes than with diabetes, but similar with higher ACRs in those without versus with diabetes. Those with hypertension had a higher risk of AKI at eGFRs>60mL/min/1.73m(2) than those without hypertension. However, risk gradients for AKI with both lower eGFRs and higher ACRs were greater for those without than with hypertension.LimitationsAKI identified by diagnostic code.ConclusionsLower eGFRs and higher ACRs are associated with higher risks of AKI among individuals with or without either diabetes or hypertension