Land use in the northern Ecuadorian Andes under climate change – understanding natural-social scientific and local knowledge on past and present landscape dynamics

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Jessica Budds; Professorin Dr. Elisabeth Dietze; Dr. Liseth Pérez
• Subject Area: Physical Geography ; Human Geography
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550236129

Anthropogenic climate change and biodiversity loss are key challenges for land management that manifest on the ground, for example, through land degradation, deforestation, and freshwater depletion. These threats are intimately coupled to threshold-dependent dynamics that impact both ecosystem functioning and societal well-being, including soil erosion, water quality changes and altered fire regimes, and their perception and inclusion in land use decisions. Such landscape dynamics are affecting tropical high-mountain regions, which are biodiversity hotspots and home to millions of people, including socio-economically marginalized groups. To address these challenges, it is fundamental to understand both the scientific and local knowledge systems, to engage and empower local communities, and to include traditional knowledge in land management. The pilot study aims to provide first insights into the complex interplay between natural and human-associated factors shaping cultural landscapes in the northern Ecuadorian Andes. Given the intertwined nature of ecosystems and societies, we will analyze scientific (physical and human geographical) and local knowledge systems collaboratively with Ecuadorian and German scientists and local stakeholders, to identify areas for future research. We will promote co-learning activities with local communities and NGOs, characterize modern landscape dynamics through field mapping, and explore lake sediment archives to infer past dynamics in three study areas around Ecuador’s capital Quito, ranging from 3000 and 4000 m a.sl. Scientific analyses will focus on lake catchments within the water- and carbon-rich páramo grassland, while also exploring agricultural areas and cloud forest. The integration of local knowledge and interests with first data on ongoing and past landscape dynamics will initiate a sustained co-production of knowledge to promote restoration of functions of cultural landscapes and contribute to adaptation efforts in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants