Abstract ID: 3.9286 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

The tropical high-Andean peatlands, known as bofedales, are oases of life inserted in a matrix of drylands, mostly above 4000 m a.s.l. They are and crucial providers of nature’s contributions to people, from biodiversity support to water regulation and carbon storage. Archaeological evidences show that people use bofedales as a resource for Andean camelid herding (llamas and alpacas) for millennia, suggesting a sustainable interaction. From a scientific viewpoint, however, data is lacking and herbivory is rather considered as having negative impact on the functioning of bofedales. We aimed to quantify the effects of traditional camelid herding on the bofedales’ dynamics by examining the interactions between foundation cushions plants, grasses and the effects of trampling and grazing by camelids. To do this, we set up in 2014 a long term in situ experiment for the exclusion of herbivores (llamas & alpacas) in a valley of the Cordillera Real in Bolivia (4400 m a.s.l.). After 3 and 10 years of exclusion, the characteristic vegetation of the bofedales is significantly reduced, in favor of a grass community characteristic of drier environments. This change is accompanied by a decompaction of the surface peat and a reduction in its volumetric water content (VWC). The decompaction could be explained by the absence of trampling by camelids. It could then lead to a reduction in the VWC (<40%), by being filled with air. This reduction in the VWC allows species intolerant of soil water saturation to settle and dominate the structuring species of the bofedales. These findings align with ancestral knowledge, suggesting a sustainable relationship between traditional camelid herding and bofedal ecosystem health. They encourage developing more the approach of knowledge hybridization. Recognizing the role of camelid herding in maintaining bofedales can inform adaptive management strategies, ensuring the sustainability of high Andean ecosystems in the face of climate change and land-use shifts