Ancestral Methods of Conservation of Páramos: Ethnographic Study in Ozogoche, Ecuador

• Autores: Pomaina Pilamunga , Bacilio Segundo, Quevedo Amay , Deisy Valeria, Barros Gavino , Carolina Denisse, Anilema Yuquilema , Cristian Adolfo
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2025
• Institución: Universidad José Carlos Mariátegui
• Repositorio: Revista ciencia y tecnología para el desarrollo UJCM
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.revistas.ujcm.edu.pe:article/327
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.ujcm.edu.pe/index.php/rctd/article/view/327
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Páramos andinos; Conocimiento ancestral; Etnografía; Ozogoche; Conservación tradicional

Ecuadorian Andean páramos face accelerated degradation due to climate change and anthropogenic activities. Indigenous communities in Ozogoche preserve ancestral knowledge for sustainable management of these critical ecosystems. This ethnographic study documents traditional conservation methods through Andean phenomenology and oral history with local taytakuna and pushakuna. Four main strategies were identified: reforestation with native species (totora, quishuar, yagual), traditional water management, biological control of invasive species, and rotational grazing with llamas. Findings evidence the effectiveness of practices based on reciprocity, ecosystem balance, and Andean worldview. Integration of this knowledge with Western science offers sustainable alternatives for restoration of degraded páramos, contributing to conservation of hydrological ecosystem services and unique high-mountain biodiversity.