Climate Change in the High Andes: Implications and Adaptation Strategies for Small-scale Farmers

Perez, Carlos A.; Nicklin, Claire; Dangles, Olivier; Vanek, Steven J.; Sherwood, Stephen; Halloy, Stephan; Garrett, Karen A.; Forbes, Gregory A.

doi:10.18848/1832-2077/cgp/v06i05/54835

Cited by 68 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Farmers' perceptions of climate change in the eight study communities are in line with empirical data and other studies on farmers' perceptions in the Andean highlands (Perez et al 2010;Thibeault et al 2010;Valdivia et al 2010;McDowell and Hess 2012;Seiler et al 2013;Lennox 2015). The increasing problem of pests and diseases experienced by farmers is associated with rising temperatures and further exacerbated by shifts towards monoculture, pest-susceptible varieties, and abbreviated crop rotation schedules (Parsa 2010;Perez et al 2010;McDowell and Hess 2012;Poveda et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…The increasing problem of pests and diseases experienced by farmers is associated with rising temperatures and further exacerbated by shifts towards monoculture, pest-susceptible varieties, and abbreviated crop rotation schedules (Parsa 2010;Perez et al 2010;McDowell and Hess 2012;Poveda et al 2012). Adaptation actions reported in our study communities (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…Nonetheless, in this study, farmers observed that due to rising temperatures, S. juzepczukii is starting to be affected by pests. These potatoes also are becoming more difficult to freeze-dry, which is a critical practice to reduce their toxin content before consumption and ensure potato supply in lean periods (de Haan et al 2010;Perez et al 2010;Machida-Hirano 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…El Niño) that bring drought in some years and floods in others (Seiler et al 2013). Indigenous farmers have traditionally managed this unpredictable and harsh environment by using drought-and frosttolerant crops, keeping many crop varieties, and planting across multiple plots to disperse risk and take advantage of high spatial heterogeneity, among other strategies (Halloy et al 2005;Perez et al 2010;McDowell and Hess 2012). The few crops that can tolerate these difficult growing conditions are mainly native roots and grains that have been domesticated by Andean farmers over centuries, including several potato species (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rising temperatures, glacial retreat, and shifts in the frequency and intensity of precipitation and frost events have been documented in the Andean highlands over the last 30 years (Bradley et al 2006;Vuille et al 2008;Perez et al 2010;Thibeault et al 2010;Valdivia et al 2010). Further increase in temperature and variability are projected that will impact water supplies and crop yields (Bradley et al 2006;Valdivia et al 2010;Seiler et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Meldrum

Mijatović²,

Rojas

et al. 2017

Environ Dev Sustain

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Crop diversity is central to traditional risk management practices on the Andean Altiplano and may find renewed importance in adapting to climate change. This study explored the role of crop diversity in farmers' adaptation actions in eight Aymara communities on the northern Bolivian Altiplano. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including multifactor analysis and a community resilience selfassessment, we investigated how farmers' use of diversity in adaptation is related to their perceptions of crop and variety tolerances and other environmental, social, and economic factors. Few crops and varieties were perceived as tolerant to increasingly intense and unpredictable drought, frost, hail, and pest and disease outbreaks. Some local crops and varieties were perceived as vulnerable to emerging conditions (e.g. oca, papalisa, isaño), whereas bitter potatoes and wild relatives of quinoa and cañahua were perceived as highly stress tolerant and provide food in harsh periods. A total 19% of households surveyed (N = 193) had introduced new crops or varieties-often disease resistant or early maturing-as an adaptive action. Introduction of commercial crops was a common adaptation action, reflecting farmers' response to warming temperatures and changing economic opportunities, but greater sensitivity of the introduced crops may cause maladaptation. Despite intensification of cropping systems, households continue to maintain a median four potato varieties with different tolerance traits, yet this risk management practice was not perceived as adaptation. Strengthening resilience will require a combination of actions, including maintaining and expanding crop portfolios and restoring soil and ecosystem health, using both traditional and innovative approaches.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Meldrum

Mijatović²,

Rojas

et al. 2017

Environ Dev Sustain

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Vegetation trends over eleven years on mountain summits in NW Argentina

Carilla

Halloy

Cuello

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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As global climate change leads to warmer and dryer conditions in the central Andes, alpine plant communities are forced to upward displacements following their climatic niche. Species range shifts are predicted to have major impacts on alpine communities by reshuffling species composition and abundances. Using a standardized protocol, we surveyed alpine plant communities in permanent plots on four high Andean summits in NW Argentina, which range from 4,040 to 4,740 m a.s.l. After a baseline survey in 2006–2008, we resurvey the same plots in 2012, and again in 2017. We found a significant decrease in plant cover, species richness, and diversity across the elevation gradient in the three censuses and a strong decrease in soil temperature along the elevation gradient. We found a high plant community turnover (37%–49%) among censuses, differentiating according to summits and aspects; major changes of community turnover were observed in the lowest summit (49%) and on the northern (47%) and western (46%) aspects. Temporal patterns in community changes were represented by increases in plant cover in the highest summit, in species richness in the lower summit, and in diversity (Shannon index) in the four summits, over time, together with increase in small herbs and non‐tussock grasses. We suggest that the observed trend in plant community dynamics responds to short‐term temperature and precipitation variability, which is influenced by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and due to time lags in plant community response, it may take much longer than one decade for the observed trends to become stables and statistically significant. Our study provides an important foundation for documenting more profound changes in these subtropical alpine plant communities as global climate change continues.

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The changing water cycle: climatic and socioeconomic drivers of water‐related changes in the Andes of Peru

et al. 2015

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Water resources in high mountains play a fundamental role for societies and ecosystems both locally and downstream. Impacts of global change, including climate change, glacier shrinkage, and socioeconomic forces related to demographics, agroindustrial development, and hydroelectricity generation; pose new hydrological risks for human livelihoods. However, these hydroclimatic and socioeconomic drivers of water resource change are often poorly quantified and interconnected, while data scarcity poses challenges in these regions. Here we review the state of knowledge for two major catchments in the Peruvian Andes, which hold the largest tropical glacier mass worldwide: the Santa River (Cordillera Blanca) and Vilcanota River (Cordillera Vilcanota). Our integrative review of water resource change and comparative discharge analysis of two gauging stations in the Santa and Vilcanota River catchments show that the future provision of water resources is a concern to regional societies and must be factored more carefully into water management policies. In this context, observed hydroclimatic and socioeconomic changes represent important drivers of water availability, allocation, and conflicts over water resources. The legal framework and decentralized institutional architecture in Peru could potentially provide a basis for participatory integrative water management; however, unequal power relations, institutional fragility and increasing competition over water resources hamper these efforts. We identify several research gaps, including the need for more in situ data, cultural analyses, and a risk‐based framework that combines climate‐related hazards with human and natural vulnerabilities. Finally, this review suggests that future adaptation plans for water management should better link science, society, and policy. WIREs Water 2015, 2:715–733. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1105 This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change

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Climate Change in the High Andes: Implications and Adaptation Strategies for Small-scale Farmers

Cited by 68 publications

References 42 publications

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Vegetation trends over eleven years on mountain summits in NW Argentina

The changing water cycle: climatic and socioeconomic drivers of water‐related changes in the Andes of Peru

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