Insights From The Andes

Karina Yager explores the impact of climate change on traditional farming and livestock management practices in the Andes of South America. Host Heather Lynch and Yager, associate professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, discuss her research on high-altitude peatland ecosystems known as 'Bofedales' and their critical role in water regulation, carbon storage, and biodiversity. Jaeger emphasizes the importance of recognizing Indigenous communities as stewards of the land and the need for transdisciplinary approaches to tackle environmental issues effectively.

Learn more with: 

• “Contribution of Anthropology to the Study of Climate Change” by Karina Yager et al

• “Understanding Bofedales as Cultural Landscapes in the Central Andes,” by Karina Yager et al.

• "Compositional shifts of alpine plant communities across the high Andes” by Karina Yager et al.

• “Socio-ecological dimensions of Andean pastoral landscape change: bridging traditional ecological knowledge and satellite image analysis in Sajama National Park, Bolivia” by Karina Yager et al.

Skip ahead to the chapter that interests you:

• 00:00 Introduction to Traditional Practices

• 01:03 Welcome to C4E Presents

• 01:28 Interview with Karina Yager

• 03:25 Understanding the Bofedales Ecosystem

• 04:59 Water Rights and Pastoral Communities

• 09:33 Balancing Community Needs and National Interests

• 11:21 The Role of Pastoralists as Stewards

• 16:00 Challenges of Overgrazing and Land Management

• 18:39 Environmental Justice and Climate Change

• 22:22 The Importance of Transdisciplinary Research

• 30:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Tell a friend and share a link to this episode.

You can find all our episodes at www.stonybrook.edu/c4e or wherever you stream audio.

Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/c4e/newsletters.php

For all things Stony Brook on social media: https://bit.ly/m/sbu

C4E Presents is a production of Stony Brook’s Collaborative for the Earth.

Host: Heather Lynch

Editor: J.D. Allen

Program manager: Jennifer Gilday