Lessons for the future of conservation and sustainable use of guanacos

LICHTENSTEIN, G.; CARMANCHAHI, P

Guanacos and People in Patagonia - A Social-Ecological Approach to a Relationship of Conflicts and Opportunities?

Springer

Lugar: Cham; Año: 2022; p. 233 - 241

This chapter summarizes some of the key findings with policy impact mentioned in this book and draws lessons and opportunities for the conservation and sustainable use of the guanacos in Patagonia. Social-ecological systems (SES) are those that include social (human) and ecological (biophysical) sub-systems in two-way feedback interactions. In this chapter we apply the concepts of ?coupling? and ?decoupling? social-ecological systems to the relationship between guanacos and people along the time. We suggest that the present desertification process is a result of ?decoupling?. On the other hand, guanaco sustainable use is a way to recouple social-ecological systems in Patagonia, to restore the cultural heritage of stewardship traditions, and to achieve habitat and species conservation. The experience with the update of the Guanaco Management Plan revealed that guanaco conservation and management requires an integrated approach that includes research across a wide range of academic and applied disciplines for decision-making and strengthening participatory processes involving all relevant stakeholders. Such schemes should have an adaptive management approach and knowledge co-production. We conclude that it is time for policy-makers to start envisaging natural resource use and management holistically in terms of linked social-ecological systems, and to embrace transdisciplinary perspectives.