Interview | Threats: How Páramos Are Affected from Human Activities

We met María Victoria Villacrés. A teacher who holds a Degree in Natural Science and environmental education from the University of Nariño, and a Master's Degree in Pedagogy from Mariana's University.

The Fragile Balance: Páramo Ecosystems Under Pressure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Q2pbNW__w

How Páramos Are Affected from Human Activities | With Maria Victoria Villacrés

Although the páramo performs many vital functions and local communities recognize its importance, sadly, in Colombia, the páramo has been significantly impacted by industrialization. This has forced rural communities to expand their agricultural frontiers to cultivate monoculture crops. The páramo’s fertile soils have led to deforestation to increase agricultural land, especially for potato farming, which is the primary crop in these areas, as well as for livestock grazing. This expansion has caused several serious problems. First, it has triggered avalanches in certain regions, such as the recent event in El Encano, which was a direct consequence of deforestation in the high mountains. Trees play a crucial role in stabilizing the soil, but when they are removed, heavy rains often cause landslides. Second, tree cutting results in soil sedimentation, weakening the soil’s structure and causing it to sink without the support of tree roots. Third, there has been a significant loss of many fauna and flora species. For example, in El Encano, the páramo ocelot has disappeared, leading to an increase in other species like the páramo guan, which now flies around the lake searching for scarce fruits. Similarly, other birds such as pigeons have lost their natural high-mountain habitats and have started feeding on crops grown by local communities. The loss of habitat affects numerous species. Perhaps most critically, the decline of species in the high mountains reduces water flows that sustain surface waters, rivers, lakes, and aqueducts. Even though Colombia contains 50% of the world’s páramos, these impacts are causing a loss of páramo coverage, which threatens both the wildlife that inhabits these ecosystems and the surrounding human communities.