Bofedal response to climate variability, local management, and water extraction: A case study of Chucuyo, Northern Chile

Andean high-altitude wetlands are important ecosystems that serve a range of social-ecological functions. In the Andes, bofedales, a specific type of peat-producing wetland, are essential for the sustainability of mountain ecosystems and indigenous pastoralist communities. The Chucuyo bofedal in northern Chile is affected by climatic variability and water extraction for agricultural uses via the Lauca canal. Herders in the local community also actively manage this wetland according to their traditional ecological knowledge to ensure permanent fodder for their animals. In this article, we analyze the annual behavior of the Chucuyo bofedal after the wet season. Based on precipitation data, extracted water flows, vegetation vigor from satellite images, and an ethnographic approach, we determined that the bofedal’s productivity was negatively correlated with the amount of precipitation and positively correlated with the surface area of the wetland. However, water extraction via the Lauca channel had no significant relationship with either surface area or vegetation vigor. We identify community practices and traditional ecological knowledge as key elements in the maintenance of these ecosystems. This situation is critical in the context of an aging population and the current pattern of migration out of the region to urban areas. The results provide substantial empirical evidence for future decision-making regarding the conservation of these ecosystems.