The protection of the mountain ecosystems of the Southern Central Andes: tensions between Aymara herding practices and conservation policies

In the Atacama Desert highlands, Aymara communities have practised herding since pre-Hispanic times. Currently, large areas of the mountains’ ecosystems are under official protection. This situation has created tensions between Aymara herding practices and official conservation policies. In this article, we document herding practices and how they have contributed to the production of these ecosystems. We also explore several conservation policies in the area and how they clash with Aymara herding. To do this, we make use of ethnography and state conservation plans. We suggest that these policies reproduce colonial dynamics, creating conflicting aims and affecting Aymara territorial rights. We conclude that traditional Aymara ecological knowledge and practices should guide the conservation of these mountain ecosystems.