Sustainable Feedbacks of Colombian Paramos Involving Livestock, Agricultural Activities, and Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030
Colombian mountain Pá ; ramos are considered natural areas with a very important role for human life. Pá ; ramos provide, both in mountain and lowland areas, a multitude of ecosystem services which start from vegetation to soil sustainability. The sustainability of Pá ; ramos is however impaired by several anthropogenic activities, including agricultural and livestock practices. A system thinking approach was applied in this work to improve the systemic understanding of factors affecting sustainability and resilience of Pá ; ramos agro-ecosystems. Interdisciplinary literature evidences were summarized and conceptually analyzed in order to develop causal loop diagrams of Pá ; ramo system structures allowing describing the main feedback loops involving (involved in/connecting) the Pá ; ramo ecosystem and driving its sustainability. From the causal diagram analysis few insights to maintain the human presence in Pá ; ramos arose. The system analysis highlights that human presence in Pá ; ramos should be stimulated, avoiding agriculture and livestock activities as the main income source. Particularly, social interactions, education on the Pá ; ramos environmental and relevance of agricultural practices to foster ecosystem services and multiple rentable economic activities should be enhanced. The study also includes the role of the government in providing the Pá ; ramo inhabitants with payments for ecosystem services and environmental education aimed to boost sustainability. Sustainable Pá ; ramo management will apply specific leverages on the system to reach Sustainable Development Goals 6 (water), 8 (economic growth, employment and work), 13 (climate change), and 15 (sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems) of the Agenda 2030.