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Summary Resource histories determine how particular parts of the environment come to be defined as valuable. As elsewhere, protected areas in Latin America link the governance of people, territory, and resources by reinterpreting and reclassifying practices and environments. Set in highland Peru, the article focuses on how such revisions imply contestation of both history and future. It explores particular modes of claiming space through an archeology of the claims to knowledge and legitimacy put forward by a national park and a campesino community, respectively. Claims to space entwine with social struggles about local development where territorial claims are based on different notions of history and interpretations of the esthetic and productive values of the landscape. While the park officials navigate interests of conservation, tourism, and extraction, the campesino community mobilizes a different set of values and interests based on their historical occupation of the territories. These processes of contestation over authority and legitimacy highlight different views on the role of landscapes in the history and progress of local communities. Conservation may not only dispossess people of their land and natural resources, but also of labor and territorial sovereignty. This case shows how an Andean campesino community counters such movements by a wide repertoire of legal and social actions that works simultaneously in legal and extra-legal domains. Paper works mediate claims to territorial sovereignty, people, and resources. These claims involve contestations over interpretations of history which, besides their oral forms, materialize in paperwork such as official communications, community records, and cadastral maps, as well as in visual representations, internal statutes, and deliberate history writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores illegal coca crop expansion in indigenous Amazonian communities in Peru. The ethnographic study sheds light on the historical development of these areas as frontier spaces, where the growth of illicit crops intertwines with socio-ecological transformations and gives rise to conflicts over new forms of land control, opportunities for capital accumulation, and political power dynamics. The paper argues that this expansion is shaped by dual processes: from 'below,' involving small-scale migrant farmers from the Andes, and from 'above,' primarily driven by state-led agrarian interventions. Consequently, communities experience significant tensions, as they adapt to the forces of market expansion to secure their livelihoods, while simultaneously facing risks of violence and insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses how anthropology contributes to climate change research and communication. Building on theoretical works that highlight the cultural framing of communication it investigates the signs and symbols that a Peruvian highland community creates and the imaginaries and identities it generates to interpret and communicate climate change and its environmental impact. To explore the community's communicative repertoire the paper explores three climate voices that illuminate the conflicting ways the global discourse on climate change impacts the community's future visions. Arguing that anthropogenic climate change poses a new challenge to the communication of urgent public issues the paper asks: Should the communication discuss climate change as a matter-of-fact issue? Or should it present climate change as a cultural phenomenon that is acknowledged as an issue in dispute? The paper concludes that climate change research is a post-normal science that not only must engage a range of scholarly traditions and methods but also listen to the voices that are affected by climate change in the real world. It encourages climate change communicators to recognize that climate communication is a dialogical relation based on the mutual interests of its experts and its users in providing as well as receiving knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complete, fluvial stratigraphic record for the last glacial period of the Western Andes in Peru is not available due to preservation issues and spatial variability in sedimentation. Deposits are typically restricted to incomplete records of fluvial terraces or localised occurrences of alluvial fans and landslides. These landforms are thought to have formed under a regime of climate cyclicity controlling increases in precipitation. Because of the fragmented preservation of these deposits, as well as dating uncertainties, it remains unclear if orbital climate cycles, such as the precession cycle, or suborbital cycles, such as the wet Heinrich events, are driving Andean sedimentation. In this paper, we try to answer this question through a sedimentological–stratigraphical analysis of a much more complete sedimentary sequence than usually found in the region. We present the results of a grain size analysis of 5000 clasts and 13 new luminescence ages of a 52‐m‐long, stratigraphic section of the Lima fluvial fan in Peru. Bayesian age–depth modelling resulted in a robust chronostratigraphic framework and derived sedimentation rates. The stratigraphic record registered sedimentation from 121.7 ± 4 to 6.3−1.6+1.5 ka. Three major sedimentation periods occurred between 121.7 to 110−5+4, 87 ± 1 to 67−3+2, and 31−3+4 to 6.3−1.6+1.5 ka. These periods registered various unconformities and coarsening–fining upward sequences which chronologically correlate to suborbital pluvial periods, recognised from speleothems and lake records, that drove fluvial deposition. They also correlate with the timing of other recognised sedimentation events throughout the Western Andes. Marine regression resulted in fan progradation and not in incision. The Lima fan stratigraphy represents therefore the most complete, last glacial fluvial record for the Peruvian Western Andes to date and it highlights the potential of fluvial fans as recorders of suborbital climate variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation has been central to development. Yet most assumptions around innovation stem from values derived by capitalist economies such as growth, individualism, and competition which prove to only widen inequalities and promote unsustainable environmental models of extraction and consumption. This paper explores what values and assumptions would underlie innovation in development if based on an alternative ontological and epistemological stance linked to the Andean cosmovision of Buen Vivir. We focus on the case of an Indigenous-led initiative in the Andes of Peru to highlight the underpinnings of its innovation processes. In doing so, we aim to contribute to both development studies literature and innovation studies by exposing the limitations to the accepted Western approach to innovation and exploring what decolonising innovation in development would look like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the methods used by the Princeton University Chapter of Engineers Without Borders to ensure the sustainability of a gravity-fed potable water system in rural northwestern Peru. While similar small scale development projects consider sustainability in their design process, some do not recognize the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability. This team, however, is inherently interdisciplinary in nature due to its unique subteam structure, which subsequently affects its approach to sustainability. By examining the technical, social, and financial considerations of the project conducted by the Princeton University Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, this paper argues for a three-pronged approach to sustainability. As can be seen through thoughtful design parameters, strong local partnerships, and strategic financial mechanisms, the project displays promise of future success with regards to sustainability. The main objective of the Princeton Chapter of Engineers Without Borders in this partnership is to ensure that the community has the knowledge, tools, and resources necessary to maintain the water system in a self-sufficient manner at the completion of the chapter's involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial lakes represent a threat for the populations of the Andes and numerous disastrous glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) occurred as a result of sudden dam failures or dam overtoppings triggered by landslides such as rock/ice avalanches into the lake. This paper investigates a landslide-triggered GLOF process chain that occurred on February 23, 2020, in the Cordillera Vilcabamba in the Peruvian Andes. An initial slide at the SW slope of Nevado Salkantay evolved into a rock/ice avalanche. The frontal part of this avalanche impacted the moraine-dammed Lake Salkantaycocha, triggering a displacement wave which overtopped and surficially eroded the dam. Dam overtopping resulted in a far-reaching GLOF causing fatalities and people missing in the valley downstream. We analyze the situations before and after the event as well as the dynamics of the upper portion of the GLOF process chain, based on field investigations, remotely sensed data, meteorological data and a computer simulation with a two-phase flow model. Comparison of pre- and post-event field photographs helped us to estimate the initial landslide volume of 1–2 million m3. Meteorological data suggest rainfall and/or melting/thawing processes as possible causes of the landslide. The simulation reveals that the landslide into the lake created a displacement wave of 27 m height. The GLOF peak discharge at the dam reached almost 10,000 m3/s. However, due to the high freeboard, less than 10% of the lake volume drained, and the lake level increased by 10–15 m, since the volume of landslide material deposited in the lake (roughly 1.3 million m3) was much larger than the volume of released water (57,000 m3, according to the simulation). The model results show a good fit with the observations, including the travel time to the uppermost village. The findings of this study serve as a contribution to the understanding of landslide-triggered GLOFs in changing high-mountain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Confluenze. Rivista di Studi Iberoamericani is the property of Universita di Bologna, Dipartimento di Lingue, Letterature e Culture Moderne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis provides a powerful means of investigating human migration, social organization, and a plethora of other crucial questions about humanity's past. Recently, specialists have suggested that the ideal research design involving aDNA would include multiple independent lines of evidence. In this paper, we adopt a transdisciplinary approach integrating aDNA with archaeological, biogeochemical, and historical data to investigate six individuals found in two cemeteries that date to the Late Horizon (1400 to 1532 CE) and Colonial (1532 to 1825 CE) periods in the Chincha Valley of southern Peru. Genomic analyses indicate that these individuals are genetically most similar to ancient and present-day populations from the north Peruvian coast located several hundred kilometers away. These genomic data are consistent with 16th century written records as well as ceramic, textile, and isotopic data. These results provide some of the strongest evidence yet of state-sponsored resettlement in the pre-Colonial Andes. This study highlights the power of transdisciplinary research designs when using aDNA data and sets a methodological standard for investigating ancient mobility in complex societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Nazca‐South American subduction zone, the subducted slab is flattened beneath northern Andes, called the Peruvian flat slab. The 2019 Mw 8.0 northern Peru intermediate‐depth normal‐faulting earthquake occurred at the leading edge of the Peruvian flat slab, where the slab rebends and sinks into greater depths. Here we investigate this earthquake by back projection analysis and finite fault inversion using seismic waveforms at teleseismic distances. The rupture process indicates that this earthquake ruptured mainly along strike (353°) ~150 km north‐northwestward within ~55 s (average rupture velocity ~2.7 km/s), resulting in two major slip areas with three high slip rate areas, which are consistent with three high‐frequency energy radiation subevents. Our study suggests that such a heterogeneous rupture may be caused by slab bending forces and dehydration embrittlement associated with morphology of the slab. Plain Language Summary: In the subduction zone, the oceanic plate and the continental plate converge, and then the oceanic plate subducts beneath the continental plate and sinks into great depths. In South America, the subducted oceanic plate is flattened beneath northern Peru instead of steeply sinking, called the Peruvian flat slab. After flattened, the oceanic plate starts to sink again. In the region where the oceanic plate starts to sink again, an earthquake with magnitude of 8.0 occurred at a depth of ~120 km on 26 May 2019. How and why this earthquake occurred at such a depth? Does the occurrence of this earthquake is related to the subducted oceanic plate? We try to answer these questions in this paper. By using two techniques, we obtained a scenario about this earthquake: In the region where the oceanic plate starts to sink again, the water in the oceanic plate releases, along with the effect of sinking to cause this earthquake. After this earthquake initiated, it ruptured mainly unilaterally north‐northwestward ~150 km with a speed of ~2.7 km/s, resulting in two large slip areas with three high slip rate areas. Such an uneven rupture may be produced by the heterogeneous structure of the slab. Key Points: Rupture process of the 26 May 2019 northern Peru earthquake is obtained from back projection analysis and finite fault inversionThe effects of slab bending forces and dehydration embrittlement together may cause this earthquake at an intermediate depthThis intermediate‐depth earthquake is probably associated with morphology of the Peruvian flat slab [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuisine is a powerful reflection of social and cultural identity. This paper reconstructs culinary change and continuity on the pre-Hispanic north coast of Peru as a window into ancient experiences of collapse and conquest. Using archaeological data from three sites in the Jequetepeque Valley between 600-1500 CE, I identify points of change as well as persistent patterns in how rural farmers procured, prepared, and consumed daily meals. By considering the nature and timing of changes, I suggest that daily meals may have been a site of resistance and an expression of local cultural identity in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas is the property of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Remarkably heavy and devastating rainfalls affected large parts of Peru during the austral summer 2016–2017. These rainfalls favoured widespread land sliding and extensive flooding and generated one of the most severe disasters of Peru since the 1997–1998 El Niño event. The amount of rainfall recorded between January and March 2017 only compares to the biggest El Niño events of the last 40 years (i.e. 1982–1983 and 1997–1998) and exceeded the 90th percentile of available records (1981–2017) over much of the northern and central coasts of Peru, the Andean region and Amazonia. The occurrence of these heavy rainfalls was highly anomalous as it occurred during the first austral summer following the development and decay of a very strong El Niño in 2015–2016. Here, we propose that the likely cause of the anomalous rainfalls is linked to the combination of an especially intense wet spell over the Central Andes related to a deep, long-lasting anticyclone located adjacent to the Chilean coast, and to the unusual development of warm water off the coast of Peru in the nominal El Niño 1 + 2 region. This warming has been related to an anomalous weakening of the mid-upper level subtropical westerly flow, which in turn led to a weakening of the southeasterly trades off the coast, thus hindering the upwelling near the Peruvian coast and favoring the eastern Pacific warming. This development is counter to the usual evolution of sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific following very strong El Niño events, such as those occurred in 1982–1983, 1997–1998, and 2015–2016. This paper explores the unusual nature of this event in the observational record and illustrates its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to determine the economic and technical feasibility of developing a thermally enhanced digester in the Andean area using solar collectors. Communities in the rural area of the Andes lack access to electricity and other basic services which impact negatively on their everyday life and exposes them to harmful and inefficient fuels. Several experiences with anaerobic digestion prove that this technology could be applied in the Andean area, although its performance is limited due to low temperatures. To overcome this constraint, an enhanced digester was modelled and simulated using TRNSYS Software. The system consisted of two solar collectors, a storage tank and a digester with a wrapped-around heat exchanger. The average digester temperature in the simulation was 30.7 °C. The enhanced temperature was used in a model to calculate the daily biogas production. The Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return were calculated and confirm the economic viability of the project. The biogas production fully covers the requirements of the system for household cooking and lighting, making a significant social impact. This simulation indicates that it is technically possible to develop an enhanced digester in the Andean area that is economically viable as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) transfer in three dairy farming areas in the Mantaro river headwaters in the central Peruvian Andes and at varying distances from the mining complex at La Oroya. At each of these sites, the transfer of trace metals from the soil to raw milk was estimated, and a hazard assessment for lead and cadmium was carried out in scenarios of minimum, average, and maximum milk consumption in a Peruvian population aged 2–85. Pb and Cd were quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Significantly, the concentrations of lead and cadmium were found to exceed the maximum limits recommended by the World Health Organization, with a positive geospatial trend correlated with the distance from mining activity. Both Pb and Cd were found to be transferred through the soil–pasture–milk pathway, with the primary source of Cd being phosphate-based fertilizers used in pasture improvement. Pb was found to be the most significant contributor to the Hazard Index (HI) with those under 19 years of age and over 60 recording an HI of >1, with infants being the most vulnerable group due to their greater milk consumption in relation to their body weight. A marginal increase in contamination was observed in the dry season, indicating the need for studies to be expanded over several annual cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andean swamp rat Neotomys ebriosus is a sigmodontine rodent restricted to the Central Andes of South America. A distribution map of the species in Peru have been previously drawn based on few of the localities where the species has been captured and collected. I update the distribution of the species in Peru based on new records from three different areas surveyed by the author, specimens at Museum collections in the United States and France from VertNet webpage, localities from the collection at the Natural History Museum of Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, and localities from the collection at the Natural History Museum of the Universidad Nacional San Agustín. The northern limit of the species distribution is increased based on new localities with collected individuals. Habitat used by N. ebriosus is mainly high Andean bogs; most individuals caught adjacent to the borders of Andean bogs and along streams near the bogs. Collected individuals leave unclear subspecies division and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a comprehensive characterization of various hydrothermal systems in Southern Peru ranging from the faulted Precordillera's steep topography up to the volcanic High Cordillera (>4,000 m asl). The objective is to investigate thermal anomalies that may potentially serve as new geothermal resources. Our integrated approach combines: (a) geochemistry from 14 hot springs sampled throughout the Tacna region, and (b) 3D numerical modeling of coupled groundwater and heat transfer considering topography and faults embedded in homogeneous permeability. Water and gas analysis indicates that the springs located near volcanoes discharge Na‐K‐Cl waters with high temperatures (>87°C), high Total Dissolved Solid concentrations (TDS >3,452 mg/L), and free gases dominated by CO2 (>90 vol%). Springs located along the regional faults in the Precordillera discharge Ca‐SO4 and Na‐K‐Cl waters with moderate temperatures (27–53°C), intermediate TDS concentrations (464–2,458 mg/L), radiocarbon ages between 1.4 and 7.9 kyr, and free gases dominated by N2 (>95 vol%). The Aruma springs, which are located at the transition between the High and the Precordillera, display intermediate characteristics. Numerical models accurately replicate the locations and temperatures of the fault‐related springs only for permeable faults (>10−14 m2), revealing the creation of 100‐km long thermal plumes along faults, locally rising up the 150°C‐isotherm to about ∼1,000 m below the surface. This approach clearly distinguishes the spring origins, which are volcanic in High Cordillera and tectonic in Precordillera. Moreover, we highlight that steep topographic gradient and permeable reverse faults in the Andean forearc may generate considerable thermal anomalies, opening perspectives for the geothermal exploration. Plain Language Summary: Geothermal energy is an essential part of the transition to green energies. It consists of using the Earth' natural heat to generate electricity or provide direct heating. In the Peruvian Andes there is significant geothermal potential near volcanoes that constitute an efficient heat source. However, these are distant from many of the population hubs, mostly located along the Pacific Coast. In the Tacna region, Southern Peru, we observe hot springs aligned along faults near the city. We hypothesize that these faults act as pipes for the hot fluids making them suitable for geothermal energy extraction. The geochemical compositions of various hot springs in the region are compared with 3D numerical models simulating hydrothermal flows. We found that springs along volcanoes and those along faults have different geochemical signatures, evidencing different subsurface pathways. Numerical models accurately replicate the positions and temperatures of the observed and sampled hot springs and reveal significant thermal anomalies around compressional faults. Our findings open up promising perspectives for the geothermal exploration in the Andean forearc. Key Points: The geochemical properties of Southern Peru's hot springs are influenced by their spatial correlation with volcanic or tectonic featuresBy combining permeable faults and topography, 3D hydrothermal modeling replicates the temperatures and locations of observed springsDetection of regional topography‐driven thermal plumes along faults in the Andean forearc opens perspectives for geothermal exploration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many efforts are made to promote soil conservation in developing countries. This paper compares the effect of two programs promoting soil conservation in Peru on the adoption decision of households. One program applies a top-down approach with soil conservation as its core activity. The other program applies a participatory approach, offering a portfolio of activities in order to improve rural livelihoods. The decisions on participation and adoption are estimated with a trivariate probit model. The results show that each program attracts different types of households and achieves different outcomes in terms of soil conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Francisco Pulgar-Vidal (1929-2012) was a Peruvian composer, pianist and music educator. Born in Huánuco, surrounded by Andes Mountains and the Amazonian jungle, Pulgar-Vidal was exposed to Western music and instruments at a young age. He took violin, piano and bassoon lessons and later took harmony and composition classes. He received a doctorate in music at the Lima National Conservatory. Pulgar-Vidal's music integrates folklores and distinctive Peruvian rhythms with compositional techniques, trendy in the 1950s. As an influential figure in Peruvian music history, he was awarded many prizes, including the Dunker Lavalle Prize and the Kuntur National Folklore Prize. He is widely known in Peru, but his fame has not spread far beyond the borders of his native country. This paper aims to introduce him and his solo piano works to a broader audience. While the term "avant-garde" may be a red flag to some, Pulgar-Vidal's compositional style is very approachable. His solo piano works serve as an excellent repertoire for intermediate and advanced pianists interested in Latin American culture. This research paper begins with contextual information about Peruvian and Latin-American music prior to Pulgar-Vidal's time, including a list of musical features in Peruvian traditional music. It follows a brief biography of Pulgar-Vidal. The last chapter demonstrates how he incorporated the Peruvian musical elements with the European compositional techniques in his solo piano works and discusses the suitability of the selected works for intermediate and advanced students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land-use practices have been a central element of human adaptation to Holocene climate change. Many practices that result in the short-term stabilization of socio-natural systems, however, have longer-term, unanticipated consequences that present cascading challenges for human subsistence strategies and opportunities for subsequent adaptations. Investigating complex sequences of interaction between climate change and human land-use in the past—rather than short-term causes and effects—is therefore essential for understanding processes of adaptation and change, but this approach has been stymied by a lack of suitably-scaled paleoecological data. Through a high-resolution paleoecological analysis, we provide a 7000-year history of changing climate and land management around Lake Acopia in the Andes of southern Peru. We identify evidence of the onset of pastoralism, maize cultivation, and possibly cultivation of quinoa and potatoes to form a complex agrarian landscape by c. 4300 years ago. Cumulative interactive climate-cultivation effects resulting in erosion ended abruptly c. 2300 years ago. After this time, reduced sedimentation rates are attributed to the construction and use of agricultural terraces within the catchment of the lake. These results provide new insights into the role of humans in the manufacture of Andean landscapes and the incremental, adaptive processes through which land-use practices take shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative isotopic paleoaltimetry has been applied in regions where Rayleigh distillation controls isotopic lapse rates. Air mass mixing and moisture recycling are viewed as complicating factors. We show here that, because of such effects, a cross‐Andean transect of meteoric water δD values precisely marks the geographic position of the Western Cordillera crest. This modern water signal is also recorded in Pliocene‐Pleistocene hydrated volcanic glass δD values. δD values between the Pacific coast and Western Cordillera exhibit no trend up to 2.5 km elevation and 100 km inboard, consistent with an arid climate in which Amazonian moisture is topographically blocked and Pacific moisture is efficiently recycled. The result is a large δD lapse rate (−98‰/km) and an abrupt horizontal δD shift (2‰/km) at the Western Cordillera crest. Therefore, we conclude that cross‐orogen δD transects could locate the ancient Western Cordillera crest. Plain Language Summary: Mountains have an outsized control on climate. Moist air masses rise and cool to cross high elevations, resulting in enhanced precipitation on the windward side and dry conditions downwind These processes influence the isotopic compositions of rainfall and of materials preserved in the geologic record that form from the interaction of rain with near‐surface materials. Here we report data from transects across the Peruvian Central Andes and show that the isotopic compositions shift abruptly at the position of highest topography (the crest of the Western Cordillera). This suggest that isotopic compositions of materials preserved in the geologic record might help establish the geographic position of the crests of mountain belts in the past. Key Points: There is a substantial shift in the hydrogen isotope ratios of meteoric water at the Andean Western Cordillera crestVolcanic glass younger than 5 million years old shows similar ratio distributions to modern soil and precipitation water valuesVolcanic arc migration over time can be identified with meteoric water stable isotope records [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This integrated pedo-geoarchaeological study focuses on three abandoned prehispanic terrace agricultural systems near Laramate in the southern Andes of Peru, aiming to unravel the pedological and land-use history of the region. The investigation involved contextualizing the former agricultural management system within its paleoecological framework and assessing the impact of agricultural practices on soil development and quality. The Laramate terrace complex, with its diverse terrace systems and varied geomorphological settings, provided an ideal setting for the investigation. Comparative analyses between non-irrigated agricultural terrace soils and undisturbed reference sequences were conducted, employing a range of methodologies, including surveys, soil analysis, GIS and remote sensing, palaeobotany, and radiocarbon dating. The study identifies three WRB Reference Soil Groups in the Laramate region: Phaeozems , Andosols , and Anthrosols. Unique characteristics of Phaeozems challenge typical descriptions, influenced by factors such as climatic seasonality, vegetation, fauna, lithology, and aeolian inputs. Despite long-term use, terrace soils (Anthrosols) show no severe degradation, maintaining balanced acidity and nutrient availability for successful crop cultivation. Tillage horizons of all terrace soils exhibit elevated organic matter content, highlighting the sustainability of prehispanic agricultural practices through a consistent application of organic manure. Phytolith concentrations indicate extensive agricultural activities, particularly maize cultivation, with varying patterns suggesting changes in cultivation or fertilization practices over time. Starch grain identification aligns with phytolith analyses, reinforcing maize's significance in the region. Notably, the abandonment of the prehispanic cultivation system was not linked to soil exhaustion or terrace instability. The prehispanic history of terraced agriculture in the Laramate region extends over four development phases, reflecting dynamic interactions between environmental, cultural, and agricultural factors. The initial phase, from the Formative Paracas period to the Early Nasca period (800 BCE–200 CE), witnessed the establishment of agricultural terraces with simple terrace architecture, while the Middle Horizon (600–1000 CE) saw systematic areal expansion influenced by the Wari culture. Adaptations to drier conditions included terraced agriculture on volcanic soils. The Late Intermediate Period (1000–1450 CE) witnessed hydrological variability and further terrace expansion to lower altitudes and less agriculturally suitable locations. The final phase, marked by the onset of the Hispanic colonial period in 1532 CE, saw the gradual abandonment of terraced agricultural systems due to demographic shifts and reorganization of production systems. Despite this, the historical trajectory underscores the adaptability and resilience of prehispanic communities in the Laramate region, showcasing innovative terrace agriculture as a means of coping with changing environmental conditions across diverse landscape units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-Andean grasslands of Peru provide a wide range of goods and services, not only locally, but also regionally and globally. However, land-use change and global warming are threatening these ecosystems, of which soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key element affecting their sustainability. In this study, we have analyzed the variation of SOC stocks to a depth of 20 cm in 16 paired cropland and grassland sites located in the Sullccapallcca stream micro-watershed (elevation > 3600 m.a.s.l., Ayacucho, Peru). We have also analyzed the environmental controls on the SOC stocks and their variation with land-use change. We found that the studied high-Andean grasslands store high SOC contents (247 Tn SOC ha−1), whose spatial variability was partially explained by the slope of the terrain (r2 = 0.26, p < 0.05). Despite the higher NDVI, the conversion of these grasslands into croplands decreased the SOC stock by 39 Tn SOC ha−1 on average, a decrease that was more pronounced when the initial SOC content of the grassland was higher (r2 = 0.60, p < 0.05). This study provides the first evidence of the effects of land-use change on the SOC in the region, although the mechanisms involved still need to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine grassland vegetation supports globally important biodiversity and ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by climate warming and other environmental changes. Trait-based approaches can support understanding of vegetation responses to global change drivers and consequences for ecosystem functioning. In six sites along a 1314 m elevational gradient in Puna grasslands in the Peruvian Andes, we collected datasets on vascular plant composition, plant functional traits, biomass, ecosystem fluxes, and climate data over three years. The data were collected in the wet and dry season and from plots with different fire histories. We selected traits associated with plant resource use, growth, and life history strategies (leaf area, leaf dry/wet mass, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf C, N, P content, C and N isotopes). The trait dataset contains 3,665 plant records from 145 taxa, 54,036 trait measurements (increasing the trait data coverage of the regional flora by 420%) covering 14 traits and 121 plant taxa (ca. 40% of which have no previous publicly available trait data) across 33 families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Cinchona L. has important medicinal, cultural, and economic value and is the emblematic tree of Peru. The genus is mainly found in the cloud forests of the Andes. However, the expansion of agriculture and livestock farming in the department of Amazonas is degrading these ecosystems and has reduced the size of the genus's populations. In this work, we model the potential distribution under current conditions of three Cinchona species (C. capuli L. Anderson, C. macrocalyx Pav. Ex DC., and C. pubescens Vahl.) to identify areas with a high likelihood of species presence and their key conservation and reforestation zones. We fitted a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model using nineteen bioclimatic variables, three topographic variables, nine edaphic variables, and solar radiation. Under current conditions, the potential distribution of C. capuli covers 17.22% (7243.98 km2); C. macrocalyx, 29.11% (12,238.91 km2); and C. pubescens, 22.94% (9647.63 km2) of the study area, which was mostly located in central and southern Amazonas. Only 24.29% (25.51% of C. capuli, 21.02% of C. macrocalyx, and 26.35% of C. pubescens) of the potential distributions are within protected areas, while 10,987.22 km2 of the surface area of the department of Amazonas is degraded, of which 29.80% covers the area of probable occurrence of C. capuli, 38.72% of C. macrocalyx, and 34.82% of C. pubescens. Consequently, it is necessary to promote additional conservation strategies for Cinchona, including the establishment of new protected areas and the recovery of degraded habitats, in order to protect this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, information is added and comments are made about two recently described Peruvian species of Liolaemus from the montanus group: L. balagueri and L. qalaywa. When L. balagueri was described, differences from L. nazca was based on a phylogenetic analysis of a single mitochondrial locus, but without including phenotypic diagnostic traits that might differentiated them. On the other hand, L. qalaywa description was based upon specimens from Apurirnac department and intraspecific variation in meristic traits were missing. In this study, we added a molecular and morphological analyses between L. balagueri and L. nazca, supporting more rigorously the separation between these two taxa. In addition, the geographic range of L. qalaywa is extended to Cusco department (southwestern Peru), intraspecific variation of morphological characteristics and geographic information up to 79 specimens are included, and the conservation issues of this species is commented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Novon is the property of Missouri Botanical Garden Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Latin American & Latinx Visual Culture is the property of University of California Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aseismic Nazca Ridge produces localized flat-slab subduction beneath the South American margin at latitudes 10° to 15° S. The geological evolution and the spatio-temporal pattern of deformation of the upper plate have been strongly influenced by the presence of the flat slab. In this study, we investigated the lithospheric thermal structure of this region by elaborating a 2D geothermal model along a section across the top of the Nazca Ridge, the Peru–Chile trench, the Andean Cordillera, and the Amazonian Basin, for a total length of 1000 km. For the sake of modelling, the crust of the overriding plate was subdivided into two parts, i.e., a sedimentary cover (including the entire lithostratigraphic sequence) and a crystalline basement. Applying an analytical methodology, we calculated geotherms and isotherms by setting (i) thickness, (ii) density, (iii) heat production, and (iv) thermal conductivity for each geological unit and considering (v) heat flux at the Moho, (vi) frictional heating produced by faults, and (vii) plate convergence rate. The resulting model could make a significant advance in our understanding of how flat slab geometry associated with the Nazca Ridge subduction affects the thermal structure and hence the tectonic evolution of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the sources of water provisioning streams, soils, and vegetation can provide important insights into the water that sustains critical ecosystem functions now and how those functions may be expected to respond given projected changes in the global hydrologic cycle. We developed multi-year time series of water isotope ratios (δ18 O and δ2 H) based on twice-monthly collections of precipitation, lysimeter, and tree branch xylem waters from a seasonally dry tropical montane cloud forest in the southeastern Andes mountains of Peru. We then used this information to determine indices of the seasonal origins, the young water fractions (Fyw), and the new water fractions (Fnew) of soil, stream, and tree water. There was no evidence for intra-annual variation in the seasonal origins of stream water and lysimeter water from 1 m depth, both of which were predominantly comprised of wet-season precipitation even during the dry seasons. However, branch xylem waters demonstrated an intra-annual shift in seasonal origin: xylem waters were comprised of wet-season precipitation during the wet season and dry-season precipitation during the dry season. The young water fractions of lysimeter (< 15 %) and stream (5 %) waters were lower than the young water fraction (37 %) in branch xylem waters. The new water fraction (an indicator of water ≤ 2 weeks old in this study) was estimated to be 12 % for branch xylem waters, while there was no significant evidence for new water in stream or lysimeter waters from 1 m depth. Our results indicate that the source of water for trees in this system varied seasonally, such that recent precipitation may be more immediately taken up by shallow tree roots. In comparison, the source of water for soils and streams did not vary seasonally, such that precipitation may mix and reside in soils and take longer to transit into the stream. Our insights into the seasonal origins and ages of water in soils, streams, and vegetation in this humid tropical montane cloud forest add to understanding of the mechanisms that govern the partitioning of water moving through different ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the new forms of regulation and resistance accompanying the expanding extractive frontier in Andean Peru. It does so through an analysis of a process of community mobilization at the Pierina gold mine in the region of Ancash that was aimed at transforming the conditions under which area residents labored at the mine. The article documents the complex ways in which the emergence of neoliberalized forms of resource governance has affected the terrain of mining-related sociopolitical struggle at Pierina, both allowing the mining firm to consolidate authority in the arena of mine-community relations, while also establishing certain conditions for residents to pursue their interests collectively. An analysis of the Pierina case suggests that efforts to forge more just and equitable political economies of mineral development must not only challenge the neoliberalization of resource governance, but also confront the underlying socio-ecological contradictions of contemporary capitalist resource development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports new data on qocha ponds from the Rio Pucara–Azángaro interfluvial zone, northern Lake Titicaca Basin, Peru. Qocha are a little known form of Andean agriculture that developed around 800–500 B.C. and remain in use today. Prior estimates suggested that in the study area, there were more than 25,000 qocha. While most Andean sunken beds are excavated to reach groundwater, qocha are rain-fed ponds. How these rain-fed ponds functioned has been an open question, but one that is answered in part by research presented in this paper. We suggest that a thick impermeable stratum of clay that was possibly deposited by paleolake “Minchin” created a perched water table that makes rain-fed qocha reservoir agriculture possible. Field geology shows that within the study area, this stratum only exists under Terrace E. Based on this model, we hypothesized that persistently used qocha should only be found on Terrace E. To test this hypothesis we used remotely sensed data to inventory qocha and to determine their distribution by each terrace present. We identified 11,737 qocha. By area 93.77% and by count 94.33% of the qocha are located on Terrace E. These results strongly supported our hypothesis. This case study illustrates that the long term viability of this form of agriculture is made possible by a physical context that is beyond human control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyzes the material, discursive, and biophysical dimensions of fuelscapes, or energy landscapes. Ethnographic and ecological fieldwork was conducted in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, Peru. Andean land use studies have focused on agricultural patterns such as vertical production zones. Fuelscapes are an important, energy-based means of producing and representing landscape. They show how uncultivated lands fit into livelihood strategies and reflect historic sedimentation of landscape. Fuelscapes are shaped by ecological characteristics, historic settlement patterns and property rights, gendered and intergenerational divisions in household labor, and state conservation policies. Conservation policies delimit fuelscapes to privilege live trees, but the resultant denudation of dead wood may carry implications for ecosystem health. This study elucidates how official policies intersect with household and communal resource use strategies to produce Andean fuelscapes. It provides insight into how uncultivated ecosystems fit into land use politics, practices, and representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andes as mountain regions worldwide, provide fundamental resources, not only for the local population. Due to the topographic characteristics, the potential for natural hazards is higher than elsewhere. In these areas, assessments of climate change impacts and the development of adequate adaptation strategies therefore become particular important. The data basis, however, is often scarce. Moreover, perceptions of changes and needs are often divergent between national and local levels, which make the implementation of adaptation measures a challenge. Taking the Peruvian Andes as an example, this paper aims at initiating a discussion about scientific baseline and integrative concepts needed to deal with the adverse effects of climate change in mountain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study in assessment of erosion hotspots in an Andean watershed. To do this, we made use of an interface called Geospatial Modelling of Soil Erosion (GEMSE): a tool that integrates Geographical Information Systems (GIS) with the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model. Its advantages are: (i) it is independent of any special GIS software used to create maps and to visualize the results; (ii) the results can be used to produce response surfaces relating outputs (e.g. soil loss, runoff) with simple inputs (e.g. climate, soils, topography); (iii) the scale, resolution and area covered by the different layers can be different among them, which facilitates the use of different sources of information. The objective of this paper is to show GEMSE''s performance in a specific case study of soil erosion in La Encañada watershed (Peru) where the hillslope version of WEPP has been previously validated. Resulting runoff and soil loss maps show the spatial distribution of these processes. Though these maps do not give the total runoff and soil loss at the watershed level, they can be used to identify hotspots that will aid decision makers to make recommendations and plan actions for soil and water conservation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Archaeological research in the Andes has emphasized agriculture to the detriment of all other modes of production. A marked bias towards research on the coast, where crop farming predominates, and prejudices arising from the prevailing agro-centric perspective has given rise to a wealth of information concerning agricultural adaptations to this vertical environment. This paper seeks to redress the balance by investigating the precocious nature of agro-pastoralist traditions in the north-central highlands of Peru (ad 1000–1570). I challenge current ideas concerning the mainstay of subsistence in the Prehispanic high Andes that essentially emphasize farming to the detriment of other modes of production. Rather, I argue for a rich tableau of closely articulated groups of agro-pastoral and mixed farming communities ensconced in the kichwa , suni and puna areas of the cordillera. In these mixed communities the archaeological evidence suggests that it is the camelid herders who controlled and exercised power over the mixed farming communities with a concomitant specialization and intensification of the pastoralist economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ways in which tourism development has resulted in new and competing forms of territoriality in the Peruvian Andes. In a predominantly subsistence economy, the income opportunities offered by tourism have intensified conflicts relating to territorial control. Analysis focuses on a dispute between the direction of the Lake Titicaca National Reserve and the Uros, an indigenous group living within the Reserve. Both have attempted to enforce their authority over the Reserve's territory in order to control tourism flows and revenues. The Uros strive for the establishment of their own Communal Reserve, creating a new territorial division based on ethnic criteria. The elaboration of contradicting tourism use plans has created multiple normative frameworks used by both parties to support their claims for authority over the contested territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southern rivers of Peru originate in the Andes Mountains and flow in a southwestern direction to the Pacific Ocean through one of the most hyper-arid regions of the world. During each sub-equatorial summer from December to February, rains and snow melt in the Andes increase the streamflow in these rivers, even as they pass through the 100 km arid zone to the ocean. This study quantified seasonal dynamics of 34 trace metal elements (TM) and other constituent concentrations in four southern river basins of Peru (Chili-Quilca, Tambo, Camana-Majes-Colca, and Ocoña) during 2019–2020. Consistent with previous studies, we observed that: (1) the river water in the southern basins had relatively high concentrations of B, As, Fe, Al, Mn, P, Pb and Ni, with As the most ubiquitous toxic TM in all the basins, often detected at concentrations surpassing Peruvian and USEPA regulated concentrations; and (2) basins with the most to least toxic TM contamination were the Tambo > Chili-Quilca > Camana-Majes-Colca > Ocoña. Seasonal streamflow strongly influenced the concentrations of twenty TM, with 15 TM (Al, Au, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Gd, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, Ti, Yb and Zr) consistently higher in the wet season, and with As, B, Ge, Li, and Pd higher in the dry season. Our results improve the understanding of seasonal variability and vulnerability in western Andes superficial water sources, which are highly influenced by both local geogenic and anthropogenic conditions. A Spanish translation of this paper is available in the online Supplementary Material. [Display omitted] • Arsenic is the most ubiquitous contaminant in surface waters of Southern Peru. • Al, Fe, As, B, Mn, P, Pb, and Ni exceeded the Peruvian water quality regulation. • Out of 34 metals studied, 14 showed a strong seasonal behavior (e.g., As, Pb and B). • Total recoverable metals trended better rather than dissolved metal with season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk and its derivatives are basic foods in Peru, especially for children. The Junín region, in the central Andes, is one of the leading dairy basins. However, the safety of milk is affected by mining–metallurgical activities, wastewater dumping, organic residues, and inappropriate use of organophosphate fertilizers in agriculture whose contaminants reach the food chain, putting human health at risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bioaccumulation of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in milk produced on a representative farm in central Peru, which uses phosphorous agrochemicals and is adjacent to a small mineral concentrator and a municipal solid waste dump, and to evaluate the potential risk for the Peruvian population of 2–85 years considering three levels of daily intake by age, which constitutes the innovative contribution of the study. These three elements were quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrometry following standardized procedures. The mean contents of Pb (0.062 mg/kg), Cd (0.014 mg/kg), and As (0.030 mg/kg) in milk exceeded the maximum limits allowed by international standards. At all ages, the target quotient hazard followed a descending order of As > Pb > Cd, being > 1 in the case of As. The hazard index was >1 for children under 7, 9, and 11 years of age in the scenarios of low, medium, and high milk intake. The information is valid for formulating policies to prevent adverse health effects and develop standards and awareness programs, monitoring, and control of heavy metals in milk in Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wild relatives of modern tomato crops are native to South America. These plants occur in habitats as different as the Andes and the Atacama Desert and are, to some degree, all susceptible to fungal pathogens of the genus Alternaria. Alternaria is a large genus. On tomatoes, several species cause early blight, leaf spots and other diseases. We collected Alternaria‐like infection lesions from the leaves of eight wild tomato species from Chile and Peru. Using molecular barcoding markers, we characterized the pathogens. The infection lesions were caused predominantly by small‐spored species of Alternaria of the section Alternaria, like A. alternata, but also by Stemphylium spp., Alternaria spp. from the section Ulocladioides and other related species. Morphological observations and an infection assay confirmed this. Comparative genetic diversity analyses show a larger diversity in this wild system than in studies of cultivated Solanum species. As A. alternata has been reported to be an increasing problem in cultivated tomatoes, investigating the evolutionary potential of this pathogen is not only interesting to scientists studying wild plant pathosystems. It could also inform crop protection and breeding programs to be aware of potential epidemics caused by species still confined to South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research around water security in the Peruvian Andes rarely includes a local perspective or engages in a participatory approach with local communities within the research process. Here we share four key lessons from an interdisciplinary project that gathered community perspectives on water quality issues in the upper Rio Santa basin. Mixed-methods data was collected via a photo elicitation app with a survey (Nuestro Rio), and a field work campaign. Our main learnings were i) the importance of in-person engagement; ii) the accessibility of technology for data collection; iii) the need for co-produced knowledge and solutions; and iv) the complexity of water quality as an environmental concept. Our research highlights the importance of effective participant engagement methods to support socio-environmental integration to support sustainable decision-making and water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Peruana de Biología is the property of Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

What is trust to a mining company? This article interrogates the effects of conceptualising trust as essential infrastructure for large-scale extractive operations. Although sentiments like trust are typically imagined to fall outside the firm's purview, mining companies actively blur distinctions between economic-material and social-emotional realms when they draw on intimate social forms like kin networks and communal authority to mould trust into an expendable factor of mineral production. But rather than transforming trust into a discrete, predictable input, firms have unexpectedly manufactured its opposite: desconfianza, or distrust. My study shows how residents affected by mining navigate this distrust by attempting to construct clear boundaries between themselves and the mine. In the process, they reveal the unruly sentiments underlying the operations of extractive capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documented land degradation resulting from initial trail development and further high‐intensity touristic activity in a high‐altitude setting (>4000 m a.s.l.) in the Andes. Peru's Rainbow Mountain (also named Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores) only became a world‐renowned tourist destination in recent years (after 2015/2016). A high‐mountain setting as such is fragile and does not recover fast, meaning the rapid influx of visitors has caused severe landscape degradation from which it will take several decades to recover. The main objectives of the study were to (1) characterise and map different types of impacts related to direct visitor pressure, (2) document and evaluate activities aimed at limiting degradation while enhancing visitors' experience, and (3) propose a conceptual model of trail functioning in the tropical high‐mountain environment. Data were collected using ground‐based surveys, unmanned aerial vehicles and high‐resolution satellite images. We identified eight dominant morphogenetic processes responsible for the transformation of landscape surface: (1) trampling, (2) abrasion/shearing by visitors and service animals and (3) transformation of water and sediment circulation—these direct human activities can initiate and/or intensify further degradation by the following natural processes: (4) water erosion, (5) freeze–thaw cycles, (6) dry‐wet cycles, (7) aeolian activities and (8) mass movements. The five main trail impacts identified were: trail widening, trail incision, formation of braided trail networks, development of muddy sections and development of informal (visitor‐created) trails. These observed impacts have left a clear imprint on the landscape after just one to two seasons of intensive recreational use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this work, a new species of ptyctimous mite ("box mite")—Protophthiracarus afthonos—is described and illustrated. It is exceptional by its very rich body setation—bigger than in any other known member of the ptyctimous oribatids. The new species was found in a forest soil sample from the Andes in Peru. The discovery confirms the uniqueness of the montane arthropod fauna of South America. The biogeographic distribution of ptyctimous oribatids in Peru is summarized and supplied with a key to the species of Peruvian fauna. Protophthiracarus afthonos sp. nov. is described and illustrated using line drawings, transmitted light and SEM imaging. It is characterized by an extraordinary richness of notogastral setae (ca. 166 pairs) that has been previously unseen among phthiracaroid mites. The species originates from the material collected from the litter of primary forest in the Peruvian Andes. The genus Protophthiracarus is well represented in the Neotropical Region. Many species of ptyctimous mites have been found in Peru, representing both widespread and endemic biogeographic elements. Among a total of 37 species, 20 from Peru have been described for the first time. Currently, the ptyctimous fauna consists of 12 endemite, 11 neotropical, 4 semicosmopolitan and 9 pantropical biogeographic elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of topography in determining water transit times and pathways through catchments is unclear, especially in mountainous environments – yet these environments play central roles in global water, sediment, and biogeochemical fluxes. Since the vast majority of intensively monitored catchments are at northern latitudes, the interplay between water transit, topography, and other landscape and climatic characteristics is particularly underexplored in tropical environments. To address this gap, here we present the results of a multiyear hydrologic sampling campaign (twice-monthly and storm sampling) to quantify water transit in seven small catchments (<1.3 km 2 area) across the transition from the Andes mountains to the Amazon floodplain in southern Peru. We use the stable isotope composition of water (δ18 O) to calculate the fraction of streamflow comprised of recent precipitation ("young water fraction") for each of the seven small catchments. Flow-weighted young water fractions (Fyw) are 5 %–26 % in the high-elevation mountains, 22 %–52 % in the mid-elevation mountains, and 7 % in the foreland floodplain. Across these catchments, topography does not exert a clear control on water transit; instead, stream Fyw is apparently controlled by a combination of hydroclimate (precipitation regime) and bedrock permeability. Mid-elevation sites are posited to have the highest Fyw due to more frequent and intense rainfall; less permeable bedrock and poorly developed soils may also facilitate high Fyw at these sites. Lowland soils have low Fyw due to very low flow path gradients despite low permeability. The data presented here highlight the complexity of factors that determine water transit in tropical mountainous catchments, particularly highlighting the role of intense orographic precipitation at mountain fronts in driving rapid conveyance of water through catchments. These results have implications for the response of Earth's montane "water towers" to climate change and for water–rock reactions that control global biogeochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff from glacierised Andean river basins is essential for sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people. By running a high-resolution climate model over the two most glacierised regions of Peru we unravel past climatic trends in precipitation and temperature. Future changes are determined from an ensemble of statistically downscaled global climate models. Projections under the high emissions scenario suggest substantial increases in temperature of 3.6 °C and 4.1 °C in the two regions, accompanied by a 12% precipitation increase by the late 21st century. Crucially, significant increases in precipitation extremes (around 75% for total precipitation on very wet days) occur together with an intensification of meteorological droughts caused by increased evapotranspiration. Despite higher precipitation, glacier mass losses are enhanced under both the highest emission and stabilization emission scenarios. Our modelling provides a new projection of combined and contrasting risks, in a region already experiencing rapid environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documentation of plant taxa has long been subject to the temporal and spatial selectivity of professional research expeditions, especially in tropical regions. Therefore, rare and/or narrowly endemic species are sometimes known only from very few and very old herbarium specimens. However, these taxa are very important from a conservation perspective. The lack of observations of living plants and confirmation of the actual occurrence of taxa hinders the planning and implementation of effective conservation measures. Community science networks have recently made tremendous contributions to documenting biodiversity in many regions across the globe. The rediscovery of six species of Nasa (Loasaceae) from Peru and Ecuador primarily via the platform iNaturalist, is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover in mountainous regions is shaped by a complex web of stressors arising from natural and anthropogenic processes. The co-design process implemented with regional stakeholders in this study highlighted persistent data gaps and the need for locally relevant (thematic, spatial, and temporal) data products, which global alternatives still fail to deliver. This study describes the development of a land cover database designed for the Junín National Reserve (JNR) in Peru as a precursor of a broader effort designed to serve Andean wetland ecosystems. The products were created using Random Forest models leveraging Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data and trained using a large database of in situ data enhanced by the use of high-resolution commercial imagery (Planet). The land cover basemap includes eight classes (two of vegetation) with an overall accuracy of 0.9 and Cohen's Kappa of 0.93. A second product further subdivided vegetation into locally meaningful vegetation classes, for a total of four types (overall accuracy of 0.85). Finally, a surface water product (snapshot and frequency) delivered a representation of the highly variable water extent around Lake Junín. It was the result of a model incorporating 150 Sentinel-1 images from 2016 to 2021 (an overall accuracy of 0.91). The products were successfully employed in identifying 133 ecosystem services provided by the different land cover classes existing in the JNR. The study highlights the value of participatory monitoring and open-data sharing for enhanced stewardship of social-ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]