Colombian Paramos : spatial representation and defining ecological boundaries

Keywords: cartography, critical cartography, GIScience, boundaries, spatial representation, paramos, Colombia
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 56

Abstract

The production of environmental boundaries can prove to be a complex task, as it is the result of the negotiation between distinct ecological, economic, political, social, and technological factors that intertwine in different (and sometimes uneven) ways. The complexity surrounding the creation of boundaries can be epitomized in the production of the páramo boundaries in Colombia. Páramos are high elevation neotropical ecosystems characterized by their richness in water, minerals, and endemic species. Found mainly in the high plateaus of the northern Andes, Colombia houses 37 of these fragile biodiversity hotspots representing roughly 3% of the country’s territory with is more than half of all the páramos in the world.

Since 2007, the Colombian government has delimited the paramos on three different occasions using different spatial scales. Each delimitation, produced a different number of páramos, paramo boundaries and the total area labelled as páramos. The reason behind this is that each delimitation process used different methodologies, technologies and criteria to define páramos boundaries. The aim of this presentation is to explore the relationship between spatial representation (mapping and GIS) and definitions of ecological boundaries or ecological spaces. To do this I explore the production of the Colombian paramo boundaries, how are these defined and how the different technological and methodological approaches are employed to produce and maintain these definitions. This work uses a GIScience, critical cartography and STS perspective to explore how ecological boundaries are produced, shaped and the consequences that these definitions carry.