Análisis Socioecológico De La Iniciativa De Restauración Liderada Por Autoridades Ambientales En El Distrito Regional De Manejo Integrado Guantiva La Rusia (Santander)

Abstract

Restoration is a process in which some stages of succession are imitated to encourage the recovery of ecosystems, in which social participation is key to sustainability and development. A socioecological analysis was carried out on the restoration project implemented in Guantiva La Rusia, Santander, Colombia, which was developed in stages, with the definition of socioecological criteria, social, ecological characterization, and data processing. The management status of the initiative led by environmental authorities was evaluated as good (61/100) according to the criteria defined and according to social analysis (64/100) and ecological (57/100). The linking of actors was at the social level the criterion valued as very good, in contrast to the conceptual and methodological clarity; incorporation of conservation practices, use and exploitation; participation in the management and contribution of voluntary work qualified as regular and that jeopardize the project. The two ecological criteria evaluated as good were the priority in the recovery of ecosystem structure, function and services, and monitoring mechanisms; while the adequate application of temporal and spatial scales and the control of potential threats were regular. The number of native or endangered species was considered insufficient because of the low diversity of species used, dependence on the availability of plant material in nurseries in the region and the use of plants introduced in areas of assisted restoration that altered the process to not to be part of the successional trajectories and the ecosystem of reference and to compromise the sustainability of the project and the integrity of the ecosystems. The social and ecological criteria identified constitute a contribution of the research and could be replicable or used as a reference for future analysis of restoration initiatives in the country.