Research Priorities for the Conservation and Sustainable Governance of Andean Forest Landscapes

The long-Term survival of Andean forest landscapes (AFL) and of their capacity to contribute to sustainable development in a context of global change requires integrated adaptation and mitigation responses informed by a thorough understanding of the dynamic and complex interactions between their ecological and social components. This article proposes a research agenda that can help guide AFL research efforts for the next 15 years. The agenda was developed between July 2015 and June 2016 through a series of workshops in Ecuador, Peru, and Switzerland and involved 48 researchers and development experts working on AFL from different disciplinary perspectives. Based on our review of current research and identification of pressing challenges for the conservation and sustainable governance of AFL, we propose a conceptual framework that draws on sustainability sciences and social-ecological systems research, and we identify a set of high-priority research goals and objectives organized into 3 broad categories: systems knowledge, target knowledge, and transformation knowledge. This paper is intended to be a reference for a broad array of actors engaged in policy, research, and implementation in the Andean region. We hope it will trigger collaborative research initiatives for the continued conservation and sustainable governance of AFL.Fil: Mathez Stiefel, Sarah Lan. University of Bern; Suiza. Centro Internacional de la Papa, Lima; PerúFil: Peralvo, Manuel. Consortium For The Sustainable Development Of The Andean Ecoregion; EcuadorFil: Báez, Selene. Consortium For The Sustainable Development Of The Andean Ecoregion; Ecuador. Escuela Politécnica Nacional; EcuadorFil: Rist, Stephan. University of Bern; SuizaFil: Buytaert, Wouter. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Cuesta, Francisco. Institute For Biodiversity And Ecosystem Dynamics; Países Bajos. Consortium For The Sustainable Development Of The Andean Ecoregion; EcuadorFil: Fadrique, Belén. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Feeley, Kenneth J.. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Groth, Aaron A. P.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: Homeier, Jürgen. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Llambí, Luis D.. Universidad de los Andes; VenezuelaFil: Locatelli, Bruno. Centre For International Forestry Research; Perú. Cirad Centre de Recherche de Montpellier; FranciaFil: López Sandoval, Maria Fernanda. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales; EcuadorFil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Young, Kenneth R.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados Unido