South America: climate monitoring and adaptation integrated across regions and disciplines

This chapter provides an overview and summary of ongoing ALARM research in the South American Andes. ALARM helped to set up the first network for monitoring the impact of climate change in the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, following GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) methodology. The GLORIA network has developed a standardized methodology to establish and monitor permanent plots in Alpine environments that are useful for comparing the impact of climate change on vegetation at a worldwide scale (www.gloria.ac.at). In addition to establishing GLORIA sites, we initiated interdisciplinary research on a variety of interdependent themes including: mammals, reptiles, amphibians, soil bacteria, glacial retreat, agriculture and animal husbandry. Here we show broad geographic vegetation and climatic patterns for five research sites while highlighting some of the multidisciplinary branches being explored. From this data, current and future analyses of both human and climate impacts on High Altitude ecosystems throughout the Andes are in progress. We identify some factors of variability among sites and introduce preliminary findings.Fil: Halloy, Stephan. Ministry for Primary Industries; Nueva ZelandaFil: Yager, Karina. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: García, Carolina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Chaco-formosa. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Saenz Peña. Agencia de Extension Rural Juan Jose Castelli.; ArgentinaFil: Beck, Stephan G.. Instituto de ecología; BoliviaFil: Carilla, Julieta. 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: Tupayachi, Alfredo. Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco; PerúFil: Jácome, Jorge. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; ColombiaFil: Isela Meneses, Rosa. Universidad Católica del Norte; ChileFil: Farfán, Jim. Northwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Seimon, Anton. Appalachian State University; Estados UnidosFil: Seimon, Tracie. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados UnidosFil: Rodriguez-Flakus, Pamela. Polish Academy of Sciences. W. Szafer Institute of Botany; PoloniaFil: Cuello, Ana Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Grau, Alfredo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentin