Assessing high Andean rangelands conditions and trends at CIBCI-Sumbay
May 2, 2025
The International Center for Bioscience and Innovation (Centro Internacional de Biociencias e Innovación Sumbay-CIBCI), created in 1984, is an important asset of the National University of San Agustin (UNSA) to conduct research. Located at an altitude of 4,135 masl, CIBCI is a reference point for knowledge creation and training of students interested in the problems of the Peruvian high Andes ecosystems, with great potential for innovative research in the areas of integral management of Andean grasslands and camelids.
To support research efforts at CIBCI, during March 22-23, the Nexus Project ‘Integrating genomics, phenotyping, and nutrition strategies to enhance alpaca fiber quality and survival in the Peruvian highlands’ (in short the 'Camelids' Project) assessed CIBCI’s rangelands, which are the sole source of forage for the alpacas raised at the site. The Nexus project team received technical support from two members of the Arequipa Agricultural Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA).
To evaluate the functional state of the ecosystem, the team members conducted a characterization using standardized agrostological methodologies, which included linear transects, visual cover estimations, and rapid vegetation surveys. Additionally, the team members collected soil samples from various points across the study area, which were analyzed at the laboratories of the INIA-Arequipa. The resulting data enabled the estimation of the current grazing pressure and the projection of a sustainable livestock carrying capacity, which provides a technical foundation for the development of management strategies and productivity improvement plans focused on the conservation and efficient use of the CIBCI grasslands.
Contact Details
- Rosa Cossio
- rcossio@purdue.edu
- 765-494-0721
