Evaluation of the effect of land use change at a landscape scale in La Vega, Cundinamarca

In Colombia, the transformation of native plant cover by agricultural and livestock production systems has created mosaics where ecological and cultural processes converge to maintain biodiversity (Mendoza et al. 2006). This transformation process has given rise to rural landscapes in which native species are highly threatened. It should be noted that the remnants of natural habitats may be relevant for the conservation of ecological processes and environmental services. Therefore, this project seeks to provide the Universidad del Rosario with knowledge about the ecological integrity of the ecosystems present in the José Celestino Mutis Field Station, thus contributing to research on nature and promoting the sustainable coexistence of communities with their environment. In order to achieve these objectives, field trips, workshops and talks with the community, inputs for the development of GIS methodologies and handling of biological material are required.

It is expected to find and communicate the changes in land use that the community has brought about in the municipality of La Vega, Cundinamarca, taking into account important historical moments such as the green revolution, the use of new technologies, the economy (including the recent transition from an agriculture-based economy to one based on tourism), among other aspects. On the other hand, it is expected to have a record of surveys that provide information related to the different events that occurred in the territory and in turn allow the construction of the history of land use, with first hand information (inhabitants of the territory).