The double contribution By, Ricardo Castro Colombia/Argentina

Around the world the ecosystem services are the way to achieve the best effective-cost goals based upon the assumption that an ecosystem can be supported by both community and economy. In this way, a framework has been developed: the payment for ecosystem services, what it means all the benefits obtained by the people from the ecosystems (MEA 2005) and covered by a voluntary compensation. But this situation drives on three different changes in landcover: a) from agrosystem to forest, b) from secondary to primary forest, or c) from artificial to agroecosystem. Having in account Andean cities take the water from high mountain ecosystem with traditional agricultural planting and harvesting, creating new resilience and adaptative capacity for the ecological system. The most important reason for me to be enrolled in the Mountain Research Initiative is to bring the monitoring to natural, social and economic spheres using the geospatial technologies: remote sensing, GIS and geostatistics in conceptual work. A good workshop come from involving techniques and social knowledge that Geography can use. As part of this science, I am specialized in global change (climate and landcover and landuse changes) and geospatial methodologies that help to understand the underlying problem of sustainability. During this former years I have been working on which are the implications of changing from agricultural to restored Andean mountains and what it means for water (eco)service. What it takes to restore the ecosystem and what it takes for the social and economic areas are my main questions to respond using geography and geospatial technologies. I hope I can find a way to improve what you need and exchange not only conceptual knowledge but also the practical ways to understand the future in high mountain systems.

References: MEA (2005). Ecosystem and Human Well-being. Biodiversity Synthesis. L. Bledzki. Washington Millenium Ecosystem Assesment (World Resources Institute).