Knowledge Management Practices and Ecological Restoration of the Tropical Dry Forest in Colombia

Abstract

Ecological restoration is considered a nature-based solution to reduce ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and combat climate change. In this sense, the objective of this study was to identify the knowledge management practices that are present in an ecological restoration process in the tropical dry forest. The empirical study was developed using a mixed approach over an area of 11,079 ha in Huila, Colombia. At first, the qualitative study was supported by a documentary review and participant observation between 2018 and 2020. On the other hand, the quantitative study was carried out through the application of the Delphi method with the participation of 64 experts. Twenty-two knowledge management practices were identified with orientation towards human factors, organization, information technologies, strategy, and intellectual protection. These findings show that all the knowledge management practices identified have an impact on the six components of the ecological restoration process (planning, diagnosis, implementation, monitoring, participation, and consolidation). Likewise, these practices contribute to the generation, transformation, and mobilization of local and scientific knowledge in the components of the ecological restoration process of the tropical dry forest.

La restauración socioecológica: Potencialidades del uso del enfoque de los sistemas socioecológicos y el marco analítico de sistemas de innovación social

“…A pesar de lo anterior, existen diversas experiencias que aunque no integran el marco de la innovación social en los procesos de restauración, sí incluyen aspectos sociales que hacen parte de este marco, tales como la creación de redes sociales, la participación comunitaria, la gobernanza policéntrica, el fortalecimiento de capacidades y la articulación de actores locales (Wyant et al 1995;Hobbs et al 2004;Gann and Lamb 2006;Báez et al 2011;UICN and WRI 2014;Guariguata and Brancalion 2014;Suding et al 2015;Ceccon et al 2015;Ceccon and Daniel 2016;Richardson and Lefroy 2016;Fox and Cundill 2018;Barrett et al 2019;Reyes et al 2019;Gann et al 2019;Erbaugh et al 2020;Gómez et al 2022;Meli et al 2022;Torres and Acosta 2022), ampliando el horizonte de la RE, desde su teoría y práctica.…”