Llamas (Llama glama) enhance proglacial ecosystem development in Cordillera Blanca, Peru

Abstract

Worldwide, mountain glaciers are shrinking rapidly. Consequently, large areas are becoming available for the development of novel alpine ecosystems. These harsh environments, however, delay primary succession. In this study with a local community, we conducted an inclusion experiment to investigate whether Llama glama influences soils and vegetation primary succession following glacial retreat. At the foot of the Uruashraju glacier in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru (~ 4680 m.a.s.l.), we established four llama inclusion plots and four control plots that we studied from 2019 to 2022, 24–40 years after deglacierization. After three years, the llama plots had significantly increased soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen. In the llama plots, we found a large, significant increase in vascular plant cover (+ 57%) between the second and third years of experimentation, and we identified four new species that were not present in 2019. Our results suggest that Llama glama, through their latrine behavior and role as a seed disperser, enhances the primary succession and novel ecosystem formation in recently deglacierized landscapes. Our study provides scientific support that rewilding of native Andean camelids may favor adaptation to glacier retreat and inform conservation and management strategies in proglacial landscapes.

The effect of livestock grazing on plant diversity and productivity of mountainous grasslands in South America – A meta‐analysis

“…Conversely, we considered grazing history as short at study sites within the subtropical climatic zone dominated by cattle, sheep, or horses. This differentiation is crucial because camelids exhibit less trampling compared to the other grazers, resulting in reduced soil compaction (Zimmer et al., 2023 ). For the grassland type, some conversion had to be made: (i) from “Pampa,” “Jarillal,” “Mountain grassland,” and “Pastizal en filo” to tall grassland and (ii) from meadow and peatland to bofedal.…”

Past, present, and future of mountain and island systems

“…Studies on historical biogeography and phylogeography of mountain and island organisms, using genetic, ecological, and trait data, revealed the impact of past global change on natural communities and their organisms (e.g., Muellner et al, 2008;Richardson et al, 2012;Favre et al, 2015Favre et al, , 2016Matuszak et al, 2016;Ebersbach et al, 2017aEbersbach et al, , 2017bEbersbach et al, , 2018Marx et al, 2017;Antonelli et al, 2018;Hauenschild et al, 2018;Hoorn et al, 2018;Mosbrugger et al, 2018;Zimmer et al, 2018Zimmer et al, , 2023Muellner-Riehl, 2019;Peyre et al, 2020;Rosero et al, 2021;Anthelme et al, 2022;Holzmeyer et al, 2023;Manurung et al, 2023;Cantera et al, 2024;Carruthers et al, 2024). Knowledge about the past will be useful to make predictions about the future and inform conservation measures and policy.…”