The Puna is a Central Andes 'mountainous region dominated by plateaus, with altitudes between 3.500 and 4.500 meters above sea level. It is an arid landscape, with intense solar radiation and extreme temperatures, and it presents evidence of human occupations for 12.000 years. It is currently inhabited by indigenous peoples and local communities with deep-rooted ways of relating to nature and space. The biocultural heritage is very rich and partly manifests itself in a broad development of pastoral life (of llamas, sheep and goats) based on the use of natural vegetation and wetlands. It also includes iconic wild species (vicuñas, suris and queuñas) of strong intrinsic, relational and local material value. This paper presents ethnobiological aspects, perceptions and local knowledge related to the mountain environment and to wild and domestic beings, analyzed from the point of view of nature's contributions to people and multiple valuations. Traditional knowledge (TK) is the essence of local conservation and environmental management decisions in the area such as livestock management techniques and use and care of wild resources. This work seeks to present the contribution from a science committed to the socioenvironmental reality of the communities, trying to generate a transdisciplinary and intercultural epistemic approach. Faced with global risks for pastoral systems such as biodiversity loss, changes in land use (mining), depopulation, cultural erosion with deterioration of practices, and climate change, this paper explores local perceptions and alternative strategies from an intercultural dialogue that includes traditional and scientific ecological knowledge.