Sustaining Mountain Connections
In the harsh environment of the high Andes, where few crops can grow and most livestock species struggle to survive, camelids remain crucial for local communities’ survival. Alpacas and llamas are perfectly adapted to life at extreme altitudes of 3,800-5,000 meters above sea level, where they help maintain delicate grassland ecosystems through their gentle grazing patterns. Their padded feet don’t compact the soil, and they create natural fertilization zones through their communal dung piles called latrines.
Most remarkably, these animals support a complex system of vertical complementarity – the practice of using resources from different altitudes. Traditional herders move with their animals between different elevation zones to make the best use of seasonal pastures, while trading camelid products like fiber and dried meat for goods from lower altitudes. In many remote high-altitude areas, this traditional system still provides communities with independence and resilience against economic uncertainties.
Unfortunately, this way of life faces modern challenges. Young people increasingly leave for cities, and improved transportation sometimes replaces traditional camelid caravans. Yet in many areas, especially in Peru and Bolivia, camelid herding remains one of the few viable ways to make a living at extreme altitudes, helping preserve both ecological and cultural diversity in the Andes.
Here, you see a video of how these alpacas are kept in the Peruvian mountains: