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Modelling the Routes of Seasonal Transhumance Movement in North Neuquén (Patagonia)

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Abstract

The human population dynamic in the North of Neuquén is characterized by well-documented seasonal transhumance movements, although the routes that connect lowland and upland areas as well as the factors influencing their selection remain largely unknown. In this study, we compare movement routes between lowlands and upland pastures in Tromen massif as described in interviews and participatory mapping with local herders with routes modelled by least cost paths (LCPs) on several cost surfaces based on Ensemble Distribution Modelling (EDM). Altitude and vegetation (cover and productivity) are two of the most important variables contributing to the potential for movement across the landscape. The LCPs calculated using the inverse of EDM surface – which mainly represents the contribution of altitude, distance to permanent rivers, and vegetation – display a good concordance with the ethnographic routes. Conversely, neither the LCPs estimated from a traditional multi-cost surface nor the LCPs based on each of three main variables separately predicted appropriately the location of the ethnographic routes. We showed that a modelling approach can contribute to a deeper understanding of the practice of transhumance in North Neuquén.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the crianceros trashumantes of the Área Natural Protegida El Tromen, the Park Rangers Jorge “Coco” Gomez and Rodolfo “Rodi” Freire, the Dirección Provincial de Áreas Naturales Protegidas and the Dirección Provincial de Patrimonio Cultural, Neuquén Province. We also thank Diego Gobbo, Sergio F. dos Reis, and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable contributions to previous versions of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by grants to Valeria Bernal from Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT -PICT 2134), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP-PI N792) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET-PIP 729).

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  1. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM, UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Sergio L. D’Abramo, Paula N. Gonzalez, S. Ivan Perez & Valeria Bernal

  2. Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro, Rio Negro, Argentina

    Sergio L. D’Abramo

  3. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Etnografía Aplicada-Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (LINEA, UNLP-CIC), FCNyM La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Sergio L. D’Abramo

  4. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Paula N. Gonzalez, S. Ivan Perez & Valeria Bernal

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  1. Sergio L. D’Abramo
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  2. Paula N. Gonzalez
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  3. S. Ivan Perez
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Sergio L. D’Abramo conducted the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data, and contributed to the first draft of the work. Paula N. Gonzalez contributed to the interpretation of results; critically revised the content. S. Ivan Perez collaborated with analysis and interpretation of data; critically revised the content and the final version of the manuscript; Valeria Bernal contributed to the conception and design of the work, and interpretation of data; wrote the final version of the manuscript. All authors approved the version submitted.

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Correspondence to Sergio L. D’Abramo.

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Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. Verbal informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Potential participants were previously informed of the study details, and were also informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequence. To maintain confidentiality, all participants were assigned a non-linkable identifier, and interviews and conversation data were securely stored upon return from the field. Data management was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the National Law 25.326 for Protection of Personal Data. The study design was approved by the “Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo” of the #Universidad Nacional de la Plata” Buenos Aires, Argentina (N° 1000–010,514/18, approval date 11–07-2018).

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D’Abramo, S.L., Gonzalez, P.N., Perez, S.I. et al. Modelling the Routes of Seasonal Transhumance Movement in North Neuquén (Patagonia). Hum Ecol 49, 415–428 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-021-00246-9

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