Abstract 31 – Evaluation of local ecological knowledge as a method to collect data on occupancy and probability of detection of Tremarctos ornatus, in the Apolobamba National Integrated Management Natural Area

Viviana Albarracín

Between May 2017 and June 2019, interviews were held in the Apolobamba National
Integrated Management Natural Area to study the sites that are prioritized for conservation of
the Andean bear. The little information on the presence and distribution of this species is
particularly notable in remote areas, despite the fact that they are usually places rich in
biodiversity.
The use of interviews with the local population to replace traditional methodologies (such as
transects or camera traps) when estimating the distribution of species and at the same time
being able to monitor them. Each interview at a study site serves as a replicate for the location,
thus making it possible to construct a detection history (using interview responses of whether a
species is present or absent at that site) for each site in the study area. This method is seen as a
useful approach to monitor and evaluate the presence of the species that occupies large
geographic areas due to its high effectiveness at the cost-benefit level. In this sense, working
with people's local knowledge that can provide relevant biological information for conservation
efforts.
This novel alternative of models based on interviews allows us to identify parameters with a
strong influence on the presence of the species that allow us to generate a baseline for
monitoring, a requirement to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of conservation plans.