Peru’s Polylepis forests — among the world’s highest — are crucial to the Andes’ water cycle. After decades of restoration across their former range, researchers revisited a project in Aquia in 2022 and found success depended on community participation and formal conservation agreements.
In recent years, groups like ECOAN and Accion Andina have built on that model, expanding restoration grounded in local leadership.
by Ruth Kamnitzer
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/project-sees-long-term-success-restoring-forests-in-the-high-andes-study/