A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ANDEAN PÁRAMO

The páramo is a high-altitude ecosystem characterized by its herbaceous vegetation and distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. This ecosystem is highly sensitive to environmental disturbances, making it a priority area for conservation and research due to its biodiversity and strategic ecosystem functions. Consequently, it is essential to conduct ecological and conservation studies of páramo areas within interdisciplinary frameworks that address the various environmental, geopolitical, economic, and sociocultural challenges. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify the richness of páramos and the evolution of knowledge in research during the period from 2014 to 2023; and (2) to determine the scientific output, keyword co-occurrence in articles, and the most influential researchers in the field during the period from 2014 to 2023. The methodology employed was descriptive bibliometric analysis, involving a comprehensive search for scientific articles in the Scopus database. For parameter visualization, VOSviewer and the Bibliometrix package in R Studio were used to apply Lotka’s Law. The results show that Colombia is the leading country in scientific production in this field, playing a central role in advancing knowledge about the páramo. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the impact of climate change and intensive human activities (such as agriculture, grazing, pine plantations, and tourism) have increased the risk of páramo degradation, altering hydrological cycles and reducing its regulatory capacity. This bibliometric study provides a robust foundation for the planning of public policies aimed at conservation, sustainable water resource management, and biodiversity protection in páramo ecosystems. Therefore, it is crucial to promote research that considers the páramo as a socio-ecological system, analyzing the interactions between human actors and the natural environment, which will enable the design of more equitable and effective management policies.