Biome: High Andean Forest (Bosque Alto Andino)

In the 1950's, a mine was opened at the current site of the Aula Ambiental Soratama. It remained open until the mine was depleted of its limestone (roca caliza), clay (arcilla), and sandstone (arenisca entera). As the minerals were extracted, all of the topsoil eroded down to the bedrock (roca madre). When there were no longer any recoverable minerals, the mine was abandoned. The mine remained exposed and minerals that used to be deeply buried were now exposed to weather. Acid mine drainage would pose a new threat to the water resources, in addition to the loss of native habitat. 

The loss of native plant species from the environmental degradation allowed invasive eucalyptus trees to take advantage of the disturbed environment and became the dominant vegetation. Eucalyptus trees do provide several valuable ecological services like timber provisions and essential oils used in pharmaceutical and hygiene products, climate regulation through shading the ground and reducing habitat for malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. However, they negatively impact the environment through drying out soil, reducing soil pH with their leaf litter, and reduce species richness and evenness in the community. 

Restoration of the original habitat began in 2000, and the Aula Ambiental opened later in 2008. An objective of ecosystem restoration efforts is to replace the invasive trees with native high Andean tree species. Actions toward this objective will increase species and habitat diversity, thereby restoring valuable ecosystem services. To achieve this, "they" are beginning with promoting soil formation. Without soil, there can be no vegetation; yet without vegetation, nothing is anchoring soil particles together and erosion will always win. To solve this environmental problem, eco-engineering is facilitating a quick formation of soil over the bedrock through gabions (gaviones; cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in erosion control) and biomats (biomantos; tools used for erosion control and land revegetation composed of straw, coconut fiber and polypropylene fibers). Additionally, there is an on-site greenhouse culturing native species to establish in the park as it continues to mature through succession.

Summative—