The Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve: Biocultural Landscapes, Sustainability Challenges, and Integrative Governance in High-Andean Protected Areas

High-mountain protected areas are increasingly exposed to climate change, governance fragmentation, and limited integration of cultural dimensions into conservation strategies. In this context, this study examines the Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve (Ecuador) as a high-Andean biocultural landscape, integrating ecological, geological, climatic, and cultural evidence within a common interpretive framework based on the concepts of integrity and authenticity. Using an interdisciplinary synthesis of secondary sources, the analysis explores six analytical dimensions encompassing geodiversity, ecosystems, biodiversity, climate dynamics, archaeological evidence, and cultural practices. The results suggest that the Chimborazo system maintains a notable degree of structural and functional coherence across its ecological and geomorphological components, while also experiencing increasing pressures associated with climate change, particularly glacier retreat and hydrological variability. At the same time, the persistence of archaeological records, Andean epistemologies, ritual practices, and biocultural traditions supports the interpretation of a landscape characterized by continuity of cultural meaning and long-term human–environment interaction. Rather than proposing a definitive or directly transferable model, this study offers a conceptual perspective that highlights the interdependence between ecological processes and cultural values in high-mountain environments. Interpreting Chimborazo as a biocultural landscape offers a useful approach for exploring sustainability-oriented governance and adaptive management in Andean protected areas. The findings may inform ongoing discussions on the integration of biodiversity conservation, cultural continuity, and climate adaptation, while further empirical validation is required to assess the broader applicability of this approach in other mountain contexts.