his paper discusses present-day land-use patterns in the northern Andean paramos (natural high-altitude grasslands). In contrast to the puna societies in the Central and Southern Andes, the human activities in the paramos are yet to be investigated thoroughly by social scientists. The various agricultural and pastoral production systems of this high mountain region are presented systematically and their organization is explained. In most Indian paramo communities one does not encounter nomadic pastoralism; the objective is to complement pastoral activities with small-scale agriculture within a community's boundaries. If this is not attainable, people search for access to arable lands in other communities. Two contemporary land-use strategies form the focus of the discussion-the upward expansion of the agricultural frontier and the escalation of market-oriented animal-raising activities in the lower ecozones of paramo communities. Of particular interest are the historical and social causes that led to these recent trends, and their negative ecological consequences for the rest of the country.