biodiversity
The Mountains of High Africa allowed Africans to be Africans long before the struggle for independence. The dynastic kingdoms of the Highlands of Ethiopia prevailed for centuries and it was the only part of Africa that was not really colonized. Not even the scorching sands of the Sahara and its general inhospitality could keep the colonizers out, as did the mountains. More recently, when the...
One of South America's most endangered forest ecosystems is the Polylepis forests (los bosques de kehuiña) in the Andean highlands. In Bolivia only about 650 km2 of Polylepis is left - down from an estimated potential distribution of 40.000 km2. The highland forests serves as important water catchment areas by "combing" humidity out of clouds and fog, and by...
The purpose of this paper is to explain to all who love the mountains the different bands of vegetation that characterise the mountain as one climbs to the top. There may be those who see the mountains as one mass of plants species mixed in helter skelter fashion. In addition, the author aims to explain the species adaptation to various montane ecosystem zones and explain the values of...
Dr. Miller discussed a draft of his forthcoming World Resources Institute Report "Balancing the Scales - Policies for Increasing Biodiversity's Chances through Bioregional Management." He presented four different approaches to biodiversity conservation, and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses in order to synthesize policy recommendations for managing conservation through...
The timberline zone in the Himalaya is a cradle of high temperate and low alpine biodiversity elements. It is a rich repository of highly sensitive elements which are of considerable biological and economic value. Among others, these include endemic, endangered, medicinal and edibles plant species. In view of the unique diversity of its biological components, representativeness, susceptibility...
Recently, as evidenced by the United Nations' Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and the subsequent Convention on Biological Diversity, the concern for biodiversity conservation has been increasing worldwide. The UNCED recommended the integration of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into all national and international economic...
Nepal has established an extensive network of protected areas to conserve biodiversity. Several problems relating to management of these protected areas have emerged, such as wildlife poaching and park-people conflicts. To address these problems, local communities have been given more responsibilities in protected area management by creating new categories of protected areas. This research...
Mountain inhabitants all over the world, often guileless and trusting people, are gradually waking up to their vulnerabilities and there is growing concern among them over the loss of their immediate habitat and the usurption of their resources and livelihood patterns by vested interests. These concerns have found articulation in Chapter 13 of the Agenda 21 document under the heading: Managing...
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