research
The Carpathian Mountains in Europe are a biodiversity hot spot; harbor many relatively undisturbed ecosystems; and are still rich in seminatural, traditional landscapes. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Carpathians have experienced widespread land use change, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Climate change, as an additional driver, may increase the effect of such changes...
This article explores the factors that influence pro-poor commercial management of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in three community forest user groups (CFUGs) in the Dolakha district in Nepal. Management of NTFPs through CFUGs is an important poverty-reduction strategy in rural Nepal. National policy documents encourage management of NTFPs by CFUGs for commercial purposes, particularly by...
La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve—created in 1995 in Chiapas, Mexico—is well known for its biodiversity. Its buffer zone, harboring the upper "Tablon" river basin, has been intensively managed by peasants for 48 years. The authors carried out interviews with cattle producers at the Los Angeles ejido, coupled with field surveys of vegetation presence, to determine the nature...
The basis of this work are the theoretical notions developed through island biogeography, metapopulation theory and landscape ecology, concepts that have been brought together in the discipline of conservation biology. However, it is not always clear how generic notions of ecological coherence can effectively be applied to conservation practice on the ground. The array of variables that apply...
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) is DIVERSITAS’ oldest international cross-cutting research network, founded in Glion, Switzerland in 1999. GMBA aims to provide the scientific basis for conservation and sustainable use of mountain biodiversity by encouraging and synthesising the often hidden and fragmented results of research on high-elevation organismic diversity, its...
The Himalaya – Changing Landscapes photograph exhibition resumed its European tour this spring. Our fourth exhibition was held in Bonn, Germany 1-12 June 2009 at the Robert- Schuman-Platz. Thereafter the exhibition will move to Switzerland later in the summer.
New photos have been added to the concept of Himalaya - Changing Landscapes. The repeat mountain panoramas and photos of...
Vascular plants remain the key objects in the research of alpine biodiversity and prime indicators for biological monitoring of climate change in alpine habitats. However, other organisms have clear potential as biosensors as well. For example, insect herbivores appear to be more sensitive to climate change than their host plants (Hodkinson and Bird 1998). In general, animal species diversity...
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