rvi yf2 ».tj A GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF «( TROPICAL MONTANE CLOUD FORESTS DRAFT AUGUST 1997 k\0 "^•-i zk IB W JAM 1 L.V 1 L Awk 1^ WORLD CONSERVATION u MONITORING CENTRE Fi u m The World Conservation Monitoring Centre, provides information services on the conservation and sustainable use of species and ecosystems and supports others in the development of their own information systems. A GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF TROPICAL MONTANE CLOUD FORESTS DRAFT by Mark Aldrich, Clare Billington, Mary Edwards and Ruth Laidlaw World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. August 1997 lUCN The World Conservation Union ^S Netherlands Committee WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE Acknowledgements Grateful appreciation is expressed to a number of people who have contributed to the compilation and production of this directory. To Heather Cross for her great efforts in editing, reviewing and production, and to James Culverwell and Sam Kanyamibwa (Africa), Ruth Laidlaw (Central America and South-East Asia), Miguel Morales (Mexico) and Chris Sharpe (Venezuela) for their help in writing and researching. Also to Tim Quinton for his work on the database and Mary Edwards for map production. Finally to Clare Billington, Willem Ferwerda, Larry Hamilton and Richard Luxmoore for their advice and encouragement along the way. Many thanks are also due to those who commented on a draft layout for the database and on types of information to be collected, as well as giving advice and guidance during this phase of work. They include Sampumo Bruinzeel, Rainer Bussmann. Charles Doumenge, Willem Ferwerda, Don Gilmour, Larry Hamilton, Mark Jeffcote, Jim Juvik, Maarten Kappelle. Mariella Leo, Adrian Long, Chris Sharpe, Fred Scatena, Ed Tanner. Paul Toyne, Peter Weaver, Tim Whitmore, Jan Wolf, and many colleagues here at WCMC. In addition thanks to all the cloud forest enthusiasts around the world who have contributed information and expressed an interest in working with WCMC in raising awareness of the value of remaining cloud forests. Many are listed along with their contact details as an annexe to this directory. Apologies to any that have been missed. We trust that this draft directory and the database from which it has been compiled provide a valuable resource. We also hope to build on this and the rapidly developing network of contacts in a subsequent phase of work, which will contribute towards the conservation of the remaining areas of this unique and fragile ecosystem. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). based in Cambridge. UK is a joint-venture between the three partners in the World Consen'ation Strategy and its successor Caring For The Earth: lUCN - The World Conservation Union. UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme, and WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature. WCMC provides information services on conservation and sustainable use the world's living resources, and helps others to develop information systems of their own. Prepared by Mark Aldrich, Clare Billington, Mary Edwards and Ruth Laidlaw with funding from lUCN Netherlands Committee. lUCN The World Conservation Union sB Netherlands CommiUee WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE Copyright: World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1997 Copyright release: Reproduction of this pubHcation for educational or other non- commercial purposes is authorised without prior permission from the copyright holders. Reproduction For resale or other commercial purpose is prohibited without the prior written permission of the copyright holders. Disclaimer: The designations of geographical entities and the presentation of material in this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever by WCMC and its collaborators and other participating organisations, concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory, or area or of its authorities; or concerning the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries. Citation: World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1997. A Global Directory of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (Draft). Aldrich, M., Billington, C, Edwards, M. and Laidlaw, R (Eds). World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. Unpublished. 268pp. Available From: World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 ODL, UK Tel: +44 1223 277314; Fax: -H44 1223 277136 Email: [email protected]; URL: http://www.wcmc.org.uk FTP: ftp://ftp.wcmc.org.uk 1 : A GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF TROPICAL MONTANE CLOUD FORESTS CONTENTS Introduction and Background to the Development of this Directory Page No. 1. An Introduction to Tropical Montane Cloud Forests i 1 . Values 1.2 Threats/Pressures 1.3 The need for information 1 .4 Related activities 2. Deflnitions and Terminology iii 2.1 Difficulties with definition 2.1.1 Working definitions 2.2 Commonly used Terminology 3. Distribution of TMCFs vi 3.1 Global distribution 3.2 Altitude, latitude and the Massenerhebung effect 3.3 Altitudinal distribution 3.4 Mapping 4. Background to the development of a global database ix 5. Development of a standardised methodology and format for recording data x 6. Data gathering exercise: problems x 7. Compilation of a draft directory xi 8. Development of a Cloud Forest Network xi 9. Global Overview xii Including tables showing total number of regions and sites per country, with the number of sites protected - Table 1 South-East Asia xiii Table 2: Africa xiv Table 3a: Central America xv Table 3b: South America xv Table 4: Global Totals xvi 10. Conclusions xvii 11. Proposed future activities xviii 12. References xix Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from UNEP-WCIVIC, Cambridge http://www.archive.org/details/globaldirectoryo97aldr 1 The Directory Legend to the maps 1. AFRICA : Angola 1 Burundi 5 Cameroon 9 Cote d'lvoire 14 Equatorial Guinea 18 Ethiopia 22 Gabon 26 Guinea 32 Kenya 36 Liberia 45 Madagascar 49 Malawi 53 Mozambique 57 Nigeria 61 Reunion 65 Rwanda 69 Sao Tome and Principe 75 Sierra Leone 79 Tanzania 83 Uganda 90 Zaire 96 LATIN AMERICA - CENTRAL Belize 107 Costa Rica 1 1 El Salvador 117 Guatemala 121 Mexico 126 Panama I35 2.1 LATIN AMERICA - SOUTH Bolivia I43 Brazil 149 Colombia I54 Ecuador 162 Peru 170 Venezuela 177 SOUTH-EAST ASIA Australia 193 Brunei Darussalam 197 Cambodia 201 China 205 India 209 Indonesia 213 LaoPDR 223 Malaysia 224 Myanmar 233 Papua New Guinea 237 Philippines 241 Sri Lanka 249 Thailand 254 Viet Nam 258 4. Work currently in progress on the following: Argentina Honduras Nicaragua Caribbean Islands Pacific Islands Appendix 1: Example Site Sheets INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS DIRECTORY AN INTRODUCTION TO TROPICAL MONTANE CLOUD FORESTS Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) are high on the list of the world's most threatened ecosystems, and it is widely believed that the majority of those which remain are small areas or remnant fragments of their original extent. Much of their value is related to their unique characteristics of biodiversity and endemism and the functions that they provide. If managed sustainably, TMCFs can provide a valuable range of services to local populations living in or adjacent to the forest. As well as being a source of fuelwood and small dimension timber, they may provide a range of non-wood forest products including honey, medicinal plants and bushmeat. 1.1 Values The hydrological role of TMCFs through their water stripping function gives them a value in terms of water resources that is quite distinct from other forests or types of land use (Stadtmuller, 1987, quoted in Hamilton et al. 1993). Tree crowns act to intercept wind- driven cloud moismre on leaves and branches which drips to the ground, resulting in the addition of water to the hydrological system. As a result TMCFs play an important role in watershed protection by maintaining ground cover, thus minimising soil erosion and providing a regular and controlled supply of water to communities living downstream. TMCFs also make excellent ecosystems and sites for monitoring climate change and air quality due to their relatively undisturbed tropical location. In addition to having a wealth of biological diversity which has been previously undervalued, TMCFs possess a very high proportion of endemic species, and probably many more as yet unknown to science. Many TMCF areas serve as refugia for endangered species which are being marginalised by the transformation and/or destruction of ecosystems at lower elevations. Throughout the tropics, the TMCF zone provides habitat for notable plant species such as tree ferns {Cyatheaceae) and many rare and endemic orchids (Orchidaceae) along with other economically valuable plants and tree species. TMCFs are also the last remaining habitat for many threatened species of mammals and birds. According to Long (1993), 260 of the world's nationally endemic bird species have cloud forest habitats. With this wealth of diversity, cloud forest areas are becoming an increasingly important draw for ecotourism, such as bird watching holidays, and for local education and recreation. However while such activities may provide a valuable source of income, they must be carefiilly managed in order to help conserve the unique environment and benefit local communities. 1.2 Threats/Pressures Despite their considerable value, these fragile habitats are under increasing threat from a wide range of sources. In particular, human population pressures have forced the conversion of more marginal and previously less accessible areas for both subsistence and cash crops, including legal or illegal drug plant production. Many areas are under pressure from encroachment by livestock or have already been cleared to provide new grazing land TMCFs may also provide a valuable source of fuelwood and small dimension timber, along with a range of non-wood forest products, but in many areas such exploitation has reached unsustainable levels resulting in irreversible damage to the forest habitat. The same is true for hunting or capture of fauna (for sport, subsistence or commercial trade), and tourism and recreation. Plans for new road building projects threaten many remaining TMCFs, along with mining and geothermal development schemes many of which are well established.