Mountain Forum BIn collabuorationlwithlthe eMountaintReseiarchn Initiative (MRI) and the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) July 2009 Mountain Biodiversity: Lifeline for the Future Are Ethiopian Highlands Changing? Amphibians as Ecosystem Indicators Impacts of Armed Conflict on Mountain Biodiversity: Experiences from Nepal Biodiversity Conservation and Crop Improvement in a Fragile Agro-Ecosystem: Insights from Guangxi, China Main Threats to Mountain Biodiversity in Georgia Spread of Non-Native Plant Species into Mountains: Now is the Time to Act www.mtnforum.org Mountain Forum Bulletin Volume IX Issue 2, July 2009 ISSN 1815-2139 Editorial Team: Marianne Heredge, Ujol Sherchan, Frans Neuman, Laura Keenan, Sunita Chaudhary, Suman Jaiswal. Layout and Design: Jyoti Man Dangol, Verve Media Pvt. Ltd. Cover Photographs: (clockwise from right) Farmer and professional maize breeder hand in hand, Guangxi, China. Photo: Ronnie Vernooy. The Stirling Range – islands in the sky in surrounding agricultural landscape. Photo: Anne Cochrane. Aglais urticae. A threatened species by global warming, Andorra. Photo: Montse Mases. Snow leopard cub. Photo: Steve Tracy. Published by the Mountain Forum Secretariat in collaboration with the respective Nodes in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America and with the assistance of the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) and the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA). The opinions expressed by the contributors in the Mountain Forum Bulletin are not necessarily those of the Mountain Forum Secretariat, Regional Nodes of the Mountain Forum, or their host institutions. The Mountain Forum Secretariat reserves the right to edit contributions for the sake of clarity and brevity. Contents Message from the Mountain Forum Executive Secretary - Frans Neuman 2 Introduction Mountain Diversity-A Global Heritage - Eva M. Spehn and Christian Körner 3 Features Are Ethiopian Highlands changing? Amphibians as Ecosystem Indicators - Simon Loader, Abebe Mengistu, Silvia Schwaller, David Gower, Peter Nagel, Abebe Getahun, Samy Saber and Roman Kassahun 5 PARADISE LOST? Conservation of Mount Marsabit Forest Ecosystem, Northern Kenya - Wario R. Adano 6 Responses to Threats and Impacts on the Outstanding Biodiversity Values of Low-Altitude Mountains in South Western Australia - Anne Cochrane, Sarah Barrett and John Watson 8 Impacts of Armed Conflict on Mountain Biodiversity: Experiences from Nepal - Bishnu Upreti 11 Conservation of Agrobiodiversity through Traditionally Cultivating ‘Barahnaja’ in the Garhwal Himalaya, India - Vishwambhar Prasad Sati 12 Biodiversity Conservation and Crop Improvement in a Fragile Agro-Ecosystem: Insights from Guangxi, China Song Yiching, Zhang Shihuang, with Ronnie Vernooy 14 Intensified Sheep Grazing Decreases the Biodiversity of Alpine Grasslands in the Carpathians, Romania - Bruno Baur 16 Main Threats to Mountain Biodiversity in Georgia - George Nakhutsrishvili, Maia Akhalkatsi and Otar Abdaladze 18 Recent Change of Alpine Vegetation and Plant Species Richness in the Swedish Scandes - Leif Kullman 20 Mountain Biodiversity, Genetic Resources and Cultures - Promila Kapoor, Vijay 22 Spread of Non-Native Plant Species into Mountains: Now is the Time to Act - Keith McDougall, Sylvia Haider, Tim Seipel, Christoph Kueffer and MIREN Consortium 23 Changes in Biodiversity Patterns in the High Andes - Understanding the Consequences and Seeking Adaptation to Global Change - Anton Seimon, Karina Yager, Tracie Seimon, Steve Schmidt, Alfredo Grau, Stephan Beck, Carolina García, Alfredo Tupayachi, Preston Sowell, Jerry Touval and Stephan Halloy 25 Protection of the Cloud Forests and Their Biodiversity in the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela - Winfried Meier 27 Interview Transboundary Landscape Conservation in the Eastern Himalaya – Interview with Dr. Nakul Chettri Samuel Thomas and Ujol Sherchan 29 Book Reviews Member Initiatives Global Mountain Biodiversity - Eva Spehn 33 Global Change in Mountain Regions: The Mountain Research Initiative - Claudia Drexler 34 ICIMOD’s International Conference, Workshops on Mountain Biodiversity - ICIMOD 36 Photo Exhibition: Changing Landscapes - Nonna Lamponen 37 Biodiversity and Climate Change Research Programme of the Snow and Mountain Research Centre of Andorra (CENMA) - Marta Doménech 38 Climate Change and Biodiversity in the European Union Overseas Entities - Guilluame Prudent 39 Caribou of the Canadian Rockies: Understanding Environmental Change in the Context of Conservation and Evolution - Byron Weckworth 40 Thoughts on the Food Crisis in the Andes - Judith Kuan Cubillas, Consultora de CONDESAN 42 Invertebrate Monitoring at GLORIA Target Regions: The First Results From the Urals and Need for Global Networking - Yuri Mikhailov 44 Walking through My Land: A Little Sparrow - Walter Bishop V. 46 Metsovion Interdisciplinary Research Centre Database (MIRC) Angeliki Geronteli, on behalf of the N.T.U.A., M.I.R.C 47 Technological Innovation Servicing Biodiversity - Lourdes Chuquipiondo (RAMP PERU) 48 Birds from the Albertine Rift - Michel Louette (RMCA) 50 Agrobiodiversity in the Alps: Establishment of a Long-Term Monitoring System - Elli Broxham 50 Project Snow Leopard: Participatory Conservation Model for the Indian Himalaya - Pranav Trivedi 52 The Importance of Mediterranean Alpine Biodiversity in Central Spain - Rosario Gavilán and Alba Gutiérrez Girón 54 New Views of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya for Conserving Biodiversity - Daniel J. Miller 56 Vegetation Types of the Endangered Eastern Ghats Mountain Ecosystem in Southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, India - G Areendran, Prakash Rao and Krishna Raj 58 Useful Resources for Mountain Biodiversity 60 Mountain Calendar 69 Message from the Mountain Forum Executive Secretary Dear Readers, It is with pleasure that I present to you this special edition of the Mountain Forum Bulletin, which focuses on Mountain Biodiversity. This is a central and binding theme in various parts of the world and was selected in 2008 by the Mountain Forum Board as one of the key thematic focus areas for the coming years. This Bulletin is not only unique because of its extended size, but also because it has been produced in close partnership with the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) and the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI). Especial acknowledgement must go to Dr Eva Spehn and Claudia Drexler, who have dedicated a great deal of time and effort to furthering this process of collaboration. Together, Mountain Forum, GMBA, MRI and the regional nodes have worked in genuine partnership to mobilise expertise and experiences from the various networks and create workable synergies. GMBA anchored the thematic content whereas MRI aggregated resources and both insured the involvement of its wide research network. I am delighted that the collaboration made use of our complementary skills and resources, and that the final publication reflects this range of knowledge. In this edition we have tried to address issues of biodiversity related to research, development and policy, and to bring experiences from the various regions to the footlight. This effort is meant to support discussions on Mountain Biodiversity. In 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, the Conference of Parties on Biodiversity (COP-10) in Japan will pay special attention to Mountains. This Bulletin also aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices at the regional, national and grassroots levels. Information and knowledge from the wider Mountain Forum community through the regional networks provides a solid base, bringing together all stakeholder groups. It is enriched and consolidated by the experiences and knowledge of specialised organisations and networks, such as the GMBA, MRI and the Mountain Invasion Research Network. The featured articles have benefited from review and feed-back from a team of experts, and herewith I would like to thank Dr Greg Greenwood of MRI, Dr Eva Spehn and Dr Katrin Rudmann-Maurer of GMBA, Prof. Martin Price of Perth University and Dr. Eklabya Sharma of ICIMOD for all their efforts. The lead article sets the stage, sketching the situation and relevance of the topic to sustainable mountain development, whilst indicating actions required for the effective conservation and recovery of biodiversity. It is clear that a combination of measures will be needed at various levels. The featured articles cover all continents and a wide variety of topics, ranging from conflict and its impact to agricultural biodiversity; from butterflies to amphibians as indicators of biodiversity. Members of the Mountain Forum, GMBA and MRI have also contributed a range of practical experiences and initiatives: for example, on the preservation of the endangered Sierra Madre Sparrow in Mexico, the snow leopard in the Indian Himalaya and the caribou in the Canadian Rockies; on conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity in the tiny country of Andorra; on NASA on the Tibetan Plateau and food security in the Andes. The list of useful resources included at the end of the Bulletin is intended to support networking and more direct exchanges of experiences. It points to key organisations, information resources as well as initiatives relevant for mountain biodiversity. It is hoped that the process of information and knowledge sharing of the Mountain Forum community and partners will continue and lead to changes at all levels for the benefit of local mountain communities. Wishing you happy reading, Frans Neuman Executive