Delimiting tropical mountain ecoregions for conservation

P J Platts; N D Burgess; R E Gereau; J C Lovett; Andrew R Marshall; C J McClean; P K E Pellikka; R D Swetnam; R Marchant

doi:10.1017/S0376892911000191

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Delimiting tropical mountain ecoregions for conservation

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Delimiting tropical mountain ecoregions for conservation

P J Platts, N D Burgess, R E Gereau, J C Lovett, Andrew R Marshall, C J McClean, P K E Pellikka, R D Swetnam and R Marchant

Environmental Conservation, Vol.38(3), pp.312-324

2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892911000191

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Abstract

boundary placement

conservation priority

Eastern Arc Mountains

ecological regions

ecosystem services

mapping

plant endemism

population pressure

topography

Ecological regions aggregate habitats with similar biophysical characteristics within well-defined boundaries, providing spatially consistent platforms for monitoring, managing and forecasting the health of interrelated ecosystems. A major obstacle to the implementation of this approach is imprecise and inconsistent boundary placement. For globally important mountain regions such as the Eastern Arc (Tanzania and Kenya), where qualitative definitions of biophysical affinity are well established, rule-based methods for landform classification provide a straightforward solution to ambiguities in region extent. The method presented in this paper encompasses the majority of both contemporary and estimated preclearance forest cover within strict topographical limits. Many of the species here tentatively considered 'near-endemic' could be reclassified as strictly endemic according to the derived boundaries. LandScan and census data show population density inside the ecoregion to be higher than in rural lowlands, and lowland settlement to be most probable within 30 km. This definition should help to align landscape scale conservation strategies in the Eastern Arc and promote new research in areas of predicted, but as yet undocumented, biological importance. Similar methods could work well in other regions where mountain extent is poorly resolved. Spatial data accompany the online version of this article. © 2011 Foundation for Environmental Conservation.

Details

Title: Delimiting tropical mountain ecoregions for conservation
Authors: P J Platts (Author) - University of York, United Kingdom
N D Burgess (Author) - Copenhagen University, Denmark
R E Gereau (Author) - Missouri Botanical Garden, United States
J C Lovett (Author) - University of Twente, Netherlands
Andrew R Marshall (Author) - University of York, United Kingdom
C J McClean (Author) - University of York, United Kingdom
P K E Pellikka (Author) - University of Helsinki, Finland
R D Swetnam (Author) - University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
R Marchant (Author) - University of York, United Kingdom
Publication details: Environmental Conservation, Vol.38(3), pp.312-324
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date published: 2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0376892911000191
ISSN: 0376-8929
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450414902621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Biodiversity Conservation; Environmental Sciences

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