BIOSF_1: Sintesis del Temario A de la Conferencia electronica sobre Conservacion de Reservas de Biosfera ,
Por Marina Ponce, Moderadora Tematica, CI-Peru

6 de Febrero, 1998

El aislamiento geografico ocasionado por la presencia de las montanas, favorece un alto indice de endemismo y una diversidad genetica que merece ser investigada con mayor amplitud.

Nuestros antiguos habitantes, las culturas aborigenes, lo conocieron e hicieron uso de ello originando 2 grandes centros de domesticacion no solo de especies vegetales (papa, maiz,algodon,frijoles,tomate,quinua etc.) sino de animales domesticados o semidomesticados(cuy, llama,alpaca,vicuna,etc).

Actualmente este proceso continua, a cargo de campesinos, quienes aun conservan in situ las especies vegetales silvestres y tambien por especialistas en la materia; quienes muestran su preocupacion por la erosion genetica como en el caso de las papas silvestres.

Esto puede hacerse extensivo a nivel general ;especies silvestres y especies cultivadas ;aplicandose tambien en el caso de animales (especies en extincion,caceria ilegal,contrabando de especies,etc).

Tambien se ha mencionado aunque brevemente el potencial hidrologico de los ambientes de montana; que lo estamos vivenciando dramaticamente en muchos paises de nuestra region que vivimos esta macroalteracion climatica llamada en Peru Fenomeno "El Nino"; donde los rios que vienen de los Andes al producirse lluvias abundantes en su cabecera inundan las zonas mas bajas causando perjuicio al ambiente y sus habitantes.

Como una reflexion en "voz alta", se recibieron pocas ponencias respecto al temario (a), puede deberse a muchos factores, entre ellos, a que ùexiste poco conocimiento de la conservacion de la biodiversidad en ambientes de montana?

Existen los necesarios y suficientes ecosistemas de montana representados en las Reservas de Biosfera?

Invito cordialmente al sr. J.Ferro (CITMA Cuba) a compartir en la conferencia ,las experiencias de desarrollo sostenible en las Reservas de Biosfera con ecosistemas de montana realizadas en su pais.

English Version of the Synthesis of Part A: Submitted to the Global Mountain Forum Conference by A.M.Ponce, CONDESAN-InfoAndina

Dear Colleagues,

During the first week of the electronic conference organized by the Mountain Forum-Latin America (MF-LAC), titled "Experiences of managing biosphere reserves in mountain zones of Latin America", the following topics were discussed:

- Conservation of Biodiversity at different organizational levels

- Natural protected areas as part of the biosphere reserves

- Recovering damaged territories

Lily Rodriguez (APECO), posted an article titled "Biological Diversity in high mountains, and its conservation in biosphere reserves". Her article talks about the geographic isolation generated by the mountains, presenting a high level of genetic diversity that deserves to be studied better. Our ancestor habitants, the indigenous cultures, understood this and made use of it by generating two major centers of domestication--not just of vegetable species (potato, corn, cotton, beans, tomato, quinoa, etc.), but also with house-hold domesticated animals (cuy, llama, alpaca, vicuna, etc.). Presently this process continues, in charge of farmers who still practice in-situ conservation of plant species, and also by subject specialists.

Dr. Miguel Holle from CONDESAN-CIP, submitted an article titled: "Steps towards an agrobiodiversity conservation" he also show their concern by the genetic erosion.

Dr. Zozimo Huaman (CIP), also showed his concern in the case of wild potatoes and submitted another article titled: "Potato wild species and its possible conservation in natural protected areas."

We can generalize the conservation of wild and cultivated species, including the conservation of animal species in danger of extinction.

It was also mentioned briefly the hydrological potential of the mountains, which we are suffering dramatically nowadays in several countries of our region, due to the climatic effect called "The Child" , where the rivers from the Andes generate intense rains provoking serious damages to the environment and its habitants.

We also had interesting comments by Jorge Ferro (CITMA, Cuba), who shared with us the experience of Cuba in the biosphere reserve of Sierra del Rosario, a mountain region.

Summarizing , during this first week we had relatively few articles, but it could be because the lack of knowledge of the biodiversity conservation in mountain regions. Does there exist enough mountain ecosystems represented in Biosphere reserves?

There are currently 240 participants registered to this conference, and the list of participants by country and the articles are available in the WEB at the following address:

http://www.condesan.org/infoandi/foro/biosf.htm

For further information on "Experiences of managing biosphere reserves in mountain zones of Latin America", a Spanish language focused e-conference hosted by MF-LAC please contact:

Ana Maria Ponce
CONDESAN-Infoandina
email: <A.Ponce@cgnet.com>

Regresar