Workshop methods and results

Preparation

By way of preparation, participants were asked to prepare a list of 5 global priority actions to improve the conservation* of cloud forests. In addition, they were also asked to prepare brief written notes related to cloud forests in their region of experience, including the key issues (including threats), priority needs, and identification of partners and players with a role in the conservation of cloud forests.

*Note: in discussion during the workshop, it was agreed that the term "conservation" should be applied in the wider sense to include both protection and sustainable use.

Introductory Session

After participants had each introduced themselves to the group, the workshop facilitator described the proposed workshop programme and objectives. Participants were then given the opportunity to ask questions, and request clarification, and to discuss their own expectations of the workshop and identify any aspects that they felt would not be adequately covered.

A formal welcome to WCMC, including some slides of cloud forests in Malaysia, was then given by Dr. Mark Collins, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre.

This was followed by a short presentation from Prof. Larry Hamilton, who described how a series of activities with a focus on increasing awareness of cloud forest issues had developed in recent years. This had begun with the Puerto Rico Symposium in 1993, which had identified a number of research priorities and other recommendations for further work.

Among these was a call to raise awareness of the importance of cloud forests at all decision and policy making levels through the instigation of a campaign for TMCFs. This concept was supported by IUCN, and in due course a booklet in the IUCN Focus Series, written by Larry Hamilton was published in three languages and distributed widely to policy makers at global, regional and national levels, in order to focus their attention on cloud forest issues.

One of the other key recommendations from the Puerto Rico Symposium was that a global inventory of TMCFs should be carried out and linked to the development of a global database and atlas.

Mark Aldrich (Workshop Organiser, WCMC) then described how WCMC had taken on this recommendation, and recently completed a first phase of work which had included the development of an operational database, the production of a Draft Global TMCF Directory, and a publication in the WCMC Biodiversity Bulletin Series. Participants were then given a short demonstration of the WCMC database, including the layout of summary data fields and reporting formats, and shown how some of the information has been presented on a prototype Internet Web page, complete with maps linked to descriptive information on TMCF sites.

The presentation concluded with a number of suggestions as to the potential activities for a subsequent phase of work to develop the scope and detail of the database, and how this information could be made widely available in a range of formats, including the launch of the Draft Directory on the Internet. The activities proposed include a thorough review and update of the current information held, together with an extensive information gathering exercise; the establishment of a cloud forest network; publication of a handbook including management guidelines/case studies, and support to a further campaign to raise awareness of the importance and threats to cloud forests.

Participants were asked to give thought to these issues during the course of the workshop, in particular what additional information it would be useful to record in the database, and how and when the Draft Directory should be made available.