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Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

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elevati<strong>on</strong>s of 4100-4200 m a.s.l. in East African mountains (Hedberg 1964). Class J also represents<br />

<strong>the</strong> mima mounds which are <strong>the</strong> favoured habitat of giant molerats Tachyoryctes macrocephalus: <strong>the</strong><br />

predominance of bare soil indicates <strong>the</strong>ir role as ecosystem engineers, as <strong>the</strong>y eject soil from <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

burrow systems when excavating, and when plugging <strong>the</strong>ir burrows at night for <strong>the</strong>rmoregulati<strong>on</strong><br />

(Yalden 1975). They also graze and ga<strong>the</strong>r vegetati<strong>on</strong> for bedding around burrows, which fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

denudes <strong>the</strong> landscape.<br />

Anthropogenic activities also modify <strong>the</strong> vegetati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Afroalpine z<strong>on</strong>e. A substantial<br />

human populati<strong>on</strong> lives within and around <strong>the</strong> boundaries of <strong>the</strong> BMNP (van de Veen 2004), and<br />

seas<strong>on</strong>al movements occur as livestock are herded into <strong>the</strong> highlands during <strong>the</strong> wet seas<strong>on</strong> (Stephens<br />

et al. 2001, Vial et al. this editi<strong>on</strong>). Ericaceous vegetati<strong>on</strong> is managed through burning to improve<br />

forage quality and reduce retreats for leopards Pan<strong>the</strong>ra pardus and spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta.<br />

Classes K and L are probably kept short by a combinati<strong>on</strong> of grazing by livestock (Vial et al. this<br />

editi<strong>on</strong>) and burning (Abera and Kinahan this editi<strong>on</strong>). The occurrence of <strong>the</strong> denuded class J around<br />

<strong>the</strong> lower-altitude horas, or mineral springs (Chiodi and Pinard this editi<strong>on</strong>), could indicate that<br />

heavy livestock grazing pressure and soil poaching has reduced natural vegetati<strong>on</strong> cover.<br />

The map was initially designed to investigate habitat preferences of endemic and restricted<br />

range species, specifically <strong>the</strong> Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis and its rodent prey. Therefore<br />

emphasis was placed <strong>on</strong> describing <strong>the</strong> substrate, vegetati<strong>on</strong> growth form and dominant species<br />

within discrete land cover classes, ra<strong>the</strong>r than providing comprehensive species lists or assessing<br />

vegetati<strong>on</strong> community structure or clines. However, this comprehensive map of land cover within<br />

<strong>the</strong> Afroalpine z<strong>on</strong>e will be of great use as a tool to m<strong>on</strong>itor changes in <strong>the</strong> extent and degradati<strong>on</strong><br />

of alpine vegetati<strong>on</strong> within <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> (Teshome et al. this editi<strong>on</strong>). Alpine and nival z<strong>on</strong>es<br />

have been identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change (e.g. Pauli et al. 2003), and this<br />

map will provide a baseline to m<strong>on</strong>itor vegetative resp<strong>on</strong>ses to global warming. It will also facilitate<br />

management of <strong>the</strong> BMNP through z<strong>on</strong>ati<strong>on</strong> of anthropogenic activities such as grazing and reedcutting<br />

based <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> extent and vulnerability of each vegetati<strong>on</strong> type (Nels<strong>on</strong> this editi<strong>on</strong>). This<br />

map will provide a spatial framework within which <strong>the</strong> results of past surveys can be placed, and by<br />

which future m<strong>on</strong>itoring of <strong>the</strong> Afroalpine z<strong>on</strong>e can be planned.<br />

References<br />

Birdlife Internati<strong>on</strong>al 2005. BirdLife’s <strong>on</strong>line world bird database: <strong>the</strong> site for bird c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong>,<br />

versi<strong>on</strong> 2.0. Birdlife Internati<strong>on</strong>al: Cambridge, UK.<br />

Birdlife Internati<strong>on</strong>al 2006. <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Park (Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia),<br />

http://www.birdlife.org/dataz<strong>on</strong>e/sites/index.html, accessed Feb 2007.<br />

Bolstad, P. V. and Lillesand, T. M. 1992. Rule-based classificati<strong>on</strong> models - flexible integrati<strong>on</strong><br />

of satellite imagery and <strong>the</strong>matic spatial data. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote<br />

Sensing, 58: 965-971.<br />

Brooks, T., Hoffmann, M., Burgess, N., Plumptree, A., Williams, S., Gereau, R.E., Mittermeier,<br />

R.A. and Stuart, S. 2004. Eastern Afrom<strong>on</strong>tane. In: Hotspots Revisited (Mittermeier, R.A.,<br />

Gil, P.R., Hoffman, M., Pilgrim, J. Brooks, T., Miittermeier, C.G., Lamoreux, J. and Da<br />

F<strong>on</strong>seca, G.A.B. (eds)). CEMEx, Mexico City, Mexico.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Walia</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Special</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Editi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> 115

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