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

Simocephalus brehmi ). Unlike Löffler, we found the species composition, diversity and abundance
to differ among sites (freshwater lakes with well-developed macrophyt beds were found to be the
most diverse) and seasons (dry season typified by a lower species number and presence of resting
eggs). Interestingly, the plankton was found to exhibit very heavy pigmentation, likely induced as
an adaptation to harmful uV-B waves.
Basically all paleolimnological analyses on the Garba Guracha short cores are still ongoing.
Results will become available shortly.
Environmental Implications
Mountains provide life-sustaining water for most regions of the world. The critical function of
mountains as seasonal of longer-term water storage implies that climatic and other environmental
changes in the world’s mountains will have a large impact, not only on those immediate regions,
but for a much greater area as well. In essence, mountain regions provide a discreet quantifiable
domain where relatively small perturbations in global processes, can cascade down to produce large
changes in most or all of the myriad interdependent mountain systems, from its hydrological cycle
to its complex fauna and flora, and the people that depend on those resources. Since our study will
throw light on aquatic ecosystem health and resilience of Bale Mountain lakes to global change
effects, it will strengthen the capacity of researchers, park managers, other government agents and
local people to protect native species and natural resources.
In economic terms, the Bale Mountains has the potential to attract large numbers of people
in search of opportunities for recreation and tourism (Admasu et al. this edition). By guiding
conservation practices and ecotourism, our study can help to maintain the region’s biodiversity,
beauty and economic value.
Acknowledgements
This research was sponsored by the Fund for Scientific Research (Flanders, Belgium, project
G0528.07), the Leopold III fund for Nature Exploration, and the Belgian Science Policy Action 1.
Fieldwork was conducted under Ethiopia Wildlife Authority permit. We thank all people involved
in the fieldwork, in particular the staff from Frankfurt Zoological Society – Bale Mountains
Conservation Project.
References
Battarbee R.W., Thompson, R. Catalan, J. Grytnes J.A. and Birks, H.J.B. 2002. Climate variability
and ecosystem dynamics of remote alpine and arctic lakes: the MOLAR Project. Journal of
Paleolimnology, 28: 1-6.
Diaz, H.F. and Bradley, R.S.1997. Temperature variations during the last century at high elevation
sites. Climatic change, 36: 253-279.
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