Symposium 08: Using forest networks to monitor biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and support sustainable management in the Andes

Organized by Selene Baez. Consorcio para el Desarrollo de la Ecorregión Andina (CONDESAN). Programa de Bosques Andinos. Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación (COSUDE).
* As part of the First international meeting: Biodiversity and Conservation of the Andes and the Amazon

Andean forests ecosystems are critical for biodiversity conservation and the provision of environmental services (e.g., water provision, carbon storage) to human populations in the region. The capacity of these ecosystems to maintain its biological diversity and ecosystem functioning may be compromised by human pressures at multiple scales related to global climate change, land-use cover change, and unsustainable management practices. The Red de Bosques Andinos is an international platform of scientists, conservation practitioners, and policy makers working in the region.

One of the objectives of the Network is to promote collaboration among their members to develop scientific studies that guide decision makers and conservation practitioners to enhance conservation and mitigate impacts of climate change.

The proposed symposium aims at bringing together the members of the Network and researchers with expertise in Andean landscapes to present their studies, and to identify short- and long-term research priorities to foster the areas of interest of the Network. Hence, the presentations in the proposed symposium should be related to these topics:

• Responses of Andean forest to climate change, and land-use and land-cover change.
• Main opportunities and bottlenecks for sustainable forest management: restoration and conservation of forest remnants

The presentations will be followed by an open discussion among the experts.