Conservation priorities
Using the databases of distributions of Andean birds (see above), analyses have been made of how to make the most effective area prioritization for conservation, considering the complementarity of species distributions, pre-selected protected areas networks and areas with minimum and maximum human pressures (J. Fjeldså, C. Rahbek). A conservation strategy has been developed for biological diversity of high Andean woodland habitats (J. Fjeldså, with botanist M. Kessler, University of Göttingen).
Several studies of local tropical avifaunas have resulted in locality reports where conservation needs and priorities are evaluated. The most important of these are the Uluguru Mountains Biodiversity Assessment, produced for the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (L. Hansen, O. Svendsen, cand.scient. projects, and others) and a village study of the Udekwa area in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (L. Dinesen, T. Lehmberg, cand.scient. projects).
The Department participates in interdisciplinmary studies of natural resource management by local communities in the Andes, where village projects in Oyacachi, Mutinga and Chapetonareas in Ecuador have been completed (N. Krabbe, J. Fjeldså).