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MABNetAmericas
The Ecological Network for the Americas
Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada
Changing global climates, deforestation, loss of native habitats and pollutants increasingly threaten our biological diversity and well being. Local conditions often mask widespread changes. Policymakers cannot rely on any single country's environmental monitoring program to address priorities for the hemisphere or even the region.
MABNetAmericas will result in a network of sites, connected through the Internet, sharing comparable information and a registry of metadata sets.
The Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) of UNESCO has designated 100 Biosphere Reserves in North and South America. They cover the major ecological zones of the hemisphere from the tundra to the tropics and represent sites of sustainable resource management and research.
MABNetAmericas works in cooperation with other initiatives, such as the Iberoamerican program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED) among the countries of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.
In 1995, the MAB National Committees of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve communications and exchanging information on environmental issues. Other such statements are being developed among the countries within the region.
Big Bend National Park, U.S.A.
The goal of MABNetAmericas is to create and support an electronic network to link the Biosphere Reserves of the Western Hemisphere into an interactive system.
Establishing an effective electronic international information exchange poses technical and institutional challenges. Common data management strategies allow regional analyses over multiple sites from multiple countries.
MABNetAmericas promotes the adoption of standardized on-line documentation, such as MABFauna. It provides a way to identify and document data allowing, for example, a search of the registry for amphibian surveys to investigate the possibility of a global decline in amphibian populations.
A regional collaborative information network that utilizes data
stored at Biosphere Reserves can address natural resources problems
of importance to policymakers, scientists and managers.
MABNetAmericas
La Red Ecologica para las Americas
Cordillera Volc·nica Central, Costa Rica
Los cambios climaticos globales, deforestacion, perdida de los h·bitats nativos y contaminantes cada vez mas amenazan nuestra diversidad biologica y bienestar. Las condiciones locales frecuentemente enmascaran cambios de amplia distribucion. Los responsables por las decisiones no pueden confiar en solamente un pais y su programa de verificacion ambiental para dirigir prioridades para el hemisferio o equilibrar la region.
Alto Golfo de California, Mexico
MABNetAmericas resultara en una red de sitios, conectada mediante el Internet, compartiendo informacion comparable y un registro de "metadata".
El Programa del Hombre y de la Biosfera (MAB) de UNESCO ha designado 100 Reservas de la Biosfera en Norte y Sudamerica. Ellos presentan las zonas ecologicas importantes del hemisferio desde la tundra hasta los tropicos y representan sitios del manejo sustentable de los recursos naturales y de las investigaciones.
MABNetAmericas trabaja en cooperacion con otras iniciativas, tal como del Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnologia para el Desarrollo (CYTED) entre los paises de America Latina, Espana, y Portugal.
En 1.995, los Comites Nacionales de MAB en Canada, Mexico y los E.U.A. firmaron un memorandum de entendimiento para mejorar comunicaciones e intercambio de informacion sobre aspectos ambientales. Otras declaraciones como esta se desarrollan entre los paises de la region.
La meta de MABNetAmericas es la de crear y apoyar una red electronica
para vincular las Reservas de la Biosfera del Hemisferio Occidental
en un sistema interactivo.
El establecimiento de un eficiente intercambio electronico de informacion internacional posa desafios institucionales y tecnicos. Las estrategias colectivas para el manejo de datos permiten analisis regionales sobre sitios multiples desde paises multiples.
Estacion Biologica Beni, Bolivia
MABNetAmericas promociona la adopcion de estandares de documentacion "on line", tal como MABFauna. Estos proveen una manera para identificar y documentar datos, permitiendo, por ejemplo, ejemplo, una busqueda del registro de inventarios de anfibios para investigar la posibilidad de una declinacion global en dichas poblaciones.
Una red regional de informacion colaboradora que utiliza datos
en las Reservas de la Biosfera puede confrontar problemas de recursos
naturales de importancia para las personas responsables, cientificos
y gerentes.
For more information and to learn how you can become involved,
contact: // Para informarse sobre este proyecto y para averiguar
como podria Ud. colaborar, contacte:
MABNetAmericas
U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program
Suite 107; SA-44C
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20522-4401
Tel. (202) 776-8318 Fax. (202) 776-8367
Photo Credits:
Cordillera Volcanica Central, Waterton Lakes: W. Teska
Alto Golfo de California, Beni: Conservation International
Big Bend National Park: M. Fleming
U.S. Department of State Publication 10359, Released July 1996
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