Vegetation und Landnutzungsgeschichte in der unteren Nebelwaldstufe in den venezolanischen Anden

study the flora and environment of the area;

to analyse the plant communities of the cultural landscapes surrounding mountain villages;

to relate the existing plant communities to specific soils, topographies, and land uses;

to quantifiy the frequency and landscape pattern of land use types, to specify the frequencies and intensities of human impacts, and relate these to floristic patterns and vegetation types;

to construct successional processes on the basis of comparing existing plots with varying land use histories;

to generate maps  of abiotic conditions, vegetation patterns, and land uses using GIS techniques;

to draw conclusions in terms of sustainable, site-adapted land use, including the long-term preservation of soil, water, and biodiversity.