Georg Miehe,^* Sabine Miehe,^** Knut Kaiser,^*** Liu Jianquan,^**** Xinquan Zhao<sup>*****


*</sup>Georg Miehe is professor of physical geography at the Faculty of Geography, Philipps-University of Marburg since 1993. His research activities are high alpine ecology under human impact, mainly in High Asia and African mountains. His address: Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, D-35032 Marburg, Germany. miehe@staff.uni-marburg.de
^**Sabine Miehe is an ecologist and rangeland consultant. Her research activities are alpine ecology in High Asian and African mountains and rangeland ecology in West African savannas. Her address: Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, D-35032 Marburg, Germany. sabine.miehe@gmx.net
^***Knut Kaiser is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Faculty of Geography, Marburg. His research interests are soil genesis, geomorphology, and geoarchaeology, mainly in Tibet and Central Europe. His address: Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, D-35032 Marburg, Germany. knut.kaiser@staff.uni-marburg.de
^****Liu Jianquan is professor at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Xining, and Department of Biology, Lanzhou University. His research activities are phylogeography and ecology of the Tibetan plateau. His address: Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 59 Xiguan Street, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China. ljqdxy@public.xn.qh.cn
^*****Zhao Xinquan is professor and director of the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Xining, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His main research fields are animal husbandry, grassland ecology, and climate change of the Tibetan plateau. His address: Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 59 Xiguan Street, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China xqzhao@public.xn.qh.cn