Summary Report
Training Workshop on the Taxonomy of High Elevation Vascular Plants
02-09 October 2017
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Outline of the workshop
Date: 02-09 October 2017
Venue: Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden (QSBG), Chiang Mai, Thailand
Field Study: Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Trainee: 11 persons from Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines,Myanmar, Brunei and Singapore
Resource Persons:* 1. Dr. Tetsukazu Yahara, Kyushu University, Japan*Dr. Nobuyuki Tanaka, National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan* Dr. Piyakaset Suksathan, the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Thailand (QSBG)*Dr. Prachaya Srisanga, the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Thailand (QSBG)* Dr. Somran Suddee, The Forest Herbarium (BKF)
Organizers: Biodiversity Center of Japan, MOE-J (ESABII Secretariat)
Co-organizer: ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
Introduction / Background
The lack of trained human resources and inadequate capacities on taxonomy has been stressed as
one of the obstacles in the implementation of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) commitments,
especially in the ASEAN region. In recent years, ASEAN+3’s dynamic growth has increased pressureson its natural resources. Human activities, including unsustainable production, increased development
and infrastructure, pollution, and others, threaten fragile biological resources increasingly. Lack ofscientific information on biodiversity in this region is a crucial issue in the assessment and predictionof biodiversity changes, caused mainly by the lack of taxonomic capacity in data collection andanalysis.
At the 6th Conference of Parties (COP-6) of the CBD, an operational programme of work for theGlobal Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) was endorsed (COP Decision VI/8, paragraph 5). This programmeof work not only sets the operative objectives, but also provides the rationale for the choice of theoperational targets. It was concluded that fast and successful implementation of this programme ofwork will, to a large extent, depend on: (i) coordinating it with existing national, regional and global

initiatives, partnerships and institutions such as, inter alia, the Global Biodiversity Information
Facility (GBIF) and BioNET-International, and (ii) taxonomic capacity building at the national andregional levels.
The 9th COP of the CBD added other work activities in the GTI PoW (Decision VIII/3). Decision
XI / 29 of the COP11 in Hyderabad, India crafted the Capacity Building Strategy of the GTI and urged
the Parties to implement the Strategy. The 19th SBSTTA held in October 2015 at Montreal, Canada,
encouraged the Parties to increase awareness of GTI and to implement the Strategy(UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/19/L.7 item 5f and 5g).
The Internship-training on Taxonomy for High Elevation Vascular Plants is one of the activities
implemented under the project “Development of the GTI Regional Action Plan for South East Asia
2016-2020 and Capacity Development on the Taxonomy for High Elevation Vascular Plants”. The
project is funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund and the ESABII of the MOE-Japan.
Objectives
The internship-training aimed to improve knowledge and skills of 10 representatives from ASEAN
Member States (AMS) on the taxonomy of high elevation vascular plants. To achieve this, the project
aims as follow:
1. To conduct a taxonomic capacity building program for high elevation vascular plants
2. To observe, record and collect samples through field work
3. To enhance taxonomic skills in sample collection, processing and management of specimens
4. To communicate with the researchers of QSBG
5. To provide hands-on experience through field and laboratory exercises in collection, identificationand development of a field guide book.
6. To develop an available field guide book
Day 1
Opening Program and first lectures. The welcome remark was delivered by Dr. Piyakaset, Acting
Deputy Director of the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. He mentioned about the importance oftaxonomy to biodiversity conservation and subsequently welcomed the participants to the city ofChiang Mai. For the ACB side, Dr. Pollisco represented the Executive Director, Atty. Roberto V.
Oliva. He reported to the participants the updates on the training programs on GTI and what occurredfrom 2010 up to the present. He welcomed the participants to Chiang Mai and to the training course.
Mr. Yusuke Saito, representing the MOEJ, give an address of gratitude and introduced the ESABII
program.
After the program, the formal lectures started on the theoretical aspects of the training course.
Resource persons each gave their assigned topics for the day (see program of activities for details).

Day 2This is the second day where the participants were taken to the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden fororientation on the facilities and grounds of the QSBG. The QSBG briefed the participants on themandates and facilities offered by the QSBG. After the briefing, the participants were taken on a tourof the facilities, the library, the herbarium laboratory, and the places where they will be working after
the field exercises in Doi Inthanon. The QSBG staff also briefed the participants on expectations inDoi Inthanon National Park and things to bring.
Day 3
The group traveled to Doi Inthanon National Park, after check-in the dormitory of Doi Inthanon
National Park, the group had an orientation by the Park Management Staff. The Park Management
Staff, led by the Deputy Park Manager, briefly oriented the participants about the national park and itsfeatures. After lunch, the group proceeded to the Summit Trail and Ang Ka Nature Trail where thedifferent teams that were assigned specific plant groups proceeded to take pictures and samples
for study. After the field work, the group returned to Park HQ and checked-in in the Park dormitory.
The assigned specific plant is as below.
Group 1 Epiphytes and Climbers
Group 2 Tree of Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand
Group 3 Shrubs and small trees of the upper montane
Group 4 Orchids
Group 5 Herbaceous Monocot Plants
Group 6 Dicot Herbs
Group 7 Ferns
Day 4This day, the group finished check-out from dormitory of Doi Inthanon National Park, was taken tothe Kew Mae Pan Trail, having about 2,300 masl at its highest point, which is a popular trail among
the visitors of Doi Inthanon. The trail is a 4-km loop that traverses several ecosystems including a subalpine meadow and cliffside vegetation.
Although the day was rainy, the group proceeded to perform their assignments the whole day. Afterthe trek, the group went back to the Park HQ and processed their samples including taking picturesand preparing the specimens for transport to QSBG for further processing and study. The sameafternoon, the group traveled back to Chiang Mai.

Day 5The specimens were processed, studied, identified and described in the QSBG
supervised by the resource persons and the taxonomists of the QSBG. Other staff of theQSBG supported the training course as logistics and support staff. Dr. Yahara added apresentation to further enhance the capacity of the participants in processing anddescribing their specimens.
Day 6-7
The training continued as same with yesterday, the group were studied and tried towrite- up of field guide book, and no more technical presentations were done.
Day 8
The describing of species found in Doi Inthanon were finished and the preparation ofreports and presentations were done.