Mountain biodiversity
Mountains loom large in some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Their unique topography, compressed climatic zones and isolation have created the conditions for a wide spectrum of life forms.
Half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are concentrated in mountains and mountains support approximately one-quarter of terrestrial biological diversity. Mountains are home to rare species of plants and animals. These include increasingly rare animals such as gorillas, mountain lions, and the majestic tahr or strikingly beautiful plants such as orchids and lobelias.
A large portion of the world's most precious gene pools (for agriculture and medicine) are preserved in mountains. Crops that are important for food security, such as maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes and apples, have been diversified in mountains and an array of domestic animals - sheep, goats, yaks, llamas and alpacas - have originated or been diversified in mountains. Other crops, such as wheat, rye, rice, oats and grapes, have found new homes in the mountains and evolved into many varieties. Coffee and tea, with their roots in Ethiopia and the Himalayan region, are mountain crops as well. Medicinal plants are one of the most valuable resources from high altitudes. This rich biodiversity holds cultural, ecological and economic value. In the Andes, for example, farmers know of as many as 200 different varieties of Indigenous Peoples' potatoes and, in Nepal, they farm approximately 2 000 varieties of rice.
Climate change, poverty, commercial mining, logging and poaching all exact a heavy toll on mountain biodiversity. The sustainable management of mountain biodiversity has increasingly been recognized as a global priority. The Convention on Biological Diversity adopted a Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity in 2004, which includes a set of actions and targets addressing characteristics and problems that are specific to mountain ecosystems.
MP products at mountain agriculture conferencenewsUmesh Lama of Organic World and Fair Future Pvt Ltd. (OWF), a member of the Mountain Partnership, participated in the second International Conference on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture in Mountain Areas in Kathmandu, Nepal on 27-28 February 2018. The conference brought together rural service providers of the Mountain Agro-ecosystems...
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Explorers carry MP flag to the Arcticnews“The Last Ice” is a project of exploration, adventure and science on some of the last frozen lakes of the northern hemisphere. A team of three athletes – climber and author Paku Crestas, entrepreneur and writer Albert Bosch and climber Pepe Ivars – with vast experience in extreme environments will...
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PNG’s National Forest Inventory data presentednewsAround 80 forestry and biodiversity researchers from the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Forest Authority (PNGFA), PNG Forest Research Institute (PNGFRI), PNG University of Technology, University of PNG and Binatang Research Centre gathered at the PNGFRI in Lae on 14-20 February 2018 to present the preliminary results of PNG’s first multipurpose...
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Call for abstracts, Mountain Futures conferencenewsThe Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, together with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences and World Agroforestry Centre would like to invite contributions for the second International Conference on Mountain Futures, with a focus on "Ecosystem Rhythms, Land Systems and Sustainable Livelihoods". The International Conference on Mountain Futures...
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Mountain newspaper receives Energy Globe AwardnewsThe Kyrgyz National Energy Globe Award ceremony was held on 30 November 2017 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The team of the Aiyl Demi ("Rural Life") newspaper, the Kyrgyz national winner of the environmental award, was invited to the Austrian Embassy to receive its prize. During the ceremony, Michael Mueller, Commercial Councellor...
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15 years of Mountain PartnershippublicationThis publication celebrates the work of the Mountain Partnership - the only United Nations alliance dedicated to improving the lives of mountain communities and their ecosystems - over 15 years. It profiles key players, charts the achievements at global, regional and national level, and showcases success stories around the world.... Download » |
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