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.
![]() Addressing the Loss of Biodiversity in the Alpine region: Exchange on Implementation of National, European and Global Biodiversity StrategieseventThe Alpine Biodiversity Board of the Alpine Convention and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation are organizing an online international exchange workshop on 17 April 2023, from 14.00 to 17.45 CEST, titled "Addressing the Loss of Biodiversity in the Alpine region: Exchange on Implementation of National, European and Global... Read more » |
![]() Third Mountain Futures ConferenceeventThe Third Mountain Futures Conference will be held on 16–18 April in Kunming, China. The theme of this year's conference is "Mountain communities in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework". The conference will bring together leading researchers, policymakers and practitioners from around the world to discuss the most pressing issues facing... Read more » |
![]() International Conference on Mountain Ecosystems: Biodiversity and Adaptations under Climate Change ScenarioeventMountains occur on all the continents, at all the latitude zones, and within all of the world's principal biome types. Mountain ecosystems have ecological, aesthetic and socioeconomic significance, not only for people living in the mountains but also for those living beyond—especially those in the lowlands who benefit from the... Read more » |
![]() Meet the Steering Committee: Centro de Estudios de Alta Montaña (CEAM), Representative of Major Group Organizations of South AmericanewsThe Mountain Partnership is guided by an 18-member Steering Committee that represents the diversity of the entire membership and ensures geographic representation. A new Steering Committee is elected approximately every four years. Most recently, elections were held in September 2022 during the sixth Global Meeting of the...
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![]() Advancing sustainable mountain development recognized as a commitment of action ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conferencepeak to peakThe March 2023 issue of Peak to Peak highlights a commitment of action titled "Advancing sustainable mountain development and protecting the 'water towers' of the world" submitted by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference. Top news stories announce the call for applications for IPROMO 2023,... Download » |
![]() Mountain studies: Understanding and managing mountains for people and naturepublicationKarakoram International University (KIU), Gilgit published a book (edited volume) entitled Mountain studies: Understanding and managing mountains for people and nature. The book was an outcome of a project under the U.S. – Pakistan University Partnerships Grants Program, funded by United States Government through the United States Educational Foundation in... Download » |
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