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.
![]() A network and declaration from Mountains 2016newsThe event Mountains 2016 held in Bragança, Portugal aimed at promoting sustainable development in mountains. It included two conferences: the tenth European Mountain Convention (EMC) on 3-4 October and the first International Conference on Research for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions (ICRSDMR) on 6-7 October. Mountains 2016 brought together the European... Read more » |
![]() Winner of the 2016 Mountain Protection AwardnewsMountain Wilderness, a France-based project dedicated principally to the removal of obsolete manmade facilities in the European Alps, was announced as winner of the 2016 International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) Mountain Protection Award during a ceremony held at the UIAA General Assembly in Brixen (Bressanone),... Read more » |
![]() Fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain PartnershipeventThe Fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership (MP) was to take place 21-22 October 2016 in Mbale, Uganda, but has been postponed to 2017. The new date and venue are to be determined. This Global Meeting will provide members with an opportunity to discuss delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals,... Read more » |
![]() Alpine organizations celebrate 25 yearsnewsThe tri-national youth tour of Mont Blanc concluded with a celebration of the Alpine Convention, Espace Mont-Blanc and ProMONT-BLANC’s respective 25 year anniversaries. The three organizations joined together for an evening dedicated to young people and their role in the future of the Alps and, in... Read more » |
![]() Call for papers on migration in mountain areasnewsMigration is greatly affecting mountain societies and mountain ecosystems. Mountain Research and Development is looking for papers that assess experiences of promoting sustainable development in a context of out- or in-migration; that analyse migration processes and their implications for mountain communities and ecosystems; or that offer agendas for future research... Read more » |
![]() The role of heritage territories in mountainsnewsA photofilm about three biocultural heritage territories and their role in conserving biodiversity and promoting locally-determined development is now available in a Spanish language version. The six-minute film uses stunning photographs to present the Quechua Potato Park in the mountains of Peru, the Naxi Seed Park in China, and the... Read more » |
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