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.
![]() Trailing of the Sheep FestivaleventThe annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival celebrates for the 20th year in three picturesque venues in Idaho's Wood River Valley: Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. Each fall, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival celebrates the over 150-year tradition of moving sheep, or “trailing”, from high mountain summer pastures down through the... Read more » |
![]() Quality mountain products at Slow Food forumpeak to peakIssue 97 – Month 10 – Year 2016 The October issue of Peak to Peak announces the launch of the Mountain Partnership Products Initiative at the international Slow Food forum “Terra Madre Salone del Gusto”. The newsletter continues with stories about the Mountain Partnership briefing and... Download » |
![]() United Nations General Assembly Report: Sustainable mountain development (2016)publicationReport of the Secretary-General on Sustainable Mountain Development
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![]() Mountain Research and Development issue onlinenewsThe newest issue of Mountain Research and Development is now available online. Papers in this issue explore a broad range of topics related to sustainable development in mountains worldwide. They analyse the potential for photovoltaic power generation in Tajikistan, the socioeconomic contributions of highlander entrepreneurs in Switzerland, large-cardamom production in the... Read more » |
![]() Quality mountain products at Slow Food forumnewsAn initiative to promote mountain products and empower small-holder mountain producers in developing countries was presented at the international Slow Food Forum "Terra Madre Salone del Gusto" in Turin, Italy on Saturday, 24 September. During the session "Living in the Mountains", mountain producers, Mountain Partnership (MP) members from Bolivia,... Read more » |
![]() Climate change in mountain valleys in PakistannewsSardari, Helmat and Taobat are the last three villages in the upper Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan known for their pristine, moist temperate forests and alpine pastures. In an interview on 24 August 2016 about the impacts of climate change in the valley, Abdul Rehman, a teacher at Government... Read more » |
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