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.
![]() International Workshop on Business and BiodiversityeventLIFE Institute in cooperation with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the National Confederation of Industry in Brazil, will co-host the International Workshop on Business and Biodiversity on 15 June as a parallel event to Rio+20.The long-day event will be conducted as plenary sessions where representatives from the... Read more » |
![]() Why the Alps matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
The Alps are a coherent mountain region covering 190,568 km2 across eight countries, with a population of 14 million. Their central location in western Europe gives them many important roles for the continent. The Alpine economy is based on a symbiosis of... Download » |
![]() Why mountains of the Middle East and North Africa matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
Mountains of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are important for sustainable development in national, regional and global contexts. The goods and key ecosystem services provided by these mountains are vital for the sustainable development.... Download » |
![]() Why the Central Asian mountains matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
The Central Asian mountains provide an astonishing array of essential ecosystem goods and services not only to mountain inhabitants but also to people in the lowlands and around the globe. These goods and services include forest products and land for food production;... Download » |
![]() Why the Hindu Kush Himalaya matterspublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
As the ‘water tower of Asia’, the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountains are the source of 10 major river systems and provide vital ecosystem goods and services to more than 1.4 billion people. The region includes four global biodiversity hotspots, 488 protected... Download » |
![]() Why mountains of the Southeast Asia and Pacific region matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
Mountains of the Southeast Asia and Pacific (SEAP) region spread across mainland Asia and the island/archipelagic states in the Pacific Ocean. These countries host one of the world’s highest and most severely threatened biodiversity and gene pools. Many of the region’s indigenous... Download » |
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